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CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Rocks Hold On for Series Win in Frederick

June 29, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - It was an ironic night at Harry Grove Stadium on Tuesday. The team with the fewest home runs in the Carolina League won thanks in large part to a two-run homer by Adrian Ortiz. Meanwhile, with the reigning Carolina League Pitcher of the Week on the hill, it was a man who lost his spot in the starting rotation who excelled on the bump. Add it up, and the Blue Rocks (36-40, 4-2) earned a 3-2 win over the Frederick Keys (44-32, 3-3), taking two of three from the first-half champs.

It was Frederick who actually got on the board in the first inning on Joe Mahoney's RBI bouncer up the middle. The damage could have been much more severe, but starter John Lamb got Miguel Abreu on a grounder back to the mound to strand two runners on base.

It started a trend for Lamb, who routinely put men on base, but then found a way to work out of jams. He saw Billy Rowell move into scoring position on a single and a stolen base in the second inning, but then struck out the side to keep the deficit at one run.

Lamb left the bases loaded in the third. The 19-year-old allowed Frederick to fill the sacks with one out courtesy of a hit, a walk and a hit batsman. But again Lamb used the strikeout to his advantage, fanning Abreu and Rowell to quell the threat.

The hard work by Lamb kept Frederick off the board, but it also considerably shortened his outing. After allowing an infield single but retiring the other three batters he faced in the fourth, Lamb's night was done. He fanned seven and walked one in his four frames, but did not qualify for the win.

His loss was Ivor Hodgson's gain. The left-hander who moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen during the All-Star break came on for a little long relief. Playing less than 30 minutes from where he attended college at Mt. St. Mary's, Hodgson did not see a Frederick run cross while he was on the hill over the next four-plus frames.

He also yielded baserunners, but then did not allow Frederick to come through with the clutch hit. Hodgson (4-6) stranded runners in the sixth and eighth innings. He ran into a jam when a one-out walk led to a runner reaching second base with two outs in the ninth.

Harold Mozingo came on from the bullpen at that point, and although he allowed the inherited runner to score on Ronnie Welty's single to left, he nailed down the save when Mahoney bounced out to second baseman Rey Navarro.

Frederick stranded 11 men left on base. The Keys went just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position, and stranded six runners at second and/or third.

Wilmington's offense was a tad more efficient. It got on the board on one big swing of the bat in the third inning. After Navarro took the first pitch of the third inning in the ribs, Ortiz came to the plate one out later and bombed a home run to right field, giving Wilmington the lead for good. Ortiz finished the night just a triple shy of the cycle, going 4-for-5.

The Rocks added a huge insurance tally one frame later. It was Navarro who came up with the big hit. His one-out double down the right-field line plated Nick Francis and put the Blue Crew on top, 3-1. The Rocks would need that score as they held on for the one-run victory. Navarro finished the game 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Wilmington opens a three-game series against the Lynchburg Hillcats at Frawley Stadium on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. Tim Melville (2-8, 5.81) takes the hill for Wilmington against Lynchburg right-hander James Avery (3-2, 4.01). For tickets call 302-888-BLUE or visit bluerocks.com. The game will feature a tribute to "The Muppet Show". The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Blue Rocks travel mug, courtesy of Delaware Child Predator Task Force.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Christian Colon made his professional debut on Tuesday night. The fourth overall pick in this June's draft bounced into a 5-4-3 double play in his first career professional at-bat. He finished the evening 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.

Adrian Ortiz's fourth-inning home run was his first dinger as a Blue Rock. It was also just the fourth home run of the outfielder's career in 375 games and 1249 at-bats. It was his first long ball since July 20, 2008.

Wilmington has fared fairly well in rubber matches during 2010. The Rocks win on Tuesday gave them a 4-1 mark in series-deciding tilts including wins in each of their last three such encounters. Wilmington recorded its ninth series win of the season, and its first of the campaign in three tries against the Keys.

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