CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Salem Smokes Blue Crew, 11-6

Published on August 5, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Salem, VA - Despite a pair of early four-run leads, the Wilmington Blue Rocks (53-57, 21-19) fell from ahead in logging an 11-6 series-opening loss to the Salem Red Sox (63-45, 21-17) on Thursday night. The Blue Crew allowed nine unanswered runs in losing for the 11th time in 14 games against Salem. The last seven Salem tallies all came on two-out extra-base hits. Nick Francis homered in the loss, becoming the first Blue Rock to reach double-digit dingers this season, but the Rocks lost for the sixth time in seven games to fall three games back of first-place Potomac in the loss column.

Wil Myers, Salvador Perez and Rey Navarro all produced run-scoring hits in a four-run first inning against starter Mark Holliman. Salem knifed the lead in half with two tallies in the second against Bryan Paukovits, but Francis slammed a two-run homer to left-center the next half-inning for another four-run margin, 6-2.

A Tim Federowicz sac fly plated a run in the third before West Chester, PA product Peter Hissey's groundout knocked in a run the next inning. Oscar Tejeda followed with a two-run homer to left-center, his first since the All-Star break, to tie the game. Paukovits allowed six runs on seven hits and four walks over four innings.

Both teams' bullpens started out strong in keeping the game deadlocked. Wilmington's Harold Mozingo (3-2) retired the first eight he faced before five straight Red Sox reached with two outs in the seventh. Federowicz's team-leading 31st double to center knocked in two runs for Wilmington's first deficit on the night, 8-6. Dan Butler doubled thereafter for a 9-6 score.

James Thompson gave up two more runs in the eighth on a towering two-out homer to left by Will Middlebrooks, the CL All-Star's team-leading 11th of the year.

Two Salem relievers combined on four perfect innings to end the game. Former starter Seth Garrison (1-0) struck out one over the sixth and seventh innings, while Pat Ryan notched his third save in as many tries and struck out two during the eighth and ninth.

The four-game set continues on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Southpaw Buddy Baumann (3-2, 2.49) gets the ball for the Blue Rocks against ranked prospect and righty Stolmy Pimentel (6-8, 4.36).

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Of Nick Francis' team-high 10 home runs, nine of them have come on the road and nine of them have come since July 4. Since the Fourth of July, only the Carolina League's overall home run leader, Tyler Moore of Potomac, has surpassed Francis in round-trippers (10). In that span of time, Francis has hit .299 with 29 RBIs in 27 games, slugging .825 and posting an OPS of 1.273.

Wil Myers assembled his fourth multi-hit performance in as many games on the road trip. The 19-year-old went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. He has gone 12-for-17 (.706) on the road trip with four doubles and five runs scored. Through 30 games and 101 at-bats as a Blue Rock, he has hit .396 with 18 RBIs, a .500 on-base percentage and a 1.015 OPS.

No Carolina League foe has given the Blue Rocks more headaches this season than Salem. The Blue Rocks have gone just 3-11 against the farmhands of their former parent club, including a 1-6 record in Salem, VA. In their head-to-head meetings, the Red Sox have out-hit the Blue Rocks .295-.251 and outscored them 91-61. Wilmington pitchers have assembled a 6.02 ERA in those clashes, while Salem's staff has amassed a 3.82 mark. Five of the 14 games between the clubs have come down to a single run, with Salem winning four of those tilts.

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Carolina League Stories from August 5, 2010


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