CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Winston-Salem Sweeps Wilmington

Published on August 10, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - It was a miserable night on the Riverfront for the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Wednesday. The offense just could not get going during either end of the Blue Crew's double dip with the Winston-Salem Dash, and the result was a pair of Wilmington losses. The Rocks fell, 6-2, in the opener and then dropped the nightcap, 2-0.

Game one was a wire-to-wire win for Winston-Salem. The Dash chased Wilmington starter Tim Melville after only 2.2 innings, scoring once off the right-hander in the first, and three more times against him in the third.

The Dash got its first run on a Jared Mitchell walk and then consecutive singles by Ian Gac and Juan Silverio. Winston-Salem added to its lead in the third by taking advantage of Melville's (8-8) lack of command. The Wilmington hurler walked Gac to start the inning. He then surrendered a single to Brady Shoemaker one out later, and loaded the bases by hitting Kevin Dubler with a pitch. Nick Cioli made it 2-0 Winston-Salem by lofting a sacrifice fly to left, and Daniel Wagner extended the lead by following with a run-scoring liner up the middle.

That ended Melville's night as he was pulled in favor of reliever Michael Mariot. The midseason CL all-star immediately yielded an RBI single to Tyler Saladino that put the Dash on top, 4-0.

Winston-Salem extended its lead against Mariot to six runs in the fourth. Brady Shoemaker launched a double off the wall in right-center field that scored Gac and Silverio.

Wilmington finally got on the board in the home half of the frame thanks in large part to three straight one-out hits. Jose Bonilla plated John Whittleman when he legged out a two-out infield single with the bases loaded. The Rocks squandered their opportunity to get back into the game however, when Deivy Batista drilled a fly ball to left that was caught on the warning track, stranding the sacks filled.

Wilmington's final chance to get back into the game went by the wayside in the sixth. Wilmington loaded the bases again with two away, but Whit Merrifield grounded out to the mound.

Whittleman capped the scoring when he launched a solo shot to right in the final frame that brought the Rocks to within four scores. But after Ryan Stovall singled to keep the game alive, Yem Prades was retired to finish off the Winston-Salem win.

The Rocks offense was unable to even put together those kinds of threats in the nightcap.

The Rocks were dominated by Winston-Salem starter Andre Rienzo. Rienzo (4-4) retired the game's first nine batters. The only hit he allowed in his six scoreless innings was a soft liner that drifted just over the outstretched leather of Gac at first base. The right-hander whiffed seven and walked only one. He set down the side in order five times and allowed only one runner to reach scoring position.

Noel Arguelles attempted to match him pitch-for-pitch, and did just about that during his five frames on the hill. Arguelles (4-6) pitched around a two-out double in the first and then avoided damage after an inning-opening infield single in the second. He finished his outing with five strikeouts and without a run on the board.

Unfortunately, Arguelles' bullpen could not continue what the southpaw had started.

Ryan Dennick entered in the sixth inning and was greeted by a perfectly placed swinging bunt off the bat of Gac. The man who leads the CL with 30 home runs, got the decisive frame started by sending a dribbler 40 feet up the third-base line that he beat out for an infield single. Silverio followed with a failed sacrifice attempt that saw Gac gunned down at second and Silverio taking his place on base at first.

Shoemaker then singled and Mike Blanke came through with the biggest hit of the night. His liner up the middle plated Silverio with the game's first run.

The Dash added some insurance in the seventh off of Dennick (2-5). Silverio made it 2-0 with his line-drive single to right that scored Saladino.

Ryan Kussmaul finished what Rienzo started, retiring the side in order in the seventh for his fifth save of the season. Wilmington finished the contest with just one hit.

The Rocks continue this seven-game homestand when they welcome the Lynchburg Hillcats to town for the first of a four-game series on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. Elisaul Pimentel (5-6, 3.62) hits the hill for Wilmington against Lynchburg left-hander Dismather Delgado (7-6, 4.00). Broadcast coverage begins at 6:35 p.m. as studio host Adam Dobrowolski brings fans the Rocks Report Pre-game Show, presented by Wawa, on 89.7 WGLS-FM and online at wgls.rowan.edu. For tickets call 302-888-BLUE or visit bluerocks.com.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

John Whittleman's home run in the opener was the infielder's 18th long ball of the season, tying him with Andy Wilkins for second-most in the CL this year. No Blue Rock had hit that many in a single campaign since Mike Sweeney did so in 1995. Whittleman is now tied with Sweeney for the third-most dingers in a season in franchise history. Larry Sutton holds the all-time mark, with 26 homers in 1994.

With the nightcap loss, Wilmington fell to 2-8 on the season in rubber matches.

The Rocks finished their season-series with Winston-Salem on a two-game losing streak, but Wilmington still won 12 of the teams' 20 meetings in 2011. The Rocks got off to an 8-1 start against the Dash, and won six of 10 at Frawley Stadium.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Kansas City Royals released Wilmington shortstop Gerard Hall. A non-drafted free agent signee out of Old Dominion University, Hall hit .255 with 13 RBIs in 32 games as a Blue Rock. He made 12 errors in that time, including a miscue in four of his last five games.

In a corresponding move, the Blue Rocks received shortstop Michael Liberto from Rookie-Advanced Idaho Falls. A 21st-round choice in 2010, the Metairie, LA native hit .348 in 26 games for the Chukars. His 2010 season began at Low-A Kane County, where he split time at both middle infield slots and hit just .190 in 15 games. The former University of Missouri star's addition has the Rocks still at the CL maximum of 25 active players.

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Carolina League Stories from August 10, 2011


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