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CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Rocks Rally to Take Opener in Salem

May 7, 2019 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Salem, VA - A two-out single in the top of the ninth inning by Dennicher Carrasco lifted the Wilmington Blue Rocks to a 3-2 comeback victory over the Salem Red Sox on Tuesday at Haley Toyota Field. The Blue Crew erased an early two-run deficit en route to their fourth consecutive win. The Rocks are back to seven games above .500, equaling their high-water mark of 2019.

Seuly Matias got the ninth inning jumpstarted with a walk. MJ Melendez then sacrificed him into scoring position. Sebastian Rivero followed with a strikeout, but Carrasco picked his teammate up, lining Hunter Smith's 0-2 pitch into left to plate the game-winning run.

The Wilmington rally began in the fourth, with Melendez getting the Rocks on the board. With Wilmington trailing 2-0, the catcher lined a double to left that scored Brewer Hicklen. Rivero kept the momentum rolling with an RBI-single to left that brought home Melendez and tied the game.

Meanwhile, Daniel Tillo recovered from a rough start to turn in the longest outing by a Blue Rock in 2019. The lefty allowed single tallies in each of the first two innings, courtesy of a run-scoring single from Pedro Castellanos and a solo homer by Jagger Rusconi. After that it was all goose eggs from Tillo (3-2), who lasted eight frames, yielding just five hits and one walk. The 22-year-old Iowa native now has the longest start by a Blue Crew hurler and Wilmington's only complete game of the season (in a seven-frame affair at Carolina last month).

Marcello Martinez appeared in relief for the first time as a Blue Rock and stranded the potential tying run at third base to nail down his first career Advanced-A save.

The Rocks continue their three-game road trip on Wednesday at Salem. Left-hander Daniel Lynch (1-1, 3.08) gets the start for Wilmington with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m. Fans can catch all the action with the Voice of the Blue Rocks Cory Nidoh on 89.7 WGLS-FM.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

The Rocks have had far more success on the road this season, going 11-4 outside of the First State as opposed to just 8-8 at home. The Blue Crew offense has been much more potent away from the friendly confines of Frawley Stadium, scoring 28 more runs in away affairs despite playing one more contest at home. Eleven of the Blue Crew's 12 homers have come on the road and Wilmington has not hit a homerun in its home ballpark since Opening Night- a string of 15 consecutive contests.

The Blue Crew have excelled in close games this season. Wilmington leads the Carolina League with 15 contests decided by a single score in 2019. The Rocks are an impressive 12-3 in those close calls.

Despite the win Wilmington's defense continues to struggle in 2019. The Rocks committed three more errors on Tuesday. They now have at least one error in 16 of the last 18 games. The Blue Crew is last in the Carolina League with 51 total errors as a team. The club has committed at least three errors in eight different contests, multiple defensive miscues in 14 games and one in all but six.

Wilmington has had an odd schedule to start the 2019 season. Wilmington opened the campaign with a series against Salem and then played 17 consecutive games against CL South opponents. The Rocks went 9-8 during that stretch. The Blue Crew are now in the midst of playing 24 out of 27 against the CL North. The Rocks are 8-2 so far during this divisional-heavy portion of the slate and 8-4 on the year against CL North foes.

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Carolina League Stories from May 7, 2019


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