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CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Rocks Return Favor, Rout Lynchburg, 7-3

May 4, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - Courtesy of a strong offensive performance and a sterling effort by starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi on Wednesday, the Wilmington Blue Rocks avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season. The Blue Crew belted 13 hits and got six innings of two-run ball from their right-handed hurler on the way to a 7-3 victory over the Lynchburg Hillcats.

The Rocks spoted Lynchburg a one-run advantage in the opening inning, but wasted little time battling back. A run in the second on Alex McClure's triple to the right-center gap tied it, and then a four-spot one inning later gave Wilmington the lead for good.

Five hits in the third inning led to the crooked number. Nick Francis, John Whittleman and Jose Bonilla provided the run-scoring knocks. The Rocks sent nine men to the plate in the frame, a feat so fine they almost duplicated it in the fourth. That inning Wilmington had eight come to the dish on its way to two more scores.

Deivy Batista set the table with a double, but was cut down at the plate two batters later. After a Tim Ferguson single put runners at first and third, Rey Navarro came through with an RBI knock. Francis was intentionally walked to load the bases and McClure reached on a Joe Leonard error which plated Ferguson.

The offensive explosion was more than enough for Odorizzi (2-0), who scuffled through a rough first inning and then found his groove. The 21-year-old yielded two hits in the opening frame and saw a run score on an error by Batista at third base. But he retired 10 of the next 12 batters he faced and allowed only one more tally over his final five frames of work.

He finished his night with eight strikeouts and only one walk. After Bryan Paukovits yielded a single score in the seventh to pull Lynchburg within four runs, Kelvin Herrera came on to shut the door, tossing a pair of scoreless frames to give Wilmington just its second win in six tries this season against the Hillcats.

Wilmington hits the road for a brief four-game venture to Frederick this weekend. The trip starts on Thursday at 7 p.m. as the Rocks send piggyback combo Noel Arguelles (1-0, 1.02) and Michael Mariot (3-0, 0.63) to the mound. The Keys will counter with right-hander Jacob Rasner (1-2, 10.26).

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Rey Navarro's first rough patch of the 2011 campaign came to a resounding close on Wednesday. The infielder, who entered the night hitless in previous 13 at-bats, went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Wilmington 's win. Navarro entered the day with the Carolina League's second-best batting average, which he raised by six points on Wednesday.

Technically, the Wilmington offense could do nothing against the opponent's starting pitcher for the fourth consecutive night. After the trio of Winston-Salem's Andre Rienzo, and Lynchburg's Chris Masters and Willie Kempf dominated the Rocks by allowing just two runs on five hits in 21 innings pitched in the previous three games, Cory Rasmus fanned two during a perfect first frame on Wednesday. But the right-hander, who was making his return from the disabled list, was lifted as planned for originally scheduled starter Matt Crim. Crim (1-3) got shelled, allowing seven runs (five earned) on 11 hits in just 2.2 frames of work.

Nick Francis drew the first intentional walk of the season by a Wilmington Blue Rock. The right fielder came up with runners at second and third with one out and the Rocks up by four runs in the fourth inning, when the Hillkitties chose to put him on.

Jake Odorizzi has been dominant over his last three outings. The right-hander, who came to the Royals organization in an off-season trade for former Blue Rock Zack Greinke, has allowed just four earned runs and has fanned 28 over 19 innings pitched over that stretch. His win on Wednesday came on the same night that Greinke made his Milwaukee debut in the backend of a doubleheader with the Atlanta Braves. The Hillcats, who Odorizzi beat on Wednesday, are a Braves farm club.

After getting out-scored 21-2 and out-hit 31-8 during Monday and Tuesday's contests, Wilmington avoided being swept in a series for the first time in 2011 by flipping the script. The Rocks out-hit Lynchburg, 13-10 on their way to the 7-3 victory.

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