Mateo's slam sinks Keys

Daniel Mateo's fifth-inning grand slam was too much for Frederick to overcome Thursday night, as the Keys fell 7-4 to the Blue Rocks.

Blue Rocks starter Angel Baez (2-1) earned the win, allowing three runs on seven hits and four walks and Keys starter Trent Howard (3-1) took the loss, surrendering Mateo's slam, his ninth homer of the year, on the final pitch of his outing.

The win ensures Wilmington (24-36, 57-73) a victory in the Blue Rocks' season series with the Keys (23-34, 57-70).

Wilmington wasted little time getting the scoreboard Thursday night. Jack Lopez led off with a triple and scored on Justin Trapp's sacrifice fly, sliding in just ahead of the tag at home plate to give the Blue Rocks a 1-0 lead.

In the third, Wilmington hit back-to-back singles to start the frame and took a 2-0 lead on Justin Trapp's RBI groundout.

Sammie Starr, however, erased the Blue Rock's lead in the bottom of the fourth, Frederick's diminutive shortstop slugging and three-run homer to left field off Blue Rocks starter Angel Baez. Starr's dinger, his fifth of the season, gave the Keys 3-2 lead and was his first home run in exactly two months.

Frederick's lead wouldn't last long. Mateo one-upped Starr in the top of fifth, hitting his two-out grand slam to put the Blue Rocks back ahead, 6-3. Mateo would be Howard's last batter, allowing a season-high in runs in 4.2 innings. He allowed nine hits, walked two and struck out three.

In the seventh, Sam Bates stretched Wilmington's lead to four with a sacrifice fly to center. Frederick threatened to get back in the game in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs, but Johnny Ruettiger flew out to left to end the inning.

The Keys loaded the bases again in the ninth, this time with no outs, but Cody Fassold got Zane Chavez to ground into a double play, which scored one run and set the final score, but essentially ended Frederick's threat. Glynn Davis struck out to end the game.

The Keys racked up 10 hits but left 25 men on base in front of 3,516 at Harry Grove Stadium Thursday night. Starr went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs, Chavez went 2-for-4 with a walk, Davis had two hits and stole his 19th base of the season and Travis Adair went 2-for-5, extending his hitting streak to 13 games with a single in his second at-bat.

The Keys and Blue Rocks face off for the final time this season on Friday at 7 p.m., wrapping up this three-game series. For tickets, purchase online at FrederickKeys.com, by phone at 301-815-9939 or at the box office at Harry Grove Stadium.