Rocks Rally, Stun Nationals in Win

Wilmington, DE - A dramatic three-run rally in the bottom half of the eighth inning earned the Wilmington Blue Rocks (25-24) a 7-6 win over the Potomac Nationals (23-26) on Saturday at Frawley Stadium. Consecutive extra-base hits by Nicky Lopez and D.J. Burt were the difference as the Rocks erased a two-run deficit. It was Wilmington's fifth win in their last six one-run affairs after starting the season with losses in 12 of their first 15 single-score decisions.

The Rocks erased a three-run deficit in the eighth inning using three extra-base hits in the frame to stun the P-Nats. Roman Collins laced a double and came around to score when Wander Franco dropped a sacrifice bunt down and reached on a throwing error to bring the Rocks within a run, 6-5. With one out, Nicky Lopez crushed a triple to plate Franco from first to tie the game, 6-6. D.J. Burt followed with a double down the left field line to put the Blue Crew out in front 7-6.
Potomac struck the board in the second inning when Edwin Lora doubled and Kelvin Gutierrez came around to score from third base when Lopez had the ball pop out of his glove on his attempt to tag Lora at second base to make it 1-0. Wilmington quickly erased the deficit in their half of the inning with a Travis Maezes three-run homer to take a 3-1 lead. 
In the third inning, Potomac loaded the bases with one out before Ian Sagdal smacked a grand slam to give P-Nats the lead once more, 5-3. Following that, both teams were held silent until the seventh inning. Wilmington threatened to tie the game.   Burt scored on a wild pitch from LHP reliever Taylor Guilbeau to make it a 5-4 game but the Rocks stranded the tying-run at third base to end the threat and inning. Potomac added an insurance run in their half of the eighth on an RBI groundout from Lora.
The Blue Rocks and Nationals square off at Frawley Stadium on Sunday, May 28 with first pitch slated for 6:05 p.m. RHP A.J. Puckett (5-3, 3.54 ERA) gets the start for the Rocks while LHP Matthew Crownover (3-1, 2.21 ERA) climbs the hill for the Nationals. Fans can listen to the game as Matt Janus and Cory Nidoh will have the call on 89.7 WGLS-FM.
PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:
With the pair of games being decided by two runs or less on Friday night, the Rocks and Nationals have now played in 11 games that have been decided by a two-run margin or less in 17 of their total contests. The Rocks have taken 9 of the last 13 games and four of the last five contests that have been decided by a pair of runs or less. Overall, the Rocks lead the head-to-head matchup 10-7. The Rocks have played the Nationals more times (17) through the first month-and-a-half of the season than the rest of the Northern Division combined (15 games).
Nicky Lopez extended his on-base streak to 26 games with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate in the win on Saturday night. He smashed the game-tying triple into centerfield to tie the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Lopez continues to chase teammate Anderson Miller for the longest on-base streak for any Blue Rock hitter and for any hitter in the Carolina League. Lopez strung together a 30-gamer of his own last year in his first year in professional baseball with the Burlington Royals. Lopez has hit in all but six games this season and has reached in every game but two.
With the win, the Rocks improve to 17-9 in the month of May which is tied for the best mark in the Carolina League with Lynchburg. With the seven runs in the triumph, the Blue Rocks are averaging nearly five runs per contest. Their .275 batting averages is 59 points higher than their opening month contact-clip which was just .216.
THEY SAID IT: JAMIE QUIRK
 "We got the big three run homer by Travis Maezes to put us ahead which was great. I'm proud of (Colin) Rodgers because he gave up the grand slam in the third inning but then he went out and gave three scoreless innings which was huge. He settled down and continued the ballgame. He got roughed up and really only made one bad pitch. He could have caved in but he didn't, and that shows these kids are learning. He regrouped, got his composure back and threw three more zeroes up and it was great, allowed us to stay in the ballgame. Of course, the offense kept plugging away. The big eighth inning with Roman Collins getting the leadoff double against the lefty pitcher, Wander Franco doing a great job pulling out the bunt. That wasn't a sign, he knew he had to get the guy over and did it on his own by push bunting it. That forced them to make an error. It set the tone for the inning and then the top of the lineup did their thing. Lopez crushed a triple, Burt crushed a double and here we are we got the lead. It was team baseball in that last inning."
"We had a golden opportunity to get two runs but we didn't. I didn't see any panic in the team and they came back and scored one. No, I didn't see any panic at all. It was just let's get on base and see what happens. We had been getting guys on base, now we just have to move the line. Nobody tried to be a hero, they all got patient, waited for a good pitch to hit and we threw three runs out there. That was huge, answering back after we had a chance to get two runs in the seventh inning, only got one, and then they got one more.
"Patience (at the plate helped hitters capitalize in the eighth inning). Like I said, nobody was trying to be a hero, everyone was trying to get a good pitch to hit and find a way to get on base, do their thing. Good things happen when you do that, no one is trying to hit a five-run homer, everyone is trying to just get on base, take a good swing, be patient and go from there. That's how have comebacks. Sometimes a home run kills a rally. We kept guys on base, kept the pitcher in the stretch and it went well."
"It takes a lot of pressure off the three, four and five guys when he can drive in runs (having DJ Burt hit in the second spot of the lineup). About five days ago, Abraham Nunez has been working with him in the cage and had him out early in the field about 1:30pm. He changed a couple things like his feet position and all that. You love when you work with a kid and it pays off. Nothing better than results. They have been working hard. Nunez saw a few things, changed them. When you get results, it's a great gratification with the player and it works out great."
"It means a lot (to comeback against Potomac). Like we talk about, all the one run games we played earlier have paid off. We didn't come out on the right end on a lot of those but now we are starting too. They are used to it, they know they are never out of it, they know you got an opportunity. I think all those one run games have hardened them and they know what they have to do."
"They are huge (on winning games against Potomac at this part of the season). They are division games; they are always a little bigger than a non-division game. These two teams have played so many times that everybody knows everybody. You know what their strengths and weaknesses are, it's just a matter of executing. We executed better than they did. We got the big hits. It's a matter of driving in runs when they are out there and getting a big hit now and then. Like I said, these one run games, these guys have been in this situation, shoot, 25 times already or whatever it is and they are used to it."
D.J. Burt, Second Baseman
"I was just trying to get a pitch up and the zone and I put a good swing on it (on his hit to give the Blue Rocks the lead). It absolutely gives me momentum seeing guys in front of me deliver hits. Those guys getting on is part of our game and all I had to do was just execute. I've worked on staying on the fastball and trying to drive the ball the other way, it's been pretty good for me. We definitely feel better than the first half of the season (on the clubhouse vibe). I think a lot of the guys have settled down now and are playing with confidence."
25 Years of Blue Rocks Baseball
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