Keys Come-From-Behind, Take Series with 5-4 Win

 

WILMINGTON, DE - Frederick scored three runs in the top of the eighth to down Wilmington 5-4 in a rubber match Sunday night at Frawley Stadium. The win allows the Keys to finish the six-game roadtrip with a 3-3 record.

Trailing 4-2, the Keys (51-58/19-23) plated three in the top of the eighth on three hits to take their fifth rubber match of the second half. After 10 straight were retired from the last out in the fourth to the final out in the seventh, Jerome Pena laced a single to start the frame against reliever Andrew Edwards. Johnny Ruettiger singled, and that was followed by an RBI double by Adrian Marin to cut the Keys deficit to 4-3.

Edwards (0-2) would whiff Trey Mancini for the first out of the inning and was replaced by Kyle Bartsch. The lefty relief thrower induced a groundout by Chih-Hsien Chang, but it got Ruettiger, the tying run, home and advanced Marin to third. With two outs, Jason Esposito stepped in, fell behind in the count 0-2, but a wild pitch on Bartsch allowed Marin to scamper home for the final run of the game and 5-4 Keys lead.

Frederick scored an unearned run the first inning against starter Glenn Sparkman, as an error on the shortstop Jack Lopez aided the cause. Ruettiger reached on a two-bag error on Lopez, and after tagging up to third on a Marin flyout, Manicni lifted a sacrifice fly to right for a 1-0 Keys lead.

In the second, the Texas native Sparkman allowed three straight singles for his only earned run of the contest. Brenden Webb and Tucker Nathans each smoked balls over the mound, and Wynston Sawyer did the same for an RBI and two-run Keys advantage.

Wilmington scored four runs, all unearned to Blackmar, in the bottom of the fifth. Daniel Rockett reached on an error by Esposito to lead off the frame, and with one out, Terrance Gore squeezed one into right field to place runners on first and second. Blackmar then issued a walk to Jack Lopez to load the bases. The next batter, Ramon Torres, hit a sharp grounder to first, but it squirted through the legs of Mancini to score Rockett and Gore for a 2-2 tie. With runners on the corners, Michael Antonio fluttered a ball to left field for an RBI sacrifice fly and 3-2 advantage, and Zane Evans singled for another run and a 4-2 Wilmington edge.

Brady Wager (6-8) entered in the seventh for the Keys and tossed two innings of scoreless baseball, allowed two hits, and struck out a pair. It was the first appearance out of the bullpen for Wager in 2014.

After an off-day tomorrow, the Keys return home on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. against Carolina. RHP Dylan Bundy (1-2, 5.73) is scheduled to make his first home start for the Keys. For ticket information, call 301-815-9939 or visit frederickkeys.com.