POTOMAC TAKES RUBBER MATCH, 3-1
Home runs accounted for the initial run-scoring volleys. Kevin Keyes took a Yordano Ventura pitch off the batter's eye in center field to spark the home third for his team-leading fifth home run. The next inning, Cheslor Cuthbert responded with a leadoff jack of his own to left-center for a 1-1 draw.
Potomac would not linger long, however. Adrian Sanchez doubled to begin the fifth and took third on Beau Seabury's single. While Randolph Oduber followed with an around-the-horn double play, the grounder allowed Sanchez to score from third for a 2-1 margin.
The Rocks' best chance to get on the board again came in the seventh. Two hits and a walk chased starter Matt Grace with one out and the bases loaded that frame. Slider specialist Rob Wort entered from the bullpen and promptly struck out Luis Piterson. Whit Merrifield followed by working the count full before popping out to a sprinting Sanchez in foul ground to leave the bases full.
Wort struck out the side in a perfect top of the eighth while Justin Bloxom's fielder's choice reach sent Blake Kelso home in the bottom half for insurance against Sugar Ray Marimon.
In the ninth, repeater Cameron Selik, a converted starter, surrendered a one-out single to Roman Hernandez. With Alex McClure due up, manager Vance Wilson decided to pinch hit his team's home run leader, Brett Eibner. Alas, Eibner only reached on fielder's choice and Jake Kuebler struck out thereafter as Selik logged his third save.
Ventura (0-3) took the loss despite logging his first quality start of the year. He struck out six and walked none over six innings of two-run, six-hit ball. Grace (2-3) logged his first win since his CL debut with 6.1 innings of one-run hurling, scattering eight hits in the process.
After a league-wide off day on Monday, the Blue Rocks open a three-game series with the first-place Lynchburg Hillcats (Atlanta Braves) at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday. Right-hander Tyler Sample (0-3, 5.11) will face fellow righty Aaron Northcraft (3-1, 2.25). Broadcast coverage begins at 6:05 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:
Alex McClure finished the day 1-for-3 to extend the team's best active hitting streak to six games. His string of swinging success has lifted him above the Mendoza line to .202.
Technically, Cheslor Cuthbert hit his first home run as a Blue Rock on Sunday. However, he hit a homer on Apr. 22 at Winston-Salem in a game that was suspended due to rain. The game will be resumed on June 8. Once the game is official, Cuthbert's home run will be credited.
Brett Eibner's ninth-inning plate appearance marked the Rocks' first use of a pinch-hitter this season.
Yordano Ventura pitched into the sixth inning for the first time as a Blue Rock. The 20-year-old hit 97 mph on scouts' guns while firing 91 pitches (64 strikes). Thirty of those pitches (22 strikes) came in the third inning.
The Blue Rocks have been held to two runs or less 12 times in their 29 games and three runs or less 16 times. Ventura gets the least run support of any Wilmington starter. In six nods, the Rocks have put just 14 runs on the board for him (2.3/g).
Ventura's six strikeouts on Sunday lifted his season-long total to a team-best 36. He is averaging 12.3 K/9 IP on the year.
The Blue Crew fell short in its bid for a third series victory of the year. Wilmington has won just two of its first nine series, including the asterisk of taking two of three at Winston-Salem. A fourth and final game of that set is in suspended limbo with the Blue Rocks leading 3-1 in the first inning. It will be resumed when the teams next meet in Winston-Salem on June 8.
The Blue Rocks are 0-3 in rubber matches this season.
Before the game, the Kansas City Royals announced the first Wilmington roster move since April 13. Back-up catcher Kenny Swab was placed on the temporarily inactive list while Travis Jones was activated from the disabled list.
The Blue Rocks fell to 1-7 against southpaw starters, 0-4 in day games and 5-11 in games decided by two runs or less.
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