CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Rocks Rolled Over in Extras

Published on May 4, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - The old baseball adage about two-out walks coming back to haunt you rang true for the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Tuesday night at Frawley Stadium With two away and nobody on in the 10th, Wilmington reliever James Thompson issued a free pass to Salem's Will Middlebrooks. With that the floodgates opened, as four consecutive hits and three Red Sox runs followed, leaving the Blue Rocks on the short end of a 7-4 decision.

Middlebrooks worked a full count against Thompson (0-3) before drawing his rally-triggering walk. Tim Federowicz followed with the game's biggest hit, as the catcher ripped a double into the left-center field gap. It got all the way to the fence and gave Middlebrooks plenty of time to circle around and score.

Ryan Dent then brought home Federowicz with a liner to left. Alex Hassan capped the decisive frame with a triple to the alley in right-center.

The Rocks raced out to a fast start plating three runs in the first inning. Patrick Norris started the rally with a one-out single. He then stole second and came home on Eric Hosmer's RBI double to the left-field corner. Jamie Romak followed with a looping liner that carried just over Anthony Rizzo's glove at first and into the Blue Rocks bullpen down the right-field line. Hosmer scored on the play and Romak legged his way to third. That allowed him to score on Anthony Seratelli's liner that shortstop Ryan Dent knocked down, but could not field cleanly.

Salem began to chip away in the fourth when Rizzo sent an Alex Caldera pitch over the fence to right for a solo homer. Caldera had retired the game's first 11 batters, before his mistake to Rizzo.

In the fifth, the Sox tied the game thanks to a pair of tallies. The frame opened with back-to-back doubles off the bats of Federowicz and Dent, the second of which scored a run. Hassan followed with a line-drive single to left that put runners on the corners. Mitch Denning evened the contest on an RBI fielder's choice.

The Rocks responded with a run in the home half of the frame to go back in front. Adrian Ortiz legged out an infield single. He continued to make things happen with his speed as he went from first to third on a Norris sacrifice bunt. On the bunt, which was fielded by third baseman Middlebrooks, no one rotated for the Sox to cover third, so Ortiz just kept running. His hustle was rewarded when Hosmer brought him home with a run-scoring grounder to Middlebrooks.

Unfortunately for Wilmington, Rizzo had an answer of his own in the next frame. For the second time in as many at-bats Rizzo victimized Caldera with a long ball to right. This time it was a high majestic shot that easily cleared the fence.

Both starters took no-decisions. Caldera lasted 6.2 innings, surrendering four runs and whiffing seven in his longest outing of the season. His counterpart, Alex Wilson lasted five frames, surrendering four runs on eight hits, while fanning six.

Salem reliever Jeremey Kehrt got the win. Kehrt tossed four scoreless frames, allowing only two hits and striking out two.

Wilmington looks to bounce back on Wednesday as it hosts the Sox again at 6:35 p.m. Right-hander Jairo Cuevas (2-2, 5.55) who has won each of his last two starts, gets the nod for the Rocks. Salem is slated to counter with right-hander Stolmy Pimentel (2-1, 5.12)

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Patrick Norris' steal in the first was his eighth of the season. That tied the centerfielder with teammate Adrian Ortiz for the Carolina League lead in thefts.

The Blue Rocks' record in extra innings fell to 0-2 with the loss on Tuesday. The game actually marked the first time the Rocks were tied with an opponent after the ninth inning in 2010. Wilmington's first extended contest came in the front end of a doubleheader, and a scheduled seven-inning game went nine frames.

Jamie Romak was ejected in the seventh inning on the most controversial call of the night. With runners at first and third with two outs, Romak laced a grounder towards the hole at third, but a brilliant backhanded stab by Will Middlebrooks kept the ball in the infield. It still appeared Romak had beaten Middlebrooks' throw to first, but first base umpire Jacob Danielsen called the Rocks cleanup hitter out. Romak slammed his helmet to the ground in disgust with the call and was immediately tossed. He is the first Blue Crewer to be ejected from a game in 2010. Had Romak been safe, Wilmington would have grabbed a 5-4 lead in the seventh.

Romak's first-inning triple was Wilmington's 14th three-bag hit of the season, which is the most in the Carolina League.

Tuesday marked the first time in 2010 Wilmington lost a game in which their starter had pitched at least six innings. The Rocks fell to 6-1 in such circumstances this season.

The Rocks are now mired in a season-high four-game losing streak. Wilmington, which occupies the basement of the Carolina League North, saw its record drop to a season-worst five games under .500.

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Carolina League Stories from May 4, 2010


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