WALTON'S BLAST BUOYS BLUE ROCKS' WIN

Lynchburg, VA - Jamar Walton ended the Blue Rocks' season-long drought of dingers at 11 games with a three-run homer in a 7-5 win at Lynchburg's City Stadium on Wednesday night. The victory's run total matched Wilmington's output over its previous five games combined and coincided with the return of Clint Robinson to the starting lineup. Starter Alex Caldera (2-7), who entered with losses in five straight starts, picked up his first win since May 30 and closer Juan Abreu earned redemption for his loss the night prior with a perfect ninth inning for his 10th save in as many tries.

Wilmington owned a 6-1 lead after three innings of play. The first three batters reached and scored in the second. Ryan Eigsti, Adrian Ortiz and Derrick Robinson collected the RBIs. In the third, Walton's blast to right came with two on and two out for the five-run advantage.

Lynchburg scratched out a run in the fourth on a two-out hit from Kris Watts and Alex Presley notched his second home run of the year with a two-out liner to right in the fifth.

Caldera departed after six innings. He allowed four runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts and a hit batter. Ray Liotta began the seventh but departed with one out, men at the corners and a run in on a Presley infield hit. Brandon Sisk delivered a clutch relief appearance, stranding both inherited men with a pop out to second from Jordy Mercer and a line out to right off the bat of Matt Hague.

Sisk fired a perfect eighth and Paulo Orlando doubled in an insurance run in the ninth before Abreu struck out two in a 1-2-3 bottom half of the inning to finish it off.

Lynchburg starter Bryan Morris (2-3) took the loss, his second in as many starts against the Blue Rocks. The former Dodgers' first-round pick allowed six runs on seven hits and two walks over three innings. He failed to record a strikeout.

The three-game series concludes with a Thursday rubber match at 7:05 p.m. Wilmington right-hander Mario Santiago (3-9, 4.20) will oppose southpaw Justin Wilson (3-5, 6.75).

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:
Juan Abreu entered the game 0-2 in two outings at Lynchburg with a 40.50 ERA before his perfect ninth-inning performance.

Paulo Orlando has nine multi-hit games since June 16, hitting .390 (23-for-59) over that time to raise his batting average to a season-best .252.

Doug Vines worked home plate in umpiring his first Carolina League game. Vines was promoted from the Low-A South Atlantic League and replaced Brent Rice who had his year cut short with season-ending surgery.

The Blue Rocks' 11-game stretch without a home run marks the longest for the franchise since it went 13 games without a homer to begin the 2004 season. That season's team got its first home run on April 21. Barry Bonds had nine all by himself before any Blue Rock hit one in 2004. Billy Gardner, Jr's Blue Rocks reached the Mills Cup Championship Series that year.

Jamar Walton went 3-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored. All four of his home runs have come on the road.

Like Walton, the Blue Crew enjoys going deep on the road much more than at home. Of the team's league-low 34 home runs, 20 have come away from the Riverfront.

Clint Robinson returned to his familiar clean-up spot in the lineup and first base on the field. He went 1-for-5 and scored a run. He lined into a double play and suffered a robbery at the hands of Jamie Romak who made a sharp catch of a gapper in the fourth inning. Robinson had not seen game action since June 27 at Potomac due to a strained groin that made him a late scratch on June 28 at Frederick.

Derrick Robinson broke an 0-for-23 funk with a single in the fourth inning.