
Wild Seventh Spirits Rocks to Triumph
Published on August 29, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release
Wilmington, DE - The last two nights have shown they are ready for postseason. For the second night in a row, the Wilmington Blue Rocks (64-72, 35-31) erased a multiple deficit as they downed the Myrtle Beach Pelicans by a 4-2 final at Frawley Stadium on Wednesday night.
Trailing 2-0 in the seventh, the Blue Rocks made a frantic comeback with some help from the Pelicans fielders. Cheslor Cuthbert started the inning with a double to right off Myrtle Beach reliever Zach Osborne. Brett Eibner made contact with a ball headed to third but it was botched by Santiago Chirino. With runners at first and second, the wheel play was on for Pelicans defense. Showing bunt and then pulling back, Geulin Beltre hit a sinking liner to right. It fell in for a base-hit but Jeremy Williams overran the ball to play it an extremely short hop and the ball went under his glove to the warning track. Cuthbert and Eibner scored to tie the game and Beltre motored around to third. On the next pitch, Juan Graterol blooped one to a similar spot in right. It fell in for a hit to give Wilmington a 3-2 lead. The ball took a sharp low hop off the turf and kicked off the glove of Williams for another error, scooting Graterol up to second base.
With one out, Luis Piterson bounced a sharp one to third base that Chirino couldn't snag. Graterol held at second but but both guys moved up a bag when Nick Van Stratten rolled one up the first baseline. Brett Nicholas charged to field and threw off balance to a covering Osborne, that he beat out. With two outs, Matt Fields poked one into the shortstop hole that Hanser Alberto fielded but had no play on, allowing Graterol to score for a 4-2 edge.
After Brooks Pounders (6-4) started the game with six no-hit innings and seven innings of two-run ball overall, Robinson Yambati came on in the eighth to close things out. After a clean eighth inning, Tomas Telis led off the inning with a single. He moved all the way up to third base with one out after a wild pitch and stolen base. Nicholas went down on swinging strikes but the ball got away from Graterol, allowing Telis to score and put the tying run on base. Vinny DiFazio then rolled one to Angel Franco at second who stepped on the base and fired to first for the double play to lock down the victory.
The Pelicans struck first in the top half of the seventh inning. A double from Telis and a sacrifice from Alberto, led to Pounders issuing an intentional pass to Nicholas. DiFazio then struck a tracer to right center field scoring both runners to take a late 2-0 edge.
Luke Jackson started for Myrtle and went four innings of shutout ball with six strikeouts. Osborne took his first loss, allowing four runs in three innings.
The Rocks can clinch tomorrow with a win and a Frederick loss. They will go for the sweep against the Pelicans when they rumble on Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. Wilmington will go with RHP Leondy Perez (4-4, 4.14) against Myrtle Beach's RHP Nicholas McBride (2-2, 3.13). Broadcast coverage begins at 6:05 p.m. as studio host Rob Cunningham brings fans the Rocks Report Pre-game Show, presented by Wawa, on 89.7 WGLS-FM and online at wgls.rowan.edu.
PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:
After a Wednesday win and a Frederick walkoff loss at Salem, the Blue Rocks hold a 3.0 game lead on the defending CL champion Keys. The four-time Carolina League champion Blue Rocks are attempting to make their first playoff appearance since pacing the loop with 84 wins in 2009.
The Blue Rocks magic number to clinch a playoff berth moves to two with the Frederick Keys. If the Rocks win and the Keys lose on Thursday, Wilmington will clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2009.
This marks Wilmington's final series against a Southern Division squad. The Rocks are just 31-48 (.392) against Southern teams, including a 8-11 (.421) mark versus Myrtle Beach. Conversely, the Rocks are 33-24 (.579) in intradivisional competition including a 12-5 (.706) mark against the foe for their last regular-season series, Potomac.
The remainder of Wilmington's regular season will be played in the friendly confines of Frawley Stadium where the Rocks are 36-30 (.545). Vance Wilson's team has won nine of its last 10 games on the Riverfront.
The win on Tuesday was the 32nd come-from-behind victory of the season. Those comeback style triumphs represent exactly 50% of their total win mark.
The Blue Rocks have won the home slate of games against the Fightin' Feathers. Wilmington has won at least five games or more at Frawley Stadium against the Pelicans for the last three years. The last time the Pelicans had a winning mark on the Riverfront was back in 2008 when they claimed eight of 10 games.
On August 9, Winston-Salem blew out the Blue Rocks in a rubber match, 9-2. After stealing game one of the series, 2-1, the Rocks were outscored 17-2 the next two nights. After the demoralizing loss, first-year manager Vance Wilson held a closed-door meeting with his team. Since that chat, the Rocks have posted the league's best record at 13-7 (.650). Only two other teams, both playoff squads, have won double-digit games in that time: Winston-Salem (11-6, .647) and Lynchburg (10-8, .556).
Carolina League Stories from August 29, 2012
- Lynchburg Deals Dash Tough 13-Inning Loss - Winston-Salem Dash
- La Stella Allows Five Hits in 13-Inning Hillcat Win - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Hedman's Blast Wins It: Salem Prevails 8-6 in 10 - Salem Red Sox
- Keys Fall to Brink of Elimination - Frederick Keys
- Pelicans Can't Comeback Late in Pitcher's Duel - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Wild Seventh Spirits Rocks to Triumph - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Hankins' Big Hits Topple P-Nats - Carolina Mudcats
- Potomac Drops Critical Game to Carolina 6-2 - Potomac Nationals
- Braves Announce Three Current and Three Former Hillcats to the AZL - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Anthony Rendon and Jason Martinson to Arizona Fall League - Potomac Nationals
- Merrifield Wins Minker Award - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Carl & Calixte to Play in Arizona Fall League - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Blue Rocks Game Notes - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Dash Help Local Challenger Team Make Trip to Williamsport - Winston-Salem Dash
- Seven Mudcats to Play in Prestigious Arizona Fall League - Carolina Mudcats
- Pelicans First Team in MiLB to Offer Paperless Ticketing - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Courtney Hawkins Joins Dash - Winston-Salem Dash
- Early Pelican Power Not Enough as Rocks Comeback - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Wilmington Rocks Pelicans in McElwee's Debut - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Pelicans Put Playoff Tickets on Sale - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Wilmington Blue Rocks Stories
- Wilmington Opens Series with Jersey Shore to a 4-0 Victory
- Blue Rocks Split Doubleheader with BlueClaws Following Suspended Game
- Nate Rombach Solo Blast Helps Break Deadlock; Wilmington Wins 3-0
- Blue Rocks Close out Hudson Valley Series with a 10-1 Loss
- Wilmington Split a Set of Pitching Duals against Hudson Valley

