CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Rocks Suffer Sweep In Winston-Salem, 4-3

Published on June 23, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Winston-Salem, NC - After grabbing a one-run lead in the top of the eighth inning, the Wilmington Blue Rocks (36-40, 1-5) saw it vanish when the host Winston-Salem Warthogs responded with a two-run bottom of the frame and held on to post a 4-3 decision over the Blue Crew on Sunday evening. It completed a three-game sweep of Wilmington with the series decided by four total runs. The Blue Rocks have lost a season-worst four straight games both overall and on the road. Up next, the three-day All-Star break as the Carolina League's best will face their California League counterparts on Tuesday at Myrtle Beach's Coastal Field.

The Blue Rocks first lead came in the third inning. Jarrod Dyson led off with an infield single, stole second and scored on a two-out hit from Joe Dickerson. But Winston-Salem responded in the bottom half of the inning against fill-in starter Gilbert De La Vara. With runners at first and third and two outs, Salvador Sanchez hit a weak grounder toward third. Josh Johnson charged the ball and made a running throw to first base that took Anthony Seratelli off the base, giving Sanchez an infield hit and an RBI as Greg Paiml scored from third for a tie game, 1-1.

North Carolina native Greg Holland surrendered an unearned run in the fourth inning when a Kurt Mertins error combined with a two-out hit from Brett Bonvechio to push the ‘Hogs ahead, 2-1. But the Blue Crew lucked into an equalizing tally in the fifth when Dyson started the inning with a double, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a swinging bunt base hit by Chris McConnell.

A storybook finish appeared to be coming together in the eighth. The Blue Rocks grabbed a late lead when Johnson knocked Seratelli in from third base with a groundout for a 3-2 advantage. However, the ending would prove unhappy for the Riverfront residents despite three scoreless innings of relief from Aaron Hartsock to bridge the middle innings.

Henry Barrera (0-2) entered to begin the bottom half of the eighth and jumped ahead of nine-hole hitter C.J. Lang 0-2 in the count before the designated hitter doubled just inside the third-base bag. A series of unfortunate circumstances and misfires unfolded, beginning with the accidental plunking of Estee Harris. Sanchez bunted with two strikes and Jeff Howell errantly fumbled the fielding of the ball, as the dangerous sacrifice attempt instead loaded the bases with nobody out. A wild pitch brought Lang home for a 3-3 draw and two batters later, C.J. Retherford connected on a sacrifice fly to deep center that scored Harris for a 4-3 deficit.

A controversial call in the ninth cemented Wilmington's fate. Dyson draw a leadoff walk from All-Star closer Kanekoa Texeira and appeared to steal second base thereafter on a headfirst slide. But out was the call, nullifying the damage of a two-out double by McConnell later in the inning. Dickerson popped out to shortstop to strand the runner at second base and end the game. Texeira notched his 15th save in 17 tries while reliever Jake Rasner (3-3) logged the win with three innings of one-run relief.

The entire Carolina League is off from Monday through Wednesday as the circuit's best will be playing in the annual All-Star game against the top players from the California League on Tuesday, June 24 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Outfielder Joe Dickerson, southpaw starter Everett Teaford and right-handed reliever Tyler Chambliss are Wilmington's representatives. After the break, the Blue Rocks will open a six-game homestand on Thursday, June 26 with the first of a three-game set against the Salem Avalanche at 7:05 p.m. A Throwback Thursday, the night will include a tribute to Bon Jovi, post-game fireworks sponsored by VIWINCO and a special appearance by "Reggy! The Purple Party Dude". For tickets, call 302-888-BLUE, stop by the box office at Frawley Stadium or visit the Blue Rocks website - www.bluerocks.com.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE: The Blue Rocks have lost six of their seven games at Ernie Shore Field in 2008.

Add another to the list. Another two errors made by the Blue Rocks increased the team's season-worst streak to 10 consecutive games with a miscue, putting the team's fielding percentage at .974.

Ten of Wilmington's last 11 games have been decided by two runs or less, with the Blue Rocks going 2-8 in those games.

Chris McConnell went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI for his third straight three-hit game. With hits in 10 of his last 11, McConnell has connected at a .405 (20-for-47) clip over that span to raise his batting average to .284, his best contact number since May 4.

McConnell owes a lot of his success to Winston-Salem pitching. He has hit .533 (32-for-60) against the ‘Hogs with 12 of his 22 doubles.

Winston-Salem's Francisco Hernandez entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning, but did not stay in the contest very long. He was ejected after arguing with base umpire Matt Arcovio after he made the final out of the bottom of the seventh in his only at-bat, a groundout force at first base.

The Blue Rocks out-hit the Warthogs 11-6 but stranded nine men on base including five in scoring position.

Kurt Mertins got on base four times in four plate appearances. He singled twice, took a pitched ball off his batting helmet and walked.

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Carolina League Stories from June 23, 2008


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