Wilmington Blue Rocks Top Winston-Salem Warthogs 3-1 - Advanced A, Carolina League

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Wilmington, DE – After mustering just four hits and one run in back-to-back defeats, the Wilmington Blue Rocks squeezed just enough out of their lineup to get past the Winston-Salem Warthogs, 3-1, at Frawley Stadium on Friday night.  Jeff Howell and Carolina League All-Star Joe Dickerson each had two hits and an RBI in support of starter Mario Santiago, who tasted victory for the fourth time in five starts on the Riverfront.  The Blue Rocks (34-34) once again reached the .500 mark and evened their four-game set with the Warthogs at one apiece. 

The Rocks opened the scoring with a run in the first inning against Winston-Salem starter Cleveland Santeliz.  Chris McConnell and Kurt Mertins strung together consecutive singles in front of Dickerson, who lined a base hit into center field.  McConnell scored from second to give Wilmington a 1-0 advantage. 

Michael Dubee relieved Santeliz (0-2)

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after three innings and promptly surrendered the second Blue Rocks run in the fourth.  With Josh Johnson on first and two outs, Howell doubled over the head of right fielder Salvador Sanchez, who was playing shallow against the right-handed hitter.  Johnson steamed home all the way from first and the Blue Rocks led 2-0. 

Meanwhile, Santiago (5-3) was putting on quite a mound performance.  The native of Puerto Rico did not allow a base hit through the first five innings, letting just two men reach against him during the span.  Brandon Allen got aboard via a McConnell fielding error with two outs in the first, while Greg Paiml worked out a walk in the second.   

Santiago retired 10 straight 'Hogs until Billy Killian led off the sixth with a single.  After a Paulo Orlando double play wiped the sacks clean, C.J. Retherford ripped a double to left and scored subsequently on an Allen humpback liner to center, halving the Wilmington lead at 2-1.  The Winston-Salem rally was short-circuited when Howell gunned down Allen at second on an attempted stolen base to end the frame. 

After setting down the first two men in the seventh, Santiago was lifted by manager Darryl Kennedy and replaced by southpaw Gilbert De La Vara.  The Tucson, AZ native retired all four men he faced and paved the way for closer Tyler Chambliss, who got the 'Hogs in order in the ninth for his team-leading 10th save. 

The Blue Rocks and Warthogs play the third game of their four-game set on Saturday at 6:05 p.m.  All-Star southpaw Everett Teaford (4-1, 2.73) will face Winston-Salem righty Matt Zaleski (3-2, 3.75).

GAME NOTES

It hasn't taken Mario Santiago long to warm up to pitcher-friendly Frawley Stadium.  The 23-year-old righty is now 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA in five starts on the Riverfront this season.  In contrast, Santiago is just 1-3 with a 6.35 ERA in eight road outings. 

The Rocks added an insurance tally in the eighth when David Wood lifted a one-out sac fly to center field with the bases loaded.  Wood had struck out in each of his previous three at-bats and is just 3-for-27 with 11 strikeouts in eight games since coming off the disabled list. 

The error by Chris McConnell was his team-leading 14th of the season. 

Jarrod Dyson was 1-for-2 on stolen base attempts in the ballgame.  The speedster from McComb, MS swiped second base in the second inning for his 21st steal, but was gunned down at second by catcher Billy Killian in the seventh.  Dyson is third in the league in steals, trailing only teammates Derrick Robinson (30) and Joe Dickerson (23). 

Friday's game was played in front of 7,368 patrons.  It is the fifth largest Blue Rocks crowd in Frawley Stadium history.

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