CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Pelicans Rally Past Blue Rocks

Published on July 21, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Myrtle Beach, SC - For just the second time all season the Wilmington Blue Rocks (46-49, 10-16) blew a four-run lead. For the second time, the fall-from-ahead setback came against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (55-41, 15-12). On Thursday night, the Fightin' Feathers played six unanswered runs to turn back the Blue Crew, 7-5.

Leading 5-1, Wilmington starter Noel Arguelles left in line for the win. The southpaw allowed just one run over five innings of work in bouncing back from his worst outing as a Blue Rock. He walked an uncharacteristically-high three, but whiffed four and allowed just three hits.

Then came the Blue Rocks' bullpen. The team's lone error on the night, a throwing miscue by John Whittleman, made for two unearned runs on Arguelles' successor Jon Keck in the sixth. The Pelicans used three hits, two on the infield, to help the run-scoring effort. Jose Bonilla's seventh passed ball of the season plated the first tally, while Santiago Chirino's well-placed single through the right-side hole knocked in the other.

In the seventh, everything fell apart. Myrtle Beach sent eight men to the plate and scored four times despite registering just one hit all inning. Keck (0-1) walked the first three batters before striking out Jared Bolden. Carolina League All-Star Ryan Strousborger followed with a two-run double into the left-center field gap, causing Keck to get the hook.

Dusty Odenbach entered and uncorked a wild first pitch to score Andres James from third. The right-hander then walked Jared Prince who stole second as Vinny DiFazio struck out. With Chirino batting, another Odenbach wild pitch provided Strousborger with a window to score an insurance run, making it 7-5.

The Blue Rocks led 1-0 after Jose Bonilla's RBI double in the third against Justin Grimm. A four-run sixth saw the Blue Crew bat around, with Nick Van Stratten's two-run single highlighting the scoring.

Former first-round pick Kasey Kiker (2-2) tossed two perfect innings behind Grimm to secure the win. Ryan Rodebough hurled a 1-2-3 ninth for his first Carolina League save.

The Blue Rocks' seven-game journey now shifts to Kinston's Grainger Stadium for a three-game series with the Indians. Wilmington's final games at Grainger, barring a playoff clash, get underway at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night. The Blue Crew tosses right-hander Tyler Sample (6-7, 4.80) against fellow righty Marty Popham (4-0, 2.56). Broadcast coverage begins at 6:35 p.m. as studio host Adam Dobrowolski brings fans the Rocks Report Pre-game Show, presented by Wawa, on 89.7 WGLS-FM and online at wgls.rowan.edu.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

The Blue Rocks made an error in a season-worst 14th straight game.

Thursday's meltdown in many ways mimicked Wilmington's four-run lead lost on July 9 against the Pelicans. That time it came at Frawley Stadium when the Rocks lost a 6-2 advantage en route to a 7-6 finish in 10 innings. That night, Noel Arguelles also left in line for the win, despite not lasting six innings. Also, much like Thursday, the bullpen hurled multiple wild pitches as it imploded and surrendered the healthy advantage.

Wilmington has finished the 2011 regular season 2-8 at Coastal Field. The franchise has posted a winning record in the Palmetto State just once since 2001.

John Whittleman's team-high 17th error of the season was also his sixth in eight games.

Before the game, the Blue Rocks received catcher Julio Rodriguez. Acquired the day before in the trade of big leaguer Wilson Betemit from the Detroit Tigers, Rodriguez has lifted the team's active roster to the league-maximum of 25 men.

Check out the Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from July 21, 2011


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