Salem Avalanche Pretty Much Hand Over Win to Wilmington Blue Rocks 6-4 - Adv A, California League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Wilmington, DE – In a contest featuring 19 total base hits, it was a four-error display by the Salem Avalanche that keyed a 6-4 victory by the Wilmington Blue Rocks at Frawley Stadium on Monday night. Three of Wilmington's runs during the decisive four-run fifth inning were unearned thanks to three Salem miscues, turning a one-run hole into a three-run Blue Rocks bulge. In all, the Blue Crew enjoyed four unearned runs off Salem errors. With the win, the Blue Rocks (13-17) improved to 8-6 in games played on the Riverfront.

After the Avalanche opened the scoring with a trio of runs in the second against Wilmington starter Jason Godin, the Rocks got one of the tallies back in the bottom half via the first of four Salem foul-ups. Salem southpaw David Qualben rallied to strike out three straight men following a leadoff double to Joe Dickerson and a single by Jeff Howell. But, catcher Koby Clemens could not handle the swinging third strike against Josh Johnson, which would have ended the inning. Clemens, the son of former big leaguer Roger Clemens, allowed the ball to squirt behind him and Dickerson to race home from third with the first Wilmington run.

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The Rocks touched Qualben (1-4) again in the fourth to inch within a single run. Wilver Perez plated Howell from third with an RBI single to right, cutting the Avs lead to 3-2.

A deficit turned into an advantage in the fifth, as a comedy of errors befell the visitors. With one out and runners at first and second, the second passed ball of the game charged to Clemens pushed both runners into scoring position. Kurt Mertins followed with a two-run single back through the box to give the Rocks their first lead at 4-3. In the following at-bat, with Dickerson batting, Mertins stole third and then trotted home as an errant throw by Clemens wound up in left-field foul territory. After a Dickerson strikeout and a Tim Torres throwing error that allowed Howell to reach, Erick Abreu entered out of the bullpen to face Miguel Vega with one on and two out. The righty slugger blasted an opposite field shot off the right-field wall to chase Howell around from first and complete the Blue Rocks’ scoring in the wild inning.

Only two of the six runs allowed by Qualben were earned. He yielded six of Wilmington’s nine base hits while walking three over 4.2 innings.

Godin (2-1) posted a season-high six innings, scattering six hits and admitting three runs. The Old Dominion University product struck out five and walked three. He retired five of the last six batters he faced before departing.

Aaron Hartsock and Tyler Chambliss held the Avs at bay for the duration, with Chambliss registering a five-out save - his team-leading fifth. The former Florida State University Seminole relieved Hartsock in the eighth with two on and one out, inheriting his first runners of the season. Following a walk to load the bases, Chambliss yielded a sac fly to Cesar Quintero, but retired Greg Buchanan on a ground ball to first, keeping the Rocks on top, 6-4.

Chambliss pitched around a base hit in the ninth to secure the opener for Wilmington.

The Blue Rocks and Avalanche continue their three-game set with the middle game on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. Wilmington sends its ace, righty Blake Wood (1-1, 3.86), against Salem southpaw Polin Trinidad (2-1, 2.43).

GAME NOTES

The four errors committed by Salem match a season-high by a Wilmington opponent this season. The previous occasion was also courtesy of the Avalanche, which logged four miscues in the 14-inning affair in Salem on April 8 – a game the Rocks dropped, 4-3.

Jarrod Dyson and Kurt Mertins each collected a pair of base hits for the Blue Rocks. Each player reached base three times in the game, while catcher Jeff Howell was the lone Rock to get on base four times. Howell went 1-2 with two walks. He reached on an error in the fifth.

The Rocks provided starter Jason Godin with six runs, representing the most support the right-hander has received in an outing through six starts this season. Entering Monday’s action, Godin had received an average of 3.6 runs per game from his offensive mates.

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