Blue Rocks Struggles Continue Against Grasshoppers

The Wilmington Blue Rocks (36-50) dropped game four of their six game series to the Greensboro Grasshoppers (43-42) 7-2 on Friday night.

After getting himself out of some trouble in the first, Andry Lara found himself in more trouble in the second. After surrendering a leadoff solo home run to Ernny Ordonez, Lara would give up a double to Francisco Acuna.

After getting two quick outs, Lara would be removed from the game due to injury and replaced by southpaw Dannel Diaz, who would get out of the inning without allowing another run.

In the top of the fourth, the Grasshoppers would jump all over Diaz.

After back to back walks, Diaz was able to record two quick outs. With two outs and runners on first and second, Diaz gave up an RBI single to Sammy Siani. Another RBI single would score one more and a first pitch, three-run home run to center field off the bat of Shawn Ross would make it 6-0 Grasshoppers.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Rocks would show patience at the plate. Three straight walks to start the inning from Will Frizzell, Jeremy De La Rosa and Murphy Stehly, would load the bases for Nick Shumpert with nobody out. Shumpert would see one pitch and ground into a double play but Frizzell would score to make it 6-1.

After replacing Israel Pineda behind the plate in the top of the sixth, catcher Caleb Farmer would lead off the bottom of the seventh with a solo homerun to make it 6-2.

The Grasshoppers would add one more in the eighth to make 7-2 but the Rocks would not go down without a fight.

In the eighth, the Rocks loaded the bases with one away but were only able to muster up one run on a sacrifice fly from Farmer to make it 7-3.

Both teams would go down quietly in the ninth to end the game. They will be back in action tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m.