JUMPING OUT EARLY, BLUE CREW ROLLS TO VICTORY
Up 1-0 in the in the fifth inning, the Blue Rocks found that crooked number they had been looking for recently. Facing Carolina starter Mike Rayl, Roman Hernandez started the frame with a basehit. Kevin David then got aboard with a knock of his own, moving Hernandez to second. With one out, Alex McClure punched a single to right center field to make the Wilmington lead 2-0. Whit Merrifield was the next man up and he arched a long fly ball to left field. Anthony Gallas slowly trotted to his right even though he had lost sight of the ball. The ball landed against the fence and died on the warning track as David and McClure crossed the plate for a 4-0 Wilmington advantage as Merrifield made it to third after a throw went home. With the infield drawn in, Geulin Beltre rolled a slow single up the middle which brought home Merrifield for a 5-0 Rocks lead.
The Rocks got the scoring started in the second inning. Brett Eibner slapped a single over third base to lead off the frame. After a walk to Cheslor Cuthbert, Hernandez snuck a single into right that would load up the bags. David would then sit back and stroke a fly ball to right field to bring home Eibner on a sacrifice fly and a 1-0 edge for Wilmington.
Sugar Ray Marimon (4-0) tossed seven shutout frames, allowing just three hits and two walks with five strikeouts. The Mudcats got their only two runs in the ninth inning during Chase Boruff's second inning of work. The Rocks reliever fanned four Mudcats.
Rayl (3-6) had been dominant in his prior two starts against Wilmington, having only allowed one run in 13.2 innings with seven hits and four walks. On Tuesday, the Rocks finally got to him. He went five innings but was rocked for eight hits and five runs. He did not record a strikeout.
The third game of this four-game set will get going on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Wilmington righty Tyler Sample (1-6, 2.59) meets up with Carolina righty Will Roberts (2-2, 5.58). Broadcast coverage begins at 6:35 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:
The Blue Rocks stand 0.5 games back of first-place Lynchburg in the Northern Division after the Hillcats lost their eighth game in a row on Tuesday night. However, Wilmington has no meetings with the Hillcats until the second half. In fact, Wilmington's final 13 games of the half will pit it against Southern Division squads. Entering Tuesday night, the North had a composite record of 101-118 (.461) while the South stood at 120-103 (.538). Three of the four teams in the North had a losing record compared with winning marks for three of the four in the South.
Now standing just 0.5 games back of Lynchburg, it is the closest the Blue Rocks have been to first place since the first game of the season. On the morning of April 7, the Blue Rocks stood one full game back of being top dog in the North Division. They had been at least 1.5 games back since April 26 until the conclusion of Monday night's ballgames. The Blue Rocks can take control of first place tomorrow with a victory and a Lynchburg loss, even though the Hillcats still have a game in hand on Wilmington.
The Blue Rocks have not allowed a home run in eight straight games since May 29, setting a season-high mark. Wilmington owns a 2.75 ERA at Frawley Stadium with just 13 home runs allowed. On the road, the ERA shoots up to 3.97 and the home run total nearly doubles to 24.
For the 21st time this season, Jansen Visconti and Rich Gonzalez combined to umpire a game involving the Rocks. They have arbitrated 37% of Wilmington's games on the year.
The Blue Rocks stand one game under .500 at 28-29. If they win on Wednesday, it will be the first time their record has stood at .500 since they were 9-9 on April 25.
When the Rocks put some runs on the board and they do it early, they seem nearly unbeatable. When the Blue Crew draws first blood, they are 20-9, making up 71% of Wilmington's victories. They scored five runs on Tuesday. When they put up four or more, they are 18-6. Wilmington had been held to three runs or less in 11 of its last 12 games and in 33 of its 56 on the year prior to Tuesday.
The Blue Rocks are now 6-1 in games started by Sugar Ray Marimon as he exacted revenge on the Carolina Mudcats who beat the Rocks in a game he started the last time he pitched. He threw six innings of two-run ball and received a no-decision in that start on May 31 in Zebulon, NC.