MEDIA INFORMATION Salem Red Sox (57-68, 32-26, 1St, 0.0 GB / Northern) Carolina League Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox Vs
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MEDIA INFORMATION Salem Red Sox (57-68, 32-26, 1st, 0.0 GB / Northern) Carolina League Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks (74-53, 30-28, 2nd, 2.0 GB / Northern) Carolina League Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals Game No. 128, 59 • Home Game No. 61 • Frawley Stadium • Thursday, August 22, 2019 • 6:35 p.m. BLUE ROCKS BREAKDOWN Today’s Starting Pitchers HOME: 34-26 | AWAY: 39-27 STREAK: L1| LAST 5: 3-2 | LAST 10: 6-4 Wilmington: LHP Rito Lugo A SPLIT: The Wilmington Blue Rocks split a doubleheader for the sev- enth time this season. The Rocks won the opener over the Salem Resd Salem: LHP Thaddeus Ward Sox on Wednesday, 11-2, before dropping the nighcap, 3-1. Tomorrow’s Starter for the Blue Crew The Kansas City Royals loaded up on college TOP OF THE STANDINGS TO YOU: Wilmington has sat atop the pitching in the 2018 Draft and the crop of picks Carolina League North overall standings for most of the 2019 sea- included southpaw Austin Cox in the fifth son—127 of the campaign’s first 137 days. The Rocks have not been round out of Mercer University (Macon, GA). out of first place in the overall ledger since April 26. The only team Cox attended First Presbyterian Day School with a better record than the Rocks is the Down East Wood Ducks. (GA) which was the same school former Blue Rock and Royals’ prospect Richard Lovelady LOVING THE LONG BALL: The Blue Rocks have not had a attended and also attended Macon, HS before great deal of success with the long ball at home this season, but that putting together an impressive career with changed on Wednesday. Wilmington got three homers in the opener Mercer. Last year in his junior season, he led of the doubleheader, including two from Brewer Hicklen and back- the team with 17 starts and ranked fifth in the to-back shots in the fifth frame from Hiklen and Kyle Isbel. Hicklen Southern Conference with seven wins. With became only the third Blue Crewer to hit multiple homers in a con- 124 strikeouts, he posed the second-best strike- test this year (Seuly Matias and Blake Perkins). Hicklen and Isbel out rate (12.7K/9) rate in Division I. Made became only the second Blue Crewers to go back-to-back in 2019 nine starts in his pro debut season with Rookie (Hicklen and Carrasco). Even with the power surge, only 13 of the Burlington and went 1-1 with a 3.78 ERA. He Rocks’ 56 homers this year have come at Frawley Stadium. racked up 51 strikeouts in just 33.1 innings while allowing just 15 walks. His 13.8K/9 rate KILLING IT IN CLOSE CONTESTS: The Rocks lead the Carolina was the best strikeout rate among Royals farm- League with 55 games decided by a single score in 2019 and have played hands (min. seven starts). Currently ranked the 75 affairs with a margin of victory of two-or-less. Wilmington is an im- 20th-best prospect in the Royals’ system ac- pressive 51-24 in those close calls including 39-16 in one-run decisions. cording to MLBPipeline.com. FOUR FOR THE WIN: Four continues to be the magic number for the Blue Rocks in 2019. Wilmington improved to 46-8 when scoring four-or-more runs in a game this season. Conversely the Blue Crew 2019 Regular-Season Series: WIL vs. SAL are just 28-45 when playing three-or-fewer runs. Sox lead 10-9 HEY NOW YOU’RE AN ALL STAR: Wilmington Blue Rocks Kris Date Site Result Bubic and Brewer Hicklen were named Carolina League All Stars the league office announced on Thursday. They were selected in a vote by 4/4 Wilmington L, 10-2 the Carolina League’s 10 managers. Bubic is 6-3 with a 2.44 ERA in 4/6 Wilmington L, 2-1 15 starts with Wilmington. He has 103 strikeouts in just 88.2 innings pitched as a Blue Rock. The lefty played his college ball at Stanford 4/6 Wilmington W, 2-1 where he was a Third Team All American in 2018, finishing the season 4/7 Wilmington W, 2-1 8-1 with a 2.62 ERA in 86.0 innings. He held opponents to a .199 bat- ting average and struck out a team-high 101. Bubic’s amateur career 5/7 Salem W, 3-2 also featured a 2017 Cape Cod League Pitcher of the Year Award. His 5/8 Salem L, 6-1 resume earned him a $1.59 million signing bonus. Bubic entered the season as the Royals’ No. 9 prospect according to MLB.com. Bubic 5/9 Salem L, 5-3 appeared in the All-Star Future’s Game in Cleveland this season. Hick- 5/20 Salem W, 2-0 len leads the Blue Rocks in on-base percentage, slugging, homers, runs, hits and walks. He is slashing .265/.370/.418 in his first full season in 5/21 Salem W, 2-1 (10) Wilmington. He was selected by in the Royals in the seventh round of 5/22 Salem L, 7-0 the 2017 Draft out of UAB when he became the highest drafted baseball player in program history. Hicklen had planned to play both football and 5/23 Salem W 7-4 baseball for the Blazers, but UAB unexpectedly shut down its football 7/7 Salem L, 9-7 program before the 2014 campaign. He transitioned back to football and it’s worked out well ever since. He entered the season as the Royals’ No. 7/8 Salem L, 3-0 (7) 17 prospect according to MLB.com. 7/10 Wilmington L, 3-1 7/11 Wilmington W, 2-1 (8) BACK IN THE POSTSEASON: Wilmington clinched its first post- season berth since 2015 with its first-half CL North championship. That 7/12 Wilmington L. 1-0 (7) year Wilmington won the first half with a 38-32 record. The Rocks won 8/20 Wilmington W, 7-6 44 games in 2019 and finished 19 games above .500 in the first half. The Blue Crew clinched their 2019 crown on June 8. The 2015 Blue Crew 8/21 Wilmington W, 11-2 (7) eventually reached the Mills Cup Championship Series by sweeping 8/21 Wilmington L, 3-1 (7) Lynchburg in the Northern Division Championship Series. Wilmington is in search of its first Carolina League crown since 1999. 8/22 Wilmington Upcoming Probable Starters and Schedule Friday, August 23 vs. Down East 7:05 p.m. LHP Austin Cox vs. LHP Sal Mendez 89.7 WGLS-FM Saturday, August 24 vs. Down East 6:05 p.m. LHP Daniel Lynch vs. RHP Tim Brennan 89.7 WGLS-FM Sunday, August 25 vs. Down East 1:35 p.m. RHP Jonathan Bowlan vs. RHP Noah Bremer 89.7 WGLS-FM RADIO: Rowan Radio, 89.7 WGLS-FM WEBCAST: wgls.rowan.edu or bluerocks.com Wilmington Blue Rocks Game Notes MEDIA INFORMATION CONTINUED HOME RUN NOTES Blue Rocks vs. the Carolina League Blue Rocks 2-HR GAMES BY BLUE ROCKS (2 IN 2018 ) Opponent Record Home Road 4.14.19 Seuly Matias at CAR (Solo HR & 2-R HR) 7.18.19 Blake Perkins at WS (solo HRs) Frederick 10-6 6-2 4-4 8.21.19 Brewer Hicklen vs. SAL (2-run and sol HR) Lynchburg 10-3 4-2 7-1 3-HR GAMES BY BLUE ROCKS (HAS NEVER HAPPENED) Potomac 10-11 5-6 5-5 BACK-TO-BACK HOME RUNS (1 IN 2018) Salem 9-10 5-6 4-5 7.17.2019 Brewer Hicklen and Dennicher Carrasco at Winston-Salem Northern Div. 39-29 19-15 20-15 8.21.19 Brewer Hicklen and Kyle Isbel vs. SAL LEADOFF HOME RUNS (1 IN 2018) Opponent Record Home Road 7.10.18 Nick Heath at FRE (Off big-league rehabber Chris Tillman) Carolina 9-3 4-0 5-3 GRAND SLAM HOME RUNS 2 (3 IN 2018) 6.3.2019 MJ Melendez at MB Down East 3-7 1-3 2-4 6.15.2019 Brewer Hicklen at LYN Fayetteville 8-6 4-2 4-3 WALK-OFF HOME RUNS (0 IN 2018) Myrtle Beach 8-2 3-1 5-1 7.12.19 MJ Melendez vs. Salem Winston-Salem 7-5 3-3 4-2 PINCH-HIT HOME RUNS (1 IN BOTH 2018) Southern Div. 35-22 15-9 20-12 LAST TIME: 5.16.15 Dex Kjerstad at LYN INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUNS (2 IN 2018) Runners Left On Base LAST TIME: 8.19.18 @ W-S Oliver Nunez (4th inning, solo HR) Blue Rocks: 678 Opponents: 755 BLUE ROCKS HOME RUNS: 52 (63 IN 2018 / 23 HOME & 40 Numbers With RISP AWAY) Blue Rocks: .222 Avg. (213-for-958) Carolina 10 Lynchburg 4 Down East 2 Myrtle Beach 3 Blue Rocks On... Fayetteville 6 Potomac 8 Mondays: 5-4 April: 15-11 Frederick 9 Salem 6 Winston-Salem 8 Tuesdays: 12-6 May: 19-9 Wednesdays: 6-11 June: 16-10 FRAWLEY 12 ROAD 43 Thursdays: 10-7 July: 13-14 Opponents Fridays: 13-6 Aug: 11-8 Saturdays: 14-10 Sept: 0-0 2-HR GAMES BY OPPONENT (4 IN 2018) 7.6.2019 Jackson Reetz at Pfitzner Stadium Sundays: 9-7 First Game of Series: 23-15 3-HR GAMES BY OPPONENT (1 IN 2018) LAST TIME: Michael Chavis (SAL) 4.19.17 at Hayley Toyota Last Game of Series: 21-16 Series Won: 20 BACK-TO-BACK HOME RUNS (0 IN 2017/0 IN 2016) LAST TIME 8.10.18 Jared Young & Andruw Monasterio off Nolan Waston at MB Series Lost: 11 BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK (0 IN 2018) Series Split: 6 Series Swept: 6 LEADOFF HOME RUNS (1 IN 2017) LAST TIME: 7.3.18 Luis Gonzalez (W-S) off Gerson Garabito at Wilmington Rubber Matches: 2-7 GRAND SLAM HOME RUNS (3 IN 2018) 2019 Roster (41) 6.30.2019 Trevor Craport’s (FRE) off Austin Cox (5-3 Loss) 7.2.2019 Brian Mejia (POT) off Marcelo Martinez (10-4 loss) Pitchers (21) Catchers (3) Kyle Isbel Andrew Beckwith MJ Melendez Rudy Martin WALK-OFF HOME RUNS (1 IN 2018) LAST TIME: 8.19.18 Yermin Merceds at Frederick Jonathan Bowlan Sebastian Rivero Seuly Matias Holden Capps Stephan Vidal Blake Perkins PINCH-HIT HOME RUNS (0 IN 2018) J.C.