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CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Second Straight One-Run Win Finishes Homestand in Style

May 14, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - The Wilmington Blue Rocks bullpen came up large for the third straight night, leading the Blue Crew to a 4-3 victory over the Kinston Indians at Frawley Stadium on Thursday. The win completes Wilmington's second series sweep of the season, as it took three straight this week from the K-Tribe.

The Blue Rocks' bullpen delivered five solid innings, allowing only three runs to earn the victory. Wilmington reliever Chris Chavez got the win by surrendering two hits and a score in 1.2 innings of work. Chavez (4-1) struck out three and walked only two.

He was followed out of the pen by Kelvin Villa, who scattered two runs on five hits in two innings pitched. Closer Aaron Hartsock replaced Villa with two outs and two on in the eighth, and promptly induced Matt Brown to weakly ground out back to the mound.

In the ninth, Hartsock mowed the Indians down 1-2-3, capping his seventh save of the year by striking out Roman Pena. It was Hartsock's second save of the series. Both required the right-hander to pitch more than one inning.

Wilmington relievers inherited five runners on Thursday, and allowed none to score.

The bullpen's long night came after starter Alex Caldera battled his way through four-plus innings. The righty looked lost early, allowing five base runners in the first two frames. He settled down from there though, and finished his outing with nine strikeouts. Still, the early struggles elevated his pitch count and shortened his night.

Punch outs and a lack of timely hitting were the story of the evening for Kinston's offense. The K-Tribe went down on strikes 14 times on Thursday. To make matters worse, they were horrific with runners in scoring position, managing just a meager 2-for-19 performance.

Wilmington's offense on the other hand was opportunistic. The Rocks scored a run in the second inning on back-to-back doubles by Jeff Bianchi and David Lough.

In the fourth, the Rocks put an unearned run on the board when Lough ripped a single down the left-field line and then advanced all the way to third on an error by Brown. One batter later Jamar Walton reached via an error by first baseman John Allman, which scored Lough, and put Wilmington in front 2-0.

Kinston nearly tied the game in the top of the sixth. Johnny Drennen scored on an Alex Castillo double, and after Adam Davis walked the K-Tribe had runners on the corners with two outs. But Cord Phelps was robbed of a hit when Johnny Giavotella made a diving stab of a ground ball to end the frame.

In the home half of the inning, the Rocks got some necessary insurance. Giavotella reached base on another error by Allman, and Mike Moustaks followed with a blast of a home run to right field on a 3-2 pitch. The towering homer provided Wilmington with a three-run lead, and the Blue Crew held on from there.

Starter Paolo Espino took the loss for Kinston. The right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on only three hits in five innings.

The win gives Wilmington some positive momentum as it begins a ten-game road trip on Friday at the first-place Lynchburg Hillcats. Danny Duffy (4-1, 3.38) makes the start for the Rocks. He will be opposed by Hillcats hurler Chi-Hung Cheng (3-1, 4.33). First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

The Blue Rocks have now taken six of seven from the Kinston Indians in 2009. The aggregate score in those contests has seen the Blue Crew outpace Kinston 35-14.

Tuesday marked the third time this season that starting pitcher Alex Caldera has pitched into the fifth frame of a game, but left the contest without recording an out that inning.

Caldera's five walks on Tuesday were good for a new career-high. His nine strikeouts were one off his career-best. The right-hander struck out ten in his last start, a May 7 loss to the Potomac Nationals.

The Kinston Indians finished the evening with 13 men left on base. The K-Tribe stranded runners in each of the first eight innings.

Mike Moustakas extended his team lead in RBIs when he drove in two on Thursday. The third baseman also tied Clint Robinson for team honors in home runs with his fifth round-tripper of the season.

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