Wilmington Drops Another Rubber Match
Published on May 26, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release
Wilmington, DE - Entering this three-game series with the first-place Frederick Keys, the Wilmington Blue Rocks were hoping for a sweep, but needed to win at least two out of three. The Rocks trailed the Keys by six games in the race for a CL North first half crown. They left the series seven back, as they dropped Wednesday afternoon's rubber match, 3-1, placing their title hopes on life support with only 23 games left in the half.
Wilmington just could not buy a clutch hit, as it went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position on Wednesday. Much of that futility came thanks to Frederick starter Rich Zagone, who tossed 2010's first nine-inning complete game in the Carolina League.
Zagone (2-5) surrendered only a single run on five hits. The 2006 sixth-round pick fanned five and walked only two as he consistently kept Wilmington off balance.
The Rocks' lone run came in the fourth frame. Jamar Walton reached on a fielder's choice and Salavador Perez followed with an RBI double down the right-field line. From there forward, Wilmington put only two more men on base.
On the other side of the ball, Frederick's offense was the beneficiary of two critical Wilmington errors.
The Keys took a 1-0 lead in the opening frame thanks to Juan Rivera's errant throw. With two down and a runner at second, Joe Mahoney rolled one to Rivera's right. He fielded it with plenty of time to throw the lumbering Frederick first baseman out, but Rivera's toss to first was wide of Jamie Romak's reach. The ball trickled away far enough to allow Xavier Avery to circle around and score.
The Keys made it a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth. South Jersey product Billy Rowell poked a seeing-eye single to right to open the inning. Bobby Stevens appeared to follow with a fielder's choice grounder to short, but Rey Navarro's throw to second sailed into right field, and the Keys had runners at the corners with no outs. Buck Britton followed with his second extra-base hit of the day, scoring both Rowell and Stevens on his RBI double.
Wilmington southpaw John Lamb was victimized by the fielding mistakes. In his second Advanced-A start, Lamb (1-1) surrendered three tallies (only one earned) on eight hits in six innings pitched. Lamb certainly was not as sharp as he was on Friday night when he fanned nine Pelicans in six frames, but the setback on Wednesday still had to be considered tough luck.
Wilmington is off on Thursday before beginning a six-game road trip in Myrtle Beach on Friday night. Tim Melville (1-5, 7.19) takes the hill in the series-opener for the Rocks, against Pelicans pitcher and Delaware native Brett Oberholtzer (2-3, 6.15)
PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:
The only other complete game tossed by a Carolina League pitcher in 2010 also came during this homestand against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Matt Crim went eight innings in a Friday night loss at Frawley Stadium. He did not pitch the ninth because the home Rocks did not need to come to bat in their final opportunity.
With the loss, Wilmington fell to 1-6 in rubber matches during 2010.
The Rocks went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position on Wednesday. Over the three-game series, Wilmington was a paltry 2-for-18 with men on second or third.
The Rocks and first-place Keys do not meet again in the first half. The teams' next encounter is not until June 27, four days after the All-Star break.
Wilmington has committed at least one error in eight straight games.
Carolina League Stories from May 26, 2010
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- Indians Shut Out P-Nats to Win Sixth Straight Series - Kinston Indians
- Wilmington Drops Another Rubber Match - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Kick Off Summer With the K-Tribe And Six Game Homestand - Kinston Indians
- Kinston Seeks Sixth Straight Series Win - Kinston Indians
- Teheran Baffles Hillcats As Pelicans Hang On - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
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