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CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Three-Run First Inning Too Much for Rocks to Overcome in Loss to Pelicans

September 6, 2015 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


WILMINGTON, Del. - A day after splitting a double-header with Myrtle Beach, the Blue Rocks fell behind early on Sunday and ended up losing to the Pelicans by a final score of 4-1. Pedro Fernandez took the loss, bumping his record to 0-6 since joining the Advanced-A level. Alfredo Escalera led the charge offensively, producing a pair of doubles and collecting Wilmington's lone RBI.

Myrtle Beach cracked the scoreboard in their first turn to the plate on Sunday. In the top of the first, Fernandez plunked Mark Zagunis to put him on with one out. Two batters later, Ben Carhart produced a single, chasing Zagunis to third. With Victor Caratini at the plate, Fernandez uncorked a wild pitch that let Zagunis cross with the game's first run. Caratini then doubled Carhart home, and eventually scored himself on Jeffrey Baez's RBI single, making it 3-0 Pelicans at the end of the frame.

Wilmington got one back in the bottom of the second courtesy of a two-out rally. Dominique Taylor singled with the bases empty and two away, then came around to score when Escalera followed with a double to plate Taylor all the way from first. That would be the only offense the Rocks would be able to muster all day.

The Pelicans added one more run in the top of the eighth. With one out, Jason Vosler produced a single and reached second base when the ball was misplayed in the outfield by Logan Moon. Carhart was next, and he roped a double to send Vosler home, concluding the scoring at 4-1.

The Blue Rocks conclude their 2015 regular season on Monday against the Pelicans. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM. For tickets, call 302-888-BLUE, or visit www.bluerocks.com.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Sunday proved to be a great day at the plate for Alfredo Escalera. The Puerto Rican native joined the Blue Rocks from the Lexington Legends on June 25, and was an extra-base machine during his time at the Low-A level. Escalera pounded out 24 extra-base hits in 64 contests with Lexington earlier this season, but entering Sunday had only produced just nine knocks that have gone for either a double, triple, or home run through 56 games with Wilmington. The outfielder added to that total on Sunday with a pair of two-baggers to push his total to 11 extra-base knocks with the Blue Crew, including seven doubles, two triples, and two homers. Escalera was an eighth round pick by the Royals during the 2012 draft.

Cam Gallagher continued to be a menace to opposing baserunners on Sunday. The catcher gunned down Gleyber Torres trying to steal in the second inning, and then nabbed Shawon Dunston at second as he tried to swipe the bag. It was the second time in a little over a week that Gallagher threw out multiple would-be basestealers in a single contest against Myrtle Beach, as he erased Pin-Chieh Chen twice on August 29 at TicketReturn.com Field. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania native has now thrown out 30 of 102 baserunners trying to steal this season, which is good for a 29 percent success-rate. In 2014, Gallagher led the Carolina League with a 40 percent caught-stealing clip, gunning down 50 runners in 125 attempts. He was named a mid-season Carolina League All-Star a season ago.

The struggles at the Advanced-A level for Pedro Fernandez continued on Sunday. The righty yielded three first-inning runs against the Pelicans, though he did settle down to fire four scoreless frames after his long first inning. Overall, Fernandez worked five frames on Sunday, allowing those three runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts. The Dominican-native was also saddled with the loss against Myrtle Beach, dropping his record with Wilmington to 0-6. Those six straight losses tie him with Matthew Strahm for the longest consecutive streak of losing decisions for a Blue Rock this year. As a result of Sunday's action, Fernandez now sports an ERA of 8.82 in 32.2 innings pitched with the Blue Crew. Fernandez entered the Royals system when he was 16-years-old as an undrafted free agent signing on September 2, 2011.

THEY SAID IT:

Outfielder Alfredo Escalera:

"(I am starting to feel good at the plate) now that I am getting constant hits. It is a process and I am still learning so I just have to get comfortable doing what I know how to do."

"The pitching is better (at this level) and the stadium is bigger (here at Frawley.) The competition is obviously better and a couple of the guys that I played with last year are here but that is main difference."

"The post season is different and has a different feel but we are already in the playoffs so we are just right now working on things to get ready. The playoffs are a different mentality so we definitely gear up to win games and prepare to go out there and win the games. It is a process and we are lucky enough to have won the first half."

"Professionally this is my first time going into the playoffs. In high school I went to the playoffs but this is my first playoffs (professionally) so I am looking forward to it."

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Carolina League Stories from September 6, 2015


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