CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Rocks Get First Win in Doubleheader Split

Published on April 6, 2019 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - A strong outing by spot starter J.C. Cloney helped the Blue Rocks to their first victory of the season as Wilmington split a doubleheader with the Salem Red Sox on Saturday at Frawley Stadium. Cloney fanned seven and yielded just one run over five frames as the Blue Crew took the nightcap, 2-1. Wilmington dropped game one by the same score.

Cloney (1-0) threw 52 of his 81 pitches for strikes. He walked only two and worked around five hits. Three times he got himself out of tight spots, stranding two runners in scoring position and watching his defense cutdown the potential tying run at the plate in the fourth.

Wilmington's offense managed just two hits, but both came with two outs in an inning and resulted in runs. With the team trailing 1-0 in the second, Brewer Hicklen jumpstarted a rally. The 17th-ranked prospect in the Royals system came to the plate with two down and the bases empty. He was hit by a pitch, then swiped his way into scoring position and came home on Blake Perkins' RBI-double off the wall in right.

More two-out magic put the Rocks ahead to stay in the third. MJ Melendez stroked a double to left. Then hustled to third on a pitch in the dirt and scored on another wild pitch by Devon Fisher (0-1).

Tad Ratliff faced the minimum in the last inning to earn his first save of the year.

In game one of the doubleheader Brady Singer's professional debut got off to a rocky start. The top prospect in the Royals system was trailing before he had recorded an out. Jarren Duran started the night with a single for Salem. He then stole second and came home on Jagger Rusconi's seeing-eye single up the middle. Ryan Fitzgerald followed with a double to right, which put two men in scoring position and the Red Sox seemed poised to turn up the heat on what seemed like it might be Singer's baptism by fire. But the 18th overall pick of last June's draft retired the next three batters and limited the damage to only two runs in the frame.

Singer (0-1) would allow just two more baserunners the rest of his night. He finished his debut after 5.1 frames, allowing two runs on three hits while fanning four and walking one. He threw 76 pitches, 46 of which went for strikes.

Unfortunately for the Rocks, their offense could not overcome Salem's fast start. Wilmington's bats managed just a single score in the third. Kyle Isbel's speed got the home team on the board. The 10th-ranked prospect on the Kansas City farm, according to MLB.com, legged out an infield singled and stole second. He then came home on Melendez's double just inside the bag at third. The Blue Crew stranded the tying run at second however, and Bryan Mata was not seriously threatened again. In 5.2 frames Mata (1-0) yielded just one run on four hits and walked none enroute to the victory.

Wilmington wraps up its initial series of the season with its first day game of the year on Sunday. Right-hander Jackson Kowar takes the mound for the Blue Rocks. Salem counters with lefty Emmanuel DeJesus. First pitch at Frawley Stadium is slated for 1:35 p.m. Tickets are available at BlueRocks.com.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Mother Nature forced the first doubleheader of the season on only day three of the 2019 campaign for Wilmington. The Rocks endured 12 postponements a season ago and went 10-10 in their 10 doubleheaders. The Blue Crew and Red Sox are guaranteed at least one more twinbill this season. The teams have two games scheduled in Salem on Monday, July 8.

In a rotation with four former first-round picks and a third-round top-30 prospect, it is ironic that the first win for Wilmington came courtesy of a spot start from the reliever J.C. Cloney. Upon closer examination of Cloney's pedigree, however, it makes perfect sense. In 14 starts last season between Low-A Lexington and Rookie-Idaho Falls, the 2017 ninth round pick out of Arizona held his opponent without an earned run five times and to two-or-fewer earned runs all but thrice. He was named Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year. Cloney's seven strikeouts on Saturday established a new season-high for any Wilmington pitcher.

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Carolina League Stories from April 6, 2019


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