CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Offense Quiet Again as Blue Rocks Lose 4-2 in Salem

Published on June 29, 2014 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Salem, VA - The struggles continued for the Wilmington offense on Sunday afternoon, as the Blue Rocks managed just a single unearned run in a 4-2 loss to the Salem Red Sox. It was the Blue Crew's fifth consecutive defeat and their fourth straight game scoring two-or-fewer runs. With the setback, Wilmington dropped to a season-worst five games below .500 overall (37-42) and three games below sea level since the All-Star break (4-7).

Both starting pitchers turned in quality outings. Salem's Pat Light scattered five hits over five frames. The right-hander allowed several hard-hit balls by the Wilmington offense, but most of them turned into outs as he yielded just a single unearned score.

Right from the start it was clear fortune was on Light's side. The first batter he faced hit a line drive off the top of the left-field fence, but Jack Lopez was thrown out trying for second base. Later, Light (2-4) got outs on four scolded liners to the outfield, and induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play in the fourth. Wilmington scored its first run off of Light when Jantzen Witte booted a two-out ground ball to third in the fifth. The two-out miscue allowed Daniel Rockett to come home. Wilmington tried to do further damage that frame, but Reed Gragnani robbed Jared Schlehuber with a diving stop on a grounder up the middle that the second baseman turned into an inning-ending fielder's choice.

Meanwhile, Wilmington starter Christian Binford was perfect through the first three frames, but allowed single tallies in the fourth and fifth innings on his way to the tough-luck loss. The 10th-ranked prospect in the Royals system, according to Baseball America, worked six strong innings, fanning seven and walking none, while allowing just five hits and the two runs. It was the fifth straight start for the right-hander without yielding a base on balls.

Salem added a pair of insurance scores against reliever Yender Caramo in the seventh and eighth innings. Aneury Tavarez singled to lead off the seventh and went from first to third when Caramo threw the ball into the right field corner trying to pick him off. Kevin Heller followed with an RBI single to put the Red Sox up by two. In the eighth, Michael Miller led off with a double and went to third on a groundout by Witte. Caramo delivered a wild pitch to plate Miller.

The Rocks had their best scoring chance in the top of the eighth inning. They loaded the bases with just one away on back-to-back singles by Michael Antonio and Cody Stubbs and a Rockett walk. Mark Donato tried to lift a sacrifice fly to center but it wasn't quite deep enough to score the run. Terrance Gore grounded out to second to end the inning. The Rocks did manage to score one run in the ninth on a Schlehuber sacrifice fly but never were able to bring the tying run to the plate.

The Blue Rocks return to action Monday night at Salem Memorial Stadium for the series finale against the Red Sox. Wilmington will send righty Miguel Almonte (5-3, 4.16) to the mound while Salem will counter with southpaw Corey Littrell (4-4, 4.27). First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM. The Rocks will be back at Frawley Stadium on Tuesday night for the first game of a brief three-game homestand against the Potomac Nationals. For tickets, call 302-888-BLUE or visit BlueRocks.com.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Jack Lopez turned in perhaps one of his best all-around performances at the plate this season. The right-handed hitting second baseman went 2-for-2 with three walks and two stolen bases, reaching safely in all five of his plate appearances. Entering play, Lopez had been 0-for-12 at the plate over his last four games. His season-high in hits is three, which he has accomplished twice. On April 21 at Myrtle Beach, Lopez was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. He swiped one bag that night. Lopez also recorded three hits on May 8 at Frawley Stadium against Lynchburg. He went 3-for-4 with a double that night. Lopez has drawn 19 bases on balls in 2014 but, prior to Sunday, his season high in a game had been one. Sunday's trio of free passes tripled that season-best total. Lopez is batting .224 on the year with 12 doubles, one homer and 17 RBIs.

Wilmington's struggles with runners on base reared their head again in Sunday night's 4-2 loss to Salem. The Blue Crew left 11 men on the basepaths, five of them in scoring position. They had several chances with multiple runners on base and less than two outs. However, the Rocks went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. On the season, the Blue Rocks have left 521 runners on base compared with 404 stranded by their opponents. The club now owns a .219 (155-for-707) average with runners in scoring position in 2014.

Salem put the leadoff hitter on base in each of the final five frames of the ballgame. All five reached with hits and three of those knocks were doubles. Those five leadoff baserunners were the difference in the contest, as they led to all four of Salem's four runs. Matty Johnson led off the fourth with a single and came around to score on an RBI hit later in the inning by Jantzen Witte. Aneury Tavarez doubled at the start of the fifth inning and scored on an RBI single by Leonel Escobar. In the seventh inning, it was Tavarez coming through again for the Red Sox, this time with a single. Kevin Heller plated him with a base hit. Michael Miller doubled to kick off the eighth and scored on a wild pitch by Yender Caramo. Both Caramo and Christian Binford, the Blue Rocks starter, gave up two of those tallies apiece.

Sunday's loss to Salem was Wilmington's fifth straight defeat, tying the team's season-high. The Blue Rocks were swept at home by the Lynchburg Hillcats to start this stretch and they have now dropped the first two contests against the Salem Red Sox. The club's first five-game losing streak came between April 5 and April 10. The first two contests were losses to the Winston-Salem Dash in the season's opening series. The final three defeats came in a three-game sweep by the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Three of those were one-run losses and one was a two-run defeat.

THEY SAID IT

Manager Darryl Kennedy:

"We've got to start coming through in big spots. We went hitless with runners in scoring position. We had the opportunity -- down two runs with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth -- and couldn't get anything. We had our chances, but the bottom line is we've got to do a better job with runners in scoring position."

"We've only got three outfielders and we needed to give [Bubba Starling and Raul Mondesi] a day off in a long stretch of games [so the lineup adjusted accordingly]. We put Kenny [Diekroeger] up there in the two-hole because he's been swinging the bat well lately. [Jack Lopez] did a great job in the lead-off spot [Sunday]. We definitely need to get Jack going as well as everybody else. We've got to get this thing turned around, no doubt about it. Fortunately it's still early in the half, and we've got a lot of games left, but the sense of urgency needs to be now."

"Christian Binford threw the ball really well. Unfortunately he just made a couple of mistakes, missing up in the zone with two outs and a couple guys at second base, but overall he pitched well. Certainly well enough to win the game."

Infielder Jack Lopez:

"We're taking baby steps after those two games we had with Lynchburg. Yesterday we got the bats going. Today we had runners on base but weren't able to get them in. We'll be out there tomorrow battling our butts off again."

"It felt real good. I was able to get on base for the boys. I wasn't able to score but it was good for me to get going now, get good at bats and start putting them together. Hopefully we'll get going soon."

"We're really tough guys. We're men. This team, we back each other up 100 percent no matter what it is. We have great team bonding, team chemistry. That's a big part. Whether we win or lose, we've got to go out there and bust our butts. We have to tip our caps to the pitchers. If it weren't for them we wouldn't be where we are now. We've just got to keep going out there and battling."

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Carolina League Stories from June 29, 2014


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