Minor League Baseball

——— Forwarded message ———-
From: Matt Wilson <mwilson@baysox.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 18, 2015 at 7:42 PM
Subject: Hess Win Secures Decisive Game 5
To: dawvoice3@gmail.com

For Immediate Release (Friday, Sep. 18):

Contact:

Matt Wilson

Communications Manager

(301) 464-4851

mwilson@baysox.com

Hess Win Secures Decisive Game 5

Bowie, Md. – In a must-win game, Baysox starter David Hess threw seven one run innings to lead Bowie to 9-1 win over Reading Friday night. One game after the Fightin Phils offense exploded for nine runs, Hess limited them to just three hits while striking out eight in the win.

The Baysox win means the Best-of-5 series is now tied 2-2 and the teams will play one final game Saturday at P.G. Stadium at 6:05 p.m. for the Eastern League Championship. Tickets for Game 5 of the series are now on sale at www.baysox.com.

The Baysox got off to a great start in the bottom of the first inning against Reading starter Ben Lively. Corban Joseph drew a lead-off walk and moved to second base when Mike Yastrzemski reached on a bunt single. With one out, Quincy Latimore drew a walk to load the bases and Garabez Rosa followed with a two-RBI double down the left field line. Chance Sisco followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Baysox a 3-0 lead.

Reading got a run back in the top of the fourth inning against Hess. Cam Perkins drew a one-out walk and moved to third base on a Dylan Cozens single to left field. Perkins then scored on a wild pitch to make the score 3-1.

Bowie added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Corban Joseph hit a one-out double to right field and Yastrzemski followed with a walk. Trey Mancini then brought Joseph home with a single to left field to give the Baysox a 4-1 lead.

The Baysox added three insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Glynn Davis and Joseph singled before Yastrzemski was hit-by-a-pitch to load the bases. Ryan O’Sullivan then replaced Lively on the mound and surrendered a two-RBI single to right field from Quincy Latimore. Rosa walked to load the bases again before Sisco brought a run home with a sacrifice fly to make the score 7-1.

Bowie kept hitting the Reading bullpen in the eighth innings, scoring two more runs against reliever Tom Windle. Ozzie Martinez drew a lead-off walk and moved to third base on a Davis single. Davis moved to second base on a wild pitch before a Joseph groundout and Yastrzemski sacrifice fly plated two runs to give the Baysox a 9-1 win.

Baysox relievers Jason Stoffel and Andrew Triggs combined to pitch two scoreless innings to close out the game. The duo allowed just one hit while striking out four.

Lively threw seven innings plus three batters and allowed seven runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out four in the loss.

Minor League Baseball

——– Forwarded message ———-
From: Jackson Baird via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 8, 2015 at 5:51 AM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Wilmington Blue Rocks 2015 Season in Review
To: rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

 

CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Wilmington Blue Rocks 2015 Season in Review

Rocks postseason-bound after wild regular season

 

WILMINGTON, Del. – The 2015 campaign was a wild ride for the Wilmington Blue Rocks from the word go. Over the course of the 140-game Carolina League season (which turned into 139 for the Rocks thanks to a rainout), the Blue Crew set numerous franchise records, some bad and some good. Wilmington will be playing playoff baseball for the first time since 2012 as a result of their efforts this year, as they are set to take on the Lynchburg Hillcats in the Northern Division Championship Series beginning on September 9. If the postseason is as eventful as the regular campaign, the Blue Rocks will experience a crazy end to their 2015 season.

Thanks to a 38-32 record in the first half, Wilmington was able to claim the CL North first-half title and the playoff bid that comes with it. The Rocks made the postseason dance for the first time since 2012 when they took the Northern Division crown in the season’s second half. The last time Wilmington took the division in the first half was back in 2006 as an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. That team included future major leaguers such as Michael Bowden, Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Tommy Hottovy, Jed Lowrie, Justin Masterson, Luis Mendoza, and Carlos Rosa. In the game that clinched the first-half for the Rocks that year, Wilmington sealed the deal on a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the bottom of the ninth, with Ellsbury scoring the game-winning run. The last time the Blue Crew won a first-half crown as an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals was back in 2002, when the Rocks won both halves.

The Rocks enjoyed contributions from many players in their first half, including four Carolina League Mid-Season All-Stars. Pitchers Alec Mills, Cody Reed, and Eric Skoglund, as well as infielder Ramon Torres,were selected to play in the Carolina League/California League All-Star game in Rancho Cucamonga, California in June. Mills has been with the Rocks all season long, although he spend about a month on the disabled list. The righty recorded a 7-7 record with a 3.02 ERA in 21 games this season. Reed produced a 5-5 record with a 2.14 ERA in 13 games (10 starts) on the riverfront. He earned a promotion to Double-A after the All-Star game, and has since been traded to the Cincinnati Reds. Skoglund went 6-3 with a 3.52 ERA over 15 games with the Rocks, but has been on the DL since early July. Torres played 71 contests with the Blue Crew, hitting .257 with 29 runs scored. The infielder got the call to Double-A in early July.

The triple play is one of the rarest happenings in baseball, but apparently nobody told that to the Blue Rocks. Wilmington turned a staggering three triple plays in 2015, by far the most in a single season in franchise history. The first time the Blue Crew turned three this year was on April 19 in a game against Frederick at Frawley Stadium. They next time they turned three was on June 9 at Winston-Salem. On August 4, Wilmington spun its third triple play of the season down in Myrtle Beach. Perhaps most amazing is the fact that the team turned four triple plays in a 373-day span, with another tri-killing coming on July 27, 2014 against the Dash on the riverfront. Prior to that stretch, Wilmington had retired three on the same play only twice in the previous 16 seasons.

Although the first half of 2015 treated Wilmington well, the second half was not as kind. The Rocks lost 45 games after the All-Star break, the most defeats in a single half in franchise history. The previous franchise-high in terms of losses in a half was 42, which was done in the second half of the 1997 campaign. Thanks in large part to their 38 first-half victories, Wilmington did not reach 80 losses this year, which is the franchise record for defeats in an entire season set by the 2005 squad. The Rocks lost the most road games in a single season, however, logging 44 setbacks away from Frawley Stadium in 2015. That mark eclipsed the 43 losses recorded by the Rocks in both 2005 and 2011.

The Blue Rocks’ second half struggles reached their peak when the squad rattled off a 14-game losing streak. The skid was the longest in franchise history, as it surpassed the previous high of 10 which the Rocks had done twice (the most recent such losing streak lasted from May 27 to June 4 of 2000). The 14-game dry spell began on July 26 with a 2-0 loss to Lynchburg, and ended when the Rocks topped Carolina 2-1 in 12 innings on August 11. The Blue Crew lost five times to Lynchburg, and three times each to Winston-Salem, Carolina, and Myrtle Beach during the streak. Over those 14 games, Wilmington batted .225 (97-for-432), scoring just 28 times in those 14 losses.

On the stranger side of things, the 2015 season certainly had its fair share of scheduling quirks that the Blue Rocks had to endure. Wilmington’s first four home stands of the season lasted seven games apiece, with the final one of that stretch spanning from May 19 to May 25. After that home stand, the Blue Crew did not spend more than a single series at home until a six-game home stand from August 18 to August 23. In between, Wilmington hosted nine home stands that lasted one series each. Meanwhile, The Rocks played the Pelicans seven times in the opening month of the season, including four games at Myrtle Beach and three more at Frawley Stadium. After the series on the riverfront from April 28 to April 30, the Blue Crew had to wait three full months before they battled the Birds again, with their next matchup taking place in a three-game series that began on August 4. Speaking of teams Wilmington didn’t see too often, the Rocks did not play a game against Salem until June 12. Incredibly, the schedule called for three games in Salem before three more in Wilmington, meaning the two squads clashed six times in six days. Finally, the Blue Rocks took on Potomac on August 19, marking the last time the Rocks saw a Northern Division foe in the regular season. Wilmington played the final 17 contests of the regular season against Southern Division squads.

In the end, the Blue Rocks will be taking on the Lynchburg Hillcats in the Northern Division Championship Series. The best-of-three set will mark the fifth all-time postseason meeting between the two franchises, with the Rocks still searching for their first playoff-series win against the Hillcats in the team’s history. Wilmington and Lynchburg have met in the Northern Division Championship Series in 2002, 2003, 2009, and during the Blue Rocks most recent playoff appearance in 2012. During the first matchup in 2002, the Blue Crew took game one before falling in back-to-back contests to suffer elimination. The 2003 series saw Lynchburg sweep the best-of-three series. Six years later, the N.D.C.S morphed into a best-of-five set, and even though the Blue Rocks held a 2-1 lead in the series, the Hillcats took the next two tilts on the way to a playoff-series win. Finally, 2012 featured a return to the best-of-three format. The Rocks dropped the opener before evening the series in game two. In the decisive game three, Lychburg emerged victorious to bump the Rocks from the postseason for the fourth straight time.

The 2015 campaign was a tumultuous one on the riverfront, but it doesn’t end with the regular season. Game one of the Northern Division Championship Series will take place on September 9 at Lynhcburg, with game two and a potential game three occurring on September 10 and 11 at Frawley Stadium. The Blue Rocks have one final journey to embark on before the 2015 campaign comes to a close. For tickets to see the Rocks play postseason baseball at Frawley Stadium, call 302-888-BLUE, or visit www.bluerocks.com.

www.bluerocks.com.

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Minor League Baseball

rom: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Sat, Sep 5, 2015 at 7:35 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Rocks Split Double-Header with Pelicans on Final Saturday of Regular Season
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

 

CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393 

Rocks Split Double-Header with Pelicans on Final Saturday of Regular Season

Goudeau helps Wilmington avoid sweep in twin-bill

 

WILMINGTON, Del. – The Blue Rocks played a pair of contests against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Saturday, losing the front end of the double-header 4-2 before taking the nightcap 6-2. Ashton Goudeau made the spot-start in game two, getting the win and helping the Blue Crew end their six-game losing streak. Humberto Arteaga picked up two hits and three RBIs in the victory.

In game one, Myrtle Beach broke onto the scoreboard very early by plating a run in the top of the first. Pin-Chieh Chen delivered a one-out double, and eventually came home on Jason Vosler’s single. Wilmington starter Zach Lovvorn settled down to escape the inning unscathed after that.

The Rocks provided a quick response, taking the lead in the bottom of the frame. Carlos Garcia and Jack Lopez set the table with a walk and a bunt single respectively to lead off the inning. The next man up, Mauricio Ramos, crushed a double to the left-field wall that scored both men, handing Wilmington a 2-1 lead at the end of the first.

The Pelicans came all the way back and then some in the decisive fifth inning. Daniel Lockhart got the offense started in the frame with a run-scoring double, and Vosler gave the Pelicans the lead with a two-RBI single later on. The Rocks were held scoreless the rest of the way, and Wilmington fell 4-2 in game one.

The back-end of the double-header was a different story, as Goudeau took matters into his own hands. Goudeau gave the Blue Rocks six innings, yielding only two runs (one earned) on two hits and a pair of walks while striking out six. His offense came to his support with a four-run bottom of the second inning. Arteaga got Wilmington on the board with a two-RBI infield single, then two batters later, Logan Moon delivered a pair of runs with a base hit of his own.

Although Myrtle Beach got two back in the fourth courtesy of a Ben Carhart two-run homer, the Rocks scratched across more later in the ballgame. Lopez squeeze-bunted Alfredo Escalera home in the fourth, and Arteaga cracked a double that chased Ryan O’Hearn to the plate in the fifth, capping the scoring at 6-2.

The Rocks and Pelicans do battle once again on Sunday. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is scheduled for 1:35 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM.

 

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

 

The Blue Rocks will be playing postseason baseball this fall, but you wouldn’t know it going by their second-half record. After Saturday’s split of a double-header, Wilmington has recorded 44 losses since the All-Star break. The previous franchise-high in terms of defeats in a single half was 42, which was done in the second half of the 1997 campaign. Thanks in large part to their 38 first-half victories, Wilmington cannot reach 80 losses this year, which is the franchise-record for defeats in an entire season set by the 2005 squad. The Rocks have also lost the most road games in a single season, however, logging 44 setbacks away from Frawley Stadium in 2015. That mark eclipses the 43 losses recorded by the Rocks in both 2005 and 2011.

Ashton Goudeau gave Wilmington a much-needed quality start on Saturday. In game two of the twin-bill, the righty produced six innings, yielding two runs (one earned) on just two hits and two walks while striking out six. It was also his first win since his July 22 start at Salem. The last time Goudeau hit the bump prior to the nightcap of Saturday’s double-header was on August 29, another game against the Pelicans. Goudeau gave the Rocks 3.2 frames that night, but gave up the walk-off homer to Jason Vosler in the bottom of the 12^th to complete a 1-0 Wilmington loss. The Newport, Arkansas native made just the ninth professional start of his career on Saturday, with five now coming with Wilmington this season. Goudeau was a 27^th round pick in the 2012 draft by the Kansas City Royals.

After going nearly a month without a hit, Santiago Nessy has started to come alive at the plate. The Venezuelan-native was mired in a 0-for-31 slump which spanned 11 games before breaking out of it with a single Myrtle Beach on August 27. Since then, he has gotten hits in three more contests to bring his hitting streak to four games. Nessy is certainly hoping he can produce more down the stretch than he did in the month of August. The former international signing by the Blue Jays batted .031 in August, compiling just one hit in 32 at-bats while driving in just one run and striking out 14 times. That came off of the catcher’s best month with Wilmington. He batted .297 (11-for-37) in July with seven extra-base hits and six walks. On Saturday, Nessy played game two of the double-header and went 2-for-3 with a run scored. He is now batting .219 since coming down from Double-A Northwest Arkansas after he was traded to Kansas City the day after the Royals lost in Game Seven of the World Series.

 

THEY SAID IT:

 

Pitcher Zach Lovvorn:

 

“I felt like I was commanding all my pitches and throwing them all for strikes and had a really good rhythm going.”

“(I) go out there every time trying to repeat the pitches and get ahead of the batters, so going out there and attacking hitters and getting ahead on the count.”

“I don’t think anything changed (in my pitching) it was getting latter in the game and into the dog days of the season so I am just trying to grind it out and make pitches.”

“Every time (we pitch) we are (working on something) all the time. For me it was just to settle in my delivery, every pitch, every game.”

“This was probably my third or fourth time (pitching a shortened game) and it is just like any other game just shorter.”

“I do not have (any postseason experience.) I have been in the organization for four years and never have had a chance to play in a post season game so I am pretty excited about it.”

www.bluerocks.com

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Minor League Baseball

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 4, 2015 at 7:02 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Markey On The Mark As Rocks Fall To Pelicans
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015

 

CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393 

Markey On The Mark As Rocks Fall To Pelicans

Brad Markey Went Seven Solid Frames On The Way To Wilmington’s 20^th Shutout In 2015

 

WILMINGTON, Del. – A spectacular outing from Myrtle Beach starter Brad Markey led the Wilmington Blue Rocks to their fifth straight loss, a 4-0 final at Frawley Stadium on Friday night. Friday was also the second consecutive shutout suffered by the Blue Crew who have been held scoreless by opponents 20 times in 2015. Wilmington did not find their first base runner against Markey until the fifth inning.

 

Friday’s game was a pitcher’s duel between Markey and Matthew Strahm as the game remained scoreless through three frames before the Pelicans jumped out in front in the fourth. After striking out two batters in each of his first three frames, Strahm walked Cael Brockmeyer to start off the inning. Strahm made a good pitch to saw-off Jacob Rogers forcing a weakly hit groundout that moved Brockmeyer up to second base with one out. The left-hander Strahm looked like he might find his way out of the inning after a pop out of Jeffrey Baez, but Jason Vosler came up with the clutch hit and produced an RBI single into center to make it 1-0 Myrtle Beach. The hit landed just out of the reach of Logan Moon in centerfield.

The Pelicans gave Markey more insurance in the fifth thanks to another leadoff base runner. Instead of a walk, Strahm plunked Daniel Lockhart with a curveball to put the speedy second baseman on with no outs. After a groundout put Lockhart on second, it was Ben Carhart coming up with the clutch knock. Carhart took a two-strike fastball and lined it into left with two outs to plate Lockhart with the second run of the game for Myrtle Beach.

Wilmington had their only real opportunity against Markey in the sixth when back-to-back singles from Santiago Nessy and Moon put runners on the corners with just one out. The dangerous Carlos Garcia came to the plate and offered at the first pitch. The second baseman got the barrel on the ball, but he lined it right at the first baseman Rogers who was able to step on the bag at first to double-off Moon and get his hurler out of the jam unscathed.

All told, Markey faced 22 batters, facing just one over the minimum through seven frames. He struck out six on the way to his seventh win of the season at Advanced-A. He has won all seven of his decisions with the Pelicans.

Wilmington and Myrtle Beach will continue their series with a couple of games on Saturday. First, the Rocks and Pelicans will make up for a rainout down on the Grand Strand back on August 30. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. as the Blue Crew turns to Zach Lovvorn. Lovvorn has been one of the most solid starters for Wilmington in the second-half. He is now 4-4 with a 3.73 ERA. The Pelicans counter with Jen-Ho Tseng who is 6-7 with a 3.55 ERA. While Myrtle Beach has not announced a starter for the second game, the Rocks will turn to Ashton Goudeau who is 5-4 with a 3.43 ERA splitting time between the starting rotation and the bullpen at Advanced-A. First pitch for game two will be about a half-hour after the final out of game one.

 

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

 

With a loss on Friday, the Blue Rocks have now lost six consecutive home games, the longest stretch without a win at Frawley Stadium this season. Wilmington eclipsed their previous longest home-losing skid of five games, which took place from July 26 to August 2 against a combination of the Lynchburg Hillcats and the Carolina Mudcats. That losing skid was part of the larger franchise-record 14-game losing streak which started with that July 26 contest against the Hillcats and lasted until the Rocks lost to Lynchburg again on August 9 by a score 7-4. Wilmington has not won a game on the riverfront since August 21 when they topped the Salem Red Sox in the opener of a three-game set by a score of 7-5.

After going nearly a month without a hit, Santiago Nessy has started to come alive at the plate. The Venezuelan-native was mired in an 0-for-31 slump, spanning 11 games, before breaking out of it with a single Myrtle Beach on August 27. Since then, he has gotten hits in two more contests to bring his hitting streak to three games. Nessy is certainly hoping he can produce more down the stretch than he did in the month of August. The former international signing by the Blue Jays batted 0.31 in August, compiling just one hit in 32 at-bats while driving in just one run and striking out 14 times. That came off of the catcher’s best month with Wilmington. He batted .297 (11-for-37) in July with seven extra-base hits and six walks. On Friday Nessy followed up a couple of 1-for-4 performances with a 1-for-3 night, which included a ninth inning leadoff walk. He is now batting … since coming down from Double-A Northwest Arkansas after he was traded to Kansas City the day after the Royals lost in Game Seven of the World Series.

 

THEY SAID IT:

 

Manager Brian Buchanan:

 

“That was one of the best pitching performances we’ve seen all year (from Brad Markey). He kept the ball down and he kept it down the whole game. He threw his slider for strikes. You’ve got to tip your hat, he pitched an outstanding game.”

“When you’ve got those guys (on the mound) you’ve got to battle and scrap for whatever you get. We had a chance there in the sixth with first and third and (Carlos) Garcia hit that bullet to first base, it was a double play and we’re out of the inning.”

“(Matthew Strahm) threw the ball well. He’s got an over-powering fastball and he was throwing some good breaking balls. He threw the ball well and so did (Yender) Caramo.”

“He was throwing the ball well, then he walked a guy and a hit-by-pitch and they both ended up scoring. That just tells you if you get the leadoff guy out their chances go way down of them scoring. Getting the first guy of the inning is huge.”

“Two-out RBIs always hurt you. Every RBI hurts you. It was one of those games where you’ve got to get their starter out of the game and hurt his pitch count.”

Catcher Santiago Nessy:

 

“Oh yeah (I’m seeing the ball better). It’s a long year. You’ve just got to be working hard and be prepared for any chances that you may get and take advantage of them.”

“Yes, of course (I wish I started streaking sooner). You always want to put up good numbers, but it’s the end of the season and they still count. You’ve got to take advantage of (your opportunities) and always be prepared. Never give-up and waste at-bats.”

“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Everybody is tired. We’re tired and the other team tired so you can’t say, ‘I’m tired, I’m going to give-up.’ You’ve got to give your best.”

“(Matthew Strahm) is a very good pitcher. He was commanding his fastball. His curveball was a little bit off the plate sometimes but that’s going to happen. The first run, (Logan) Moon tried to make a play and he dropped it, that’s going to happen. The hit-by-pitch, I think he was trying to make a perfect pitch and that happened.”

www.bluerocks.com

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Minor League Baseball

——- Forwarded message ———-
From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 3, 2015 at 7:43 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Rocks Shut Down as Dash Complete Sweep at Frawley Stadium
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

 

CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393 

Rocks Shut Down as Dash Complete Sweep at Frawley Stadium

Wilmington held scoreless in final regular season game between squads

 

WILMINGTON, Del. – The Wilmington offense could not get anything going on Thursday, falling to Winston-Salem 5-0. Thanks to the victory, the Dash were able to complete the three-game sweep of the Rocks, marking the sixth time this year the Blue Crew failed to win a game in a set. The Blue Rocks finish their season series against Winston-Salem with an overall record of 6-11.

The Dash cracked the scoreboard first against Wilmington starter Alec Mills in the top of the third. T.J. Williams began the frame with a single, but Mills retired the next two men. After another single from Jake Peter, Trey Michalczewski drove Williams home with a base hit, giving Winston-Salem a 1-0 lead.

After Mills allowed another run on a wild pitch in the fifth inning, Winston-Salem plated two more in the sixth off of Matt Alvarez. The inning began with a walk to Keon Barnum and a double produced by Nick Basto. Nolan Earley brought the first score of the frame home with a single, then Brett Austin followed with a run-scoring ground out, making it 4-0 Dash.

Winston-Salem completed their offensive barrage in the eighth inning, courtesy of a lead-off homer from Barnum off of Estarlin Cordero. The long ball was his ninth of the season, and it capped the scoring at 5-0.

 

The Rocks begin their final series of the regular season on Friday when they welcome the Myrtle Beach Pelicans to town. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM. For tickets, call 302-888-BLUE, or visit www.bluerocks.com.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

 

Thanks to their scoreless effort on Thursday, the Blue Rocks were shutout for the 19^th time this season. That total is far and away the most in the Carolina League in 2015, with the next closest team in that category being the Carolina Mudcats, who have been held off the scoreboard in 13 contests this year. The Rocks also have the league’s worst winning percentage in shutouts, coming in at .321 (9-19) on the season. Their most recent shutout defeat came at the hands of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on August 29, a game the Blue Crew lost 1-0 in 12 innings. To find the last time Wilmington was on the winning end of a shutout, you have to go back to August 26 when the Blue Rocks topped Carolina 5-0.

The Rocks have grown accustomed to seeing Southern Division opponents on the schedule recently. Wilmington will play their final 17 games of the regular season against CL South foes. Their last contest against a Northern Division opponent took place on August 19 against Potomac, when the Blue Crew took a 7-6 victory. The Blue Rocks were supposed to matchup with the Nats on August 20, but rain at Frawley Stadium cancelled the finale with Potomac. During this 17-game Southern Division trek, Wilmington is currently 4-8 against a combination of Salem, Carolina, Myrtle Beach, and Winston-Salem. Beginning Friday, the Rocks close their regular season with five games against the Pelicans. The next time the Blue Crew sees a Northern Division team will be in the playoffs against the Lynchburg Hillcats.

With two more hits on Thursday night, Logan Moon concluded a successful series against Winston-Salem. Over the three games against the Dash, Moon went 4-for-10 (.400) with one RBI and a run scored. The Blue Springs, Missouri native drove in the lone run Wilmington pushed across in game two of the series on Wednesday with a sacrifice fly. Moon’s exploits in the series were not limited to his bat, however. The outfielder gunned down Michael Danner as he tried to score from second base on a single from Jake Peter on Wednesday. The outfield assist was his 12^th of the season. Seven of those assists have come with Moon playing left field, with two more produced as a center fielder, and three from right field. Moon has now recorded 12 of Wilmington’s 26 total outfield assists this season. Dominique Taylor is a distant second on the club with four outfield assists.

Cam Gallagher collected a pair of hits on Thursday, continuing his recent success at the plate. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania native has now produced hits in 11 of his last 13 games played, including six multi-hit efforts. That stretch has also seen Gallagher record two separate five-game hitting streaks, both being the longest hit streaks of his season. The catcher has pounded out one homer, five doubles, and four RBIs to go along with seven runs scored during his recent hot stretch. He has his average up to .248 after Thursday with five home runs and 23 RBIs on the season. Gallagher was a second round pick by the Royals in the 2011 draft, coming out of Manheim Township High School.

 

THEY SAID IT:

 

Catcher Cam Gallagher:

 

“Earlier in the year I had a couple injuries and I left for about two-and-a-half weeks for the Pan-Am Games, so it’s kind of hard to get in a groove when you are battling injuries and leaving. Just getting consistent at-bats and working with (Hitting Coach Abraham Nunez) and everything like that in the cage and trying to work on stuff has been paying off a little bit. I feel more comfortable in the box.”

“I came back (from the Pan-Am Games), and three of our starters (that were on the team when I left) were gone. It’s always a little difficult having to learn new guys and their pitches…but I’ve known all these guys since Spring Training and Instructional League and stuff like that so it wasn’t too tough. It is always tough losing guys like (Sean) Manaea and (Cody) Reed and guys like that. It’s always tough to fill in those shows, but these guys have done a good job.”

“I remember when I was in Lexington with (Alec Mills) before he had his Tommy John surgery. He took off and became a starter. He was throwing mid to high 90’s and got hurt. It’s always a shame to see someone go down like that. What he was doing at the beginning of the year, it was tough to see him go down again just because he was in such a groove…His first outing was a little shaky at Potomac. He gave up a couple runs, but his first outing back, that’s to be kind of expected. He’s getting back to his original groove and hopefully he can get us a couple wins in the playoffs.”

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Minor League Baseball

At This Point Last Season…

The Hornets were 0-3, coming off a 2-1 double overtime loss at home to UMass Lowell.

Coming Up Next…

The Columbia Blue & Red will conclude their brief two-game road swing this Wednesday night (7 p.m.) against Rider.  Last season, DSU fell at home to the Broncs, 2-1.

2014 in Review

Coming off its second best finish in team history, in addition to winning the first-ever Independent Conference Tournament Championship, the Delaware State women’s soccer will aim for repeat success under third-year head coach Kerri Scroope.  In 2014, Scroope not only received Independent Conference Coach of the Year honors, but nine Hornets earned All-Conference selections.  The Hornets also closed the year on a program-best three-game winning streak.

The Forwards

Topping the list of returnees are senior veterans Taylor Addison and Julia Bossert.  Addison returns as DSU’s top scorer, tallying two goals and one assist for five points on her way to receiving Second Team All-Independent Conference honors.  Bossert – a Second Team All-Independent Conference selection also – led the Hornets in assists (3) last season, which tied a team single-season mark.  Providing depth behind the senior duo will be sophomore McKenzie Miller, who will look to build on a All-Independent Conference Tournament Team selection. Newcomers in freshmen Taylor Love, Bri Musco and junior transfer Ayanna Smith, meanwhile,will also battle for playing time.  Spending her freshman season at Southern Connecticut State, followed by sitting out her sophomore campaign, Smith took four shots and scored once.

The Midfielders

With nine players designated as midfielders, this position group is the deepest for the Hornets this season, led by senior Danielle Valente.  In 2014, Valente was a First Team All-Independent Conference selection, appearing in 16 games while making 15 starts.  Behind Valente are letterwinners from a season ago in juniors Dina Isham and Morgan Pottinger, whereas returners Kym Brewton and Tori Hamilton will battle for significant playing time.  The newcomers, on the other hand, feature freshmen Dasia Busch, Logan Taylor, Kayleigh Leschinski and junior transfer from Stony Brook in Elise Pratt.  Appearing in a combined 24 matches in two seasons, Pratt’s lone goal occurred as a freshman in Stony Brook’s double-overtime victory against Maine to complete the regular season.

The Defenders

The veteran trio of seniors Morgan Durham, Tere’ Crawford and junior Taylor Pratcher headlines the backline for DSU in 2015.  Durham, who started all 19 games last season on her way to earning First Team All-Independent Conference honors, likes the feel of the team with the regular season set to begin this Friday evening (7 p.m.) at home against Lafayette.

Goalkeepers

Aiming to fill void the left by Katelyn Koslosky (graduated), DSU’s all-time leader in saves (387) and shutouts (9), will be sophomore Michele Lammers and freshman Leslie Fazio.  Lammers appeared in three games for a little over a combined 16 minutes as a freshman.  Fazio – a product of nearby Sussex Technical High School located in Lewes, Del. – started all four years on the varsity level, garnering First Team All-Henlopen North Conference honors, along with First and Second All-State recognition during her final two seasons.

 

Minor League Baseball

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 1, 2015 at 7:35 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Rocks Drop First Game of Final Home Stand of Regular Season to Dash
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

 

CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393 

Rocks Drop First Game of Final Home Stand of Regular Season to Dash

Wilmington yields 14 hits in loss to Winston-Salem

 

WILMINGTON, Del. – The Blue Rocks struck first on Tuesday against Winston-Salem, but a steady offensive attack by the Dash from the second inning on was too much for Wilmington to overcome, as the Rocks lost 7-3 at Frawley Stadium. Humberto Arteaga produced a season-high four hits, including two doubles and a pair of RBIs to spark Wilmington’s offense, while Omar Narvaez led the charge for Winston-Salem with four hits and two RBIs of his own.

Mauricio Ramos got the scoring started in the bottom of the first with a single that plated Arteaga, but the Dash put together three straight innings in which they scored a pair of runs. Tyler Williams produced a two-run single in the top of the second, while two more scored in the third when Narvaez and Michael Danner each collected RBI base hits. The top of the fourth saw Narvaez come away with another RBI single, with an additional score crossing on the play thanks to an error by Logan Moon.

The Rocks got a pair in the bottom of the third when Arteaga smacked his second two-bagger of the evening, a hit that scored both Moon and Jack Lopez, but that would be the final time Wilmington would crack the scoreboard. Winston-Salem added one more run in the top of the sixth on Nolan Earley’s RBI base hit, capping the scoring at 7-3.

The win on Tuesday went to James Dykstra, who pitched five shutout innings out of the bullpen for the Dash. The righty gave up six hits and struck out two. Pedro Fernandez was saddled with his fifth loss with the Blue Rocks this year. Fernandez could only last 4.1 frames on Tuesday, allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and four walks, striking out two in the process.

The Rocks and Dash continue their three-game series on Wednesday at Frawley Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Tuesday turned into a career-night for Humberto Arteaga. The Wilmington shortstop collected four hits against the Dash, his first four-hit game since August 21, 2013 as a member of the Idaho Falls Chukars. Arteaga has been swinging a good bat lately, as his four-hit effort on Tuesday gave him a modest three-game hitting streak. Over his last trio of contests, the Venezuelan native has gone 7-for-13 with three doubles and three RBIs. Arteaga entered the Royals system as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2010. He began 2015 with the Low-A Lexington Legends, where he hit .259 in 70 games.

Pedro Fernandez continued to struggle at the Advanced-A level on Tuesday. Since getting the call to the Carolina League in late July, the Dominican native has pitched to a record of 0-5 and an ERA of 9.43 in six games with the Rocks. The only start that Fernandez has made that has not resulted in a loss came on August 19 at Potomac. The righty pitched six frames that day, allowing five earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts for the no-decision. The last time Fernandez picked up a win was during his July 22 start as a member of the Low-A Lexington Legends. Against Rome that day, the righty hurled 6.2 innings, yielding only one unearned run while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Fernandez was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Royals as a 16-year-old in 2011.

After enduring a brutal stretch from late July to late August, Santiago Nessy looks to have turned the corner. In 11 games that spanned from July 29 to August 23, the Venezuelan native was unable to record a single hit, going 0-for-31 over the length of the streak. He saw his average plummet from .262 to .203 as a result of his struggles at the dish. Nessy finally broke his hitless stretch with a knock against Myrtle Beach on August 27, going 1-for-4 in the game. With a double on Tuesday against the Dash, the catcher has now collected hits in back-to-back contests for the first time since his season-high seven game hitting streak which lasted from July 8 to July 19. Nessy came to the Royals organization in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays a day after Game Seven of the 2014 World Series.

The Rocks have grown accustomed to seeing Southern Division opponents on the schedule recently. Wilmington will play their final 17 games of the regular season against CL South foes. Their last contest against a Northern Division opponent took place on August 19 against Potomac, when the Blue Crew took a 7-6 victory. The Blue Rocks were supposed to matchup with the Nats on August 20, but rain at Frawley Stadium cancelled the finale with Potomac. During this 17-game Southern Division trek, Wilmington is currently 4-6 against a combination of Salem, Carolina, Myrtle Beach, and Winston-Salem. After Tuesday, the Rocks see the Dash two more times before closing their regular season with five against the Pelicans. The next time the Blue Crew sees a Northern Division team will be in the playoffs.

THEY SAID IT:

 

Manager Brian Buchanan:

 

“(Pedro Fernandez) wasn’t locating his fastball and was leaving pitches up. He couldn’t get his off-speed over and it is going to be a long night when you cannot locate your fastball and get your breaking (pitches) over (the strike zone.)”

“(Humberto Arteaga is doing well) with pitch selection. He has been getting better pitches to hit and putting good swings at them.”

“We have had solid defense the whole year but obviously we cannot (have three errors) in the playoffs. I am not overly-concerned about it.”

“Probably the last series or few games I will put (players) where they will be during the postseason. They want the middle infielders to play both and the outfielders to play around but during the end of the year we will probably put them where they will be playing.”

“During the double-header we are trying to line up some pitching but I told the guys (on Tuesday) that we are going to start doing things a little different. It is not going to be overly-different but maybe pitching (players) back-to-back days. We still have to cover games with the double-headers.”

“Our first game of the playoffs will be away, so being home for a week and having that day off before they start (will be nice). We play well at home so it is always nice to (have) home games.”

www.bluerocks.com

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——— Forwarded message ———-
From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 24, 2015 at 7:17 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Offense Quieted Again In Shutout Loss To Carolina
To: rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015

 

CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Offense Quieted Again In Shutout Loss To Carolina

The Blue Rocks Suffered Their 17th Shutout Of The Season On Monday Night

ZEBULON, NC – The Wilmington Blue Rocks offense went quietly again on Monday night as they were unable to figure out Carolina Mudcats starter Yean Carlos Gil who helped his squad pick up a 7-0 victory at Five County Stadium. Gil entered the game on Monday with a 2-9 record and a 6.52 ERA at Advanced-A. The shutout for the Rocks was their 17^th of the season, the most of any team in the Carolina League.

Gil looked like an ace on Monday as he went seven frames and allowed just one base runner on a single by Elier Hernandez. He struck out six Rocks on the way to his third Advanced-A win this season and shrunk his ERA to 5.91.

The Blue Crew fell into another early hole on Monday as Jose Briceno got the Mudcats on the board in the bottom of the third. Briceno led-off the inning against starter Matthew Strahm and flew a 1-1 pitch down the right field line. The pop-up off the bat of Briceno just kept going until it was over the short-porch in right, Briceno’s fourth homer of the season making it 1-0 Carolina.

The Mudcats extended their advantage against reliever Yender Caramo in the seventh. Joey Meneses roped a pitch from Caramo into the right-centerfield gap with one out that ended up going for three bases, Meneses’ fourth triple of the season. Carolina got creative and pulled off a suicide squeeze with Reed Harper at the plate as Caramo could not nab Meneses at the dish. Later in the frame, with runners on second and third, Johan Camargo lined a single into center that plated two more Mudcats and made it a 4-0 Carolina lead. The Muddy’s went on to add three more runs on RBI hits from Dustin Peterson and Carlos Franco making it 7-0 Carolina through seven.

Wilmington’s offense had a huge opportunity to fight their way back into the game in the top of the eighth when they loaded the bases against reliever Richie Tate with nobody out. Tate was able to work out of the jam with a strikeout of Robert Pehl and a double play off the bat of Logan Moon to keep it a 7-0 Mudcats lead. The Rocks went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position on Monday.

The Rocks and Mudcats continue their series on Tuesday evening in game two of this three-game set. Pedro Fernandez will look for his first Advanced-A win as he gets the ball for the Blue Crew. The righty is 0-3 with an 8.38 ERA so far this season. Carolina will counter with a left-hander, Matt Bywater. Bywater is 1-1, despite not having given up an earned run yet with the Mudcats. First pitch from Zebulon, North Carolina is scheduled for 7 p.m.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Carlos Garcia has been the most consistent Rocks’ batter in the second-half of the season, but he was unable to extend his season-high 10 game hitting streak on Monday thanks to an 0-for-4 game. The speedy leadoff man has had two hitting streaks of 10 games this season (first from July 18-30), but he continues to fall just short of a team-high hitting streak, which was compiled by the since retired Cody Stubbs from May 27 – June 10 (11 games). Over his streak, the switch-hitter batted .400 (14-for-35) with two doubles, three triples, four walks, and five stolen bases. The international free agent out of Venezuela is now batting .288 this year at Advanced-A, the highest average of any current Rocks’ hitter. His .355 on-base percentage is also tops on the squad and fifth-best in the CL.

With a loss on Monday, the Blue Rocks struggles against CL South opponents continued. This is not welcomed news for the Rocks as they will finish out their season with 14 games against Southern teams before heading to the playoffs. Wilmington has a sub-.500 record against all four teams in the CL South, with their worst record being 3-9 against the Salem Red Sox. Overall, Wilmington is 22-35 when facing CL South opponents, compared to their 35-34 record when facing divisional rivals in the North. The Blue Crew is 2-10 in the month of August versus Southern teams alone. The Rocks close out their 2015 regular season with two more game against Carolina before heading off for a four-game set at Myrtle Beach. The schedule does not get any more forgiving as Wilmington ends the season at home with three games against the first-place Winston-Salem Dash and then four more against the first-half champion Pelicans.

Matthew Strahm took a loss on Monday night, but his nine strikeouts were a major bright spot. The nine K’s matched a career-high for the left-hander, a total he last recorded on June 26 against Potomac. He now has 111 punch-outs in just 83.2 innings pitched this season. Strahm has been one of the most solid arms for the Blue Rocks since he joined the team from Low-A Lexington, but there is one area in which the lefty really struggles: homeruns. Jose Briceno’s solo shot in the third inning was the seventh long ball Strahm has allowed at Advanced-A in his 13 appearances. In 14 appearances with Lexington, the southpaw allowed just a single homer. In his two previous professional seasons (2012 & 2014) the North Dakota native allowed just two total homeruns at Rookie-Level Idaho Falls.

For the 17^th time this season, the Wilmington Blue Rocks were shutout by an opponent on Monday. The Rocks just narrowly avoided a shutout on Sunday by scoring a lone run in the bottom half of the ninth in a loss to Salem. Wilmington’s 17 shutout losses is by far the most in the Carolina League, with the next closest team in the eight-team loop is Myrtle Beach with 12 shutout losses. The Blue Crew has shutout other teams eight times, but their 8-17 shutout record is still the worst winning percentage in games when one team doesn’t score. The Rocks have only won ,320 percent of shutouts this season. The next lowest percentage in the League is Frederick, whose 7-8 shutout record is still good for a .476 winning percentage. Adding insult to injury, the six runs scored by Carolina in the seventh was the second-most runs scored in a single inning by a Rocks’ opponent. The most was seven runs, done by the Lynchburg Hillcats back on August 8.

THEY SAID IT:

Catcher Cam Gallagher

“I wouldn’t say (we’re pressing). I’d say we’re struggling as a team to put together good at-bats. When we were home the past couple of games we strung together some good at-bats and put together some good offensive games. Today offensively, defensively, and pitching we didn’t really look like we were into it. I’ve got to take (partial blame) just because I’m the catcher…It might have been the road trip, I’m not sure, but it was just a bad effort today on all parts. We’ve got to step it up.”

“For me and for all the others guys in there, it doesn’t matter (if we don’t get a hit in a long at-bat). You’ve got to put together a good at-bat every time. Not every time you’re going to get a hit, but as long as you’re putting together good at-bats…maybe if it’s the leadoff man and he works a 3-2 count and fouls a couple of pitches off before striking out, guys behind him will see (what the pitcher has). It’s something we all have to step-up a little bit. Just put together good at-bats and get ready for the playoffs because we’re going to see the best guys…teams are going to try to win and we’ve got to get ready.”

“It’s been a little tougher after we already clinched the first-half. You do play for the second-half because you do want home field advantage for both parts, but I guess you’ve got to dig deep and not just say, ‘Oh, well we won the first-half so it doesn’t really matter too much.’ These guys aren’t just satisfied with being in High-A. Everyone wants to win a Carolina League Championship, but everyone wants to get to Double-A. I feel like we all need to…take that extra step. If we’re all still here then we’ve got to go out and fight. I’m sure…there is a little more intensity when the playoffs start, but we’ve got to start (playing well) now. We can’t just snap our fingers and be ready to play. We need to do that now so when the playoffs come it’ll be like second-nature.”

“It’s kind of a joke on that team that (Matthew Strahm) is a strikeout machine. He hasn’t been doing too well as of late but tonight he came out and did a heck of a job. He kept the ball down. His curveball was outstanding. He kept the ball down for the most part, except for that one pitch to (Jose) Briceno and he made him pay. Other than that, he did a great job. Defensively and offensively we’ve got to step it up and give him some insurance Hopefully next time he goes out there we get him some more runs.”

“It’s tough on a pitcher (when they think they’re out of an inning but they’re not). Like I said, we’ve got to dig deep. The inning’s not over. Even if we get that guy out there is still a runner at first base , you can’t forget about that. When the play is over and the call is made you can’t do much about it, you’ve just got to turn the page and go on to the next guy.”

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From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Sat, Aug 22, 2015 at 7:58 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Big Third Inning Not Enough As The Rocks Fall To Salem
To: rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

 

CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Big Third Inning Not Enough As The Rocks Fall To Salem

A Big Day From Dominique Taylor Wasted By A Red Sox Win

WILMINGTON, DE – A three-run third inning was not enough to propel the Wilmington Blue Rocks to a victory as they fell 4-3 to the Salem Red Sox on Saturday evening at Frawley Stadium. Starter Zach Lovvorn allowed four runs in five innings pitched, all of which came in his first two frames of work. Wilmington is still looking for their first series win against the Red Sox this year as Sunday will be the last time the two teams meet in the 2015 regular season.

 

For the second consecutive night, the Red Sox jumped on the board in the top of the first inning. After Lovvorn retired the first two men he faced, Cole Sturgeon reached on an innocent groundball through the left side and Kevin Heller brought him in with a not-so-innocent fly ball over the head of Dominique Taylor in center to make it 1-0 Salem through half an inning.

Salem extended their advantage in the second thanks to a couple of doubles from Jordan Betts and Sturgeon, both going for RBIs. Betts’ came after a leadoff walk to Forrestt Allday and he came in to score on Mauricio Dubon RBI single. Sturgeon’s two-bagger brought in Dubon and it was 4-0 Red Sox after two.

The Blue Crew answered the Sox early offense with three runs of their own in the third. Wilmington started the frame with a walk followed by four straight hits, Taylor drove in a run with his 15^th double of the season. With two men in scoring position, Carlos Garcia capped the scoring with a two-RBI single to bring the Rocks within one run, 4-3.

In the fifth, the Rocks looked poised to complete the comeback, but they would strand runners at the corners with no outs. Jack Lopez struck out on six pitches before Mauricio Ramos grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

Salem starter Kevin McAvoy worked around Wilmington’s three run third and got through six solid frames. The right-hander struck out five on the way to his ninth victory of the season.

Wilmington and Salem will round out this three-game series on Sunday evening before the Rocks hit the road for a seven-game road trip. Matthew Strahm will take the mound for the Blue Crew. The lefty is currently 1-4, but with a good 3.25 ERA. The Red Sox counter with Daniel McGrath. The native of Australia is 1-6 with a 4.41 ERA so far at Advanced-A. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

For the first time in almost a month, Zach Lovvorn was not able to turn in a quality start for the Blue Rocks. His outing on Saturday was just the third time in nine Advanced-A starts that the right could not go at least six innings while allowing three or fewer runs. Lovvorn had recorded four consecutive quality starts since he allowed seven runs, all earned, in just three innings against these Salem Red Sox. This season against Salem, Lovvorn has allowed 11 runs in just eight innings, while he has allowed only 14 runs in 44.1 innings against the rest of his opponents. Lovvorn was a sith round pick by the Royals out of Oxford High School in Alabama.

Carlos Garcia continues to be the most consistent hitter in the Wilmington lineup after a two-RBI game on Friday. Garcia now has an nine game hitting streak dating back to August 12. The speedy leadoff man is now just one game away from tying his season-high hitting streak (10 games), which he did at the end of July (July 18-30). Over his last nine contests, the switch-hitter is batting .419 (13-for-31) with two doubles, two triples, four walks, and five stolen bases. The international free agent out of Venezuela is now batting .293 this year at Advanced-A, the highest average of any current Rocks’ hitter. His .360 on-base percentage is also tops on the squad and fifth-best in the CL.

Despite a win on Friday, the season-long struggles for the Rocks when facing the Salem Red Sox continued on Saturday night. Wilmington is now 3-8 in their 11 games against the Sox this season, with Sunday being the last time the two teams will meet in 2015, barring a miraculous playoff run for Salem. Wilmington hitters are batting just .225 against Salem pitchers, while they have scored just under three (2.7) runs per game. Wilmington has been shutout by the Red Sox three times. Rocks’ pitchers have also not had an easy go of it again Salem, posting a 4.01 team ERA. Still, the Rocks will have a chance at their first series win against Salem in the rubber game of their three-game set on Sunday evening.

Dominique Taylor, after having a rough go of it at the plate for most of the season, has finally found his stroke in the month of August. Taylor added three more hits to his ledger on Saturday night, two of which went for extra-bases. The outfield out of Frankfurt, Germany is now batting .325 in August (13-for-40) with four doubles and six runs scored. It has been by far Taylor’s most productive offensive month. He now has his average up to .213 on the season, up .014 points from the beginning of the month. Taylor was a 15^th round pick by the Royals in 2013 out of the University of California Irvine. Though he was born in Germany to military parents, Taylor now calls Salt Lake City, Utah home during the offseason.

THEY SAID IT:

 

Second Baseman Carlos Garcia

 

“There are (different preparations for playing in the field than being the designated hitter.) I have tried to be focused in the role that I will be playing during the game. I catch a couple more ground balls if I know that I am playing second base that night, but basically it is come to the ballpark and do what I do every day and keep working hard.”

“I like to lead off (the batting order.) That is the role that I someday want to have in the big leagues, I want to be the type of hitter like (Ryan) O’Hearn and (Mauricio Ramos) hitting the ball into the gap and hitting home runs. I have been getting used to seeing a couple pitches the first at bat and helping my teammates know what kind of pitcher that game.”

“I prefer to play (in the field.) (The pitch I got two RBI’s) was a changeup. The first pitch (Kevin McAvoy) threw to me, that at bat, was a changeup in the dirt so that was first time I saw that pitch in the game. I tried to keep to the middle of the field because I knew he was throwing a lot of sinkers. When I saw the changeup I just didn’t try to do too much and put the ball in play.”

“It is like I said when I came here; (the biggest adjustment) is the ballpark. Basically I have to do the same thing but when hitting the ball it is not like Lexington. We have a big stadium here (in Wilmington) so I try to pull the ball in the ground and get the ball in play to let (Ramos) and O’Hearn do their job”

Center Fielder Dominique Taylor

 

“It felt really good (getting three hits). Unfortunately, three runs wasn’t enough, but all i could do is hit the best I can. I did my part tonight, and we’ll come back tomorrow and hopefully we’ll get a win.”

“I like (hitting ninth because) it’s almost hitting in the lead-off spot. It’s like a second leadoff guy. If I’m able to get on, then it goes to the top of the order with (Carlos) Garcia, Jack (Lopez), or (Humberto) Arteaga. They can bunt me over or…we just can have guys with speed on base that can make something happen.”

“I always try to keep it simple (playing different outfield positions). Wherever the ball is hit, I try to run and get to it. It’s a different angle with different positions, but it’s pretty much all the same thing. You see the ball, run to it, and catch it.”

“The biggest difference (between Lexington and Wilmington) is (Frawley Stadium) is definitely a pitcher’s ballpark. You can’t try to hit home runs. You’ve got to focus on hitting line drives and getting bunts down and just getting on base any way you can.”

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Date: Fri, Aug 21, 2015 at 8:11 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Ramos Powers Wilmington Past Salem In Series Opener
To: rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015

 

CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Ramos Powers Wilmington Past Salem In Series Opener

Mauricio Ramos Extended His Team-Lead In Long Balls As The Rocks Defeated The Pesky Red Sox

WILMINGTON, DE – A five-run fifth inning catapulted the Wilmington Blue Rocks past the Salem Red Sox on Friday night, 7-5 at Frawley Stadium. Mauricio Ramos smacked his team-leading eighth homerun of the season while Luis Rico worked three scoreless innings in relief for his seventh win at Advanced-A.

 

Trailing by a run entering the bottom of the fifth, the Rocks’ offense went to work after Salem starter Teddy Stankiewicz retired the first two batters of the inning. Carlos Garcia started the surge with a bunt single, his second hit of the game. After a walk to Jack Lopez, Ramos gave Wilmington their first lead of the game with a dinger, a three-run shot making it 5-3 Blue Crew. After allowing two more men to reach, Stankiewicz’s day was done as he was replaced by Kyle Kraus. Kraus was greeted to the contest by a two-RBI double down the left-field line from Cam Gallagher plating two and giving Wilmington a 7-3 lead at the end of the inning.

 

The Red Sox jumped on Rocks’ starter Alec Mills early when they took a 3-0 lead in the top half of the first, thanks mainly to a slew of soft contact from Sox hitters. After the first two men of the frame got on with softly struck grounders, Cole Sturgeon opened the scoring with a line-drive single in front of Elier Hernandez in right. After Mills was able to record two outs, another soft grounder, this one from Forrestt Allday, made it 2-0. A chopper off the bat of Zach Kapstein rounded out the scoring as Salem left the first half-inning with the advantage.

Wilmington fought back in the bottom of the inning. Garcia led-off the frame by extending his hitting streak to eight games with a single into right field. After moving up two bases on two consecutive wild pitches from Stankiewicz, Garcia scored on a Lopez sacrifice fly. Another sac fly from Hernandez made it a 3-2 ballgame after one.

Rico picked up his seventh win of the season, his second consecutive victory piggybacking behind Mills. The southpaw worked three scoreless frames. Estarlin Cordero extended his team-lead in saves when he worked a scoreless ninth. He now has nine saves this year.

The Rocks and Sox continue this their three-game series on Saturday night. Zach Lovvorn, who has turned in four straight quality starts, gets the ball for Wilmington. Lovvorn is 3-3 with a 3.61 ERA. Kevin McAvoy will counter for Salem. He is 8-9 with a 4.06 ERA. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Alec Mills’ second start back off the Disabled List went much smoother than his first. Despite allowing three runs in the first inning, Mills did not allow much solid contact, as he worked through four innings, ending his day with a 1-2-3 frame in the fourth. Still, the three earned runs he allowed did swell his ERA to 3.19, the highest the All-Star’s earned run average has been since May 21 when he allowed two earned runs over five innings in a loss to Winston-Salem. The righty has been arguably the best pitcher for Wilmington this season, allowing just 36 earned runs and 14 walks over 101.2 innings pitched. He also has 98 strikeouts this season, a total that (before his injury) was top-five in the Carolina League. Mills was a 22^nd round pick by the Royals in 2012 out of the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Carlos Garcia continues to be the most consistent hitter in the Wilmington lineup after a two hit game on Friday. Garcia now has an eight game hitting streak dating back to August 12. The speedy leadoff man is now just two games away from tying his season-high hitting streak (10 games), which he did at the end of July (July 18-30). Over his last eight contests, the switch-hitter is batting .445 (12-for-27) with two doubles, two triples, four walks, and five stolen bases. The international free agent out of Venezuela is now batting .294 this year at Advanced-A, the highest average of any current Rocks’ hitter. His .360 on-base percentage is also tops on the squad and fifth-best in the CL.

Despite all of the struggles the Blue Rocks have had against the Red Sox this season, they did not have much trouble figuring out Salem on Friday. The Sox, who came into Frawley Stadium with the worst record in the Carolina League during the season’s second-half, were 7-2 against Wilmington prior to Friday’s game. As a team, the Rocks were batting just .214 with only 20 runs scored in nine games against Salem. Rocks’ hurlers were posting a 3.89 ERA against the Red Sox. The seven runs scored were the most in a game against the Sox this season for the Blue Crew. They’ve been shutout by Salem three times. This three-game series will be the last time the two teams meet in 2015, barring a possible playoff appearance for the Red Sox.

Friday night’s game against Salem started a stretch of 17 straight contests that Wilmington will play against a CL South opponent to close out the regular season. This means the next time the Rocks face one of their CL North rivals, it will be in game one of the Mills Cup Playoffs. Wilmington will hope for some different results against Southern opponents down the stretch, as the Blue Crew has not faired so well against them this year. The Rocks are 10 games under .500 (22-32) against CL South teams. The good news is that 10 of these 17 games will be at Frawley Stadium, where the Rocks are 14-10 against the South, compared to 8-22 on the road. Wilmington finishes out this three-game series against Salem before hitting the road for a seven-game road trip against Carolina and Myrtle Beach. The Rocks round out the regular season with seven home games against Winston-Salem and Myrtle Beach.

THEY SAID IT:

Manager Brian Buchanan

 

“(Alec Mills) did fine (in the first inning). That’s baseball. That stuff starts happening and stayed with it and made pitches when he needed to. That happens every once in a while when you give up runs on hits that probably shouldn’t be hits. They had some good placed balls. He threw the ball well, he’s still getting back from that time off and I think his mind is telling him where to pitch the ball but right now his body is kind of off.”

“I think (Alec Mills) just needs to pitch. He needs to work on the crispness of his pitches, and that will come with the more bullpens he throws and the more times he gets out there. For him, it’s just working in the bullpen when he has a side (session), and pitching in games to get back to the good crispness he had before he went on the disabled list.”

“I was proud of (the team), they did a good job. Down 3-0, they could have rolled over, especially in the first inning. They could have just sold it in. We got two more runs there in the bottom of the first to get us back in there. Obviously in the fifth, (Mauricio) Ramos and (Cam) Gallagher came up big with those two-out hits. They hung in there and put some good at-bats together.”

“It’s nice (to play more than one series in a row at home). In July, we kind of had a tough schedule. We weren’t home a whole lot. (we played) three games here, three games there, three games here, three games there, and the travel is tough. It’s always nice to have an extended home stand where we can settle down. And we play well at home, which is good.”

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