Blue Rocks roll to first Mills Cup since '99
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- Tad Ratliff would like to make this a habit.The right-handed Kansas City prospect was on the mound for the final pitch of the Carolina League season, completing another pitching masterpiece for the Class A Advanced Blue Rocks."It's just so cool to throw the last pitch of
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- Tad Ratliff would like to make this a habit.
The right-handed Kansas City prospect was on the mound for the final pitch of the Carolina League season, completing another pitching masterpiece for the Class A Advanced Blue Rocks.
"It's just so cool to throw the last pitch of a season," said Ratliff, who did the same during Class A Lexington's 2018 title run. "To do it again, it's just awesome."
Wilmington shut down Fayetteville, 2-0, in the deciding game of the best-of-5 Mills Cup Finals on Saturday at Segra Stadium. Rito Lugo (1-0) scattered six hits and punched out six without issuing a walk over six innings.
Blue Rocks pitchers didn't allow a run across the final 20 frames of the series.
Gameday box score
"We were used to tight ballgames," first-year Wilmington manager Scott Thorman said. "We didn't score a lot of runs this summer. We got enough hits and made all the plays we had to."
That was the case again in the winner-take-all matchup.
"Every game we go into, we know we just want to give our hitters a chance," reliever Josh Dye said.
The Blue Rocks claimed their first Carolina League championship in 20 years.
"Our pitching has been incredible all year. We knew what we were going to get from them," Thorman said. "We've had the flair for the big hit. … This series was what it should be, right to the wire. That's a good-hitting team over there."
In the finale, Collin Snider took over for Lugo in the seventh and went 1 2/3 frames, permitting a hit and fanning three. Dye hit a batter and surrendered a single with two outs in the eighth, but ended the frame with a strikeout.
Just like last year when Thorman directed the Legends to the South Atlantic League championship, Ratliff was tasked with the ninth.
The Woodpeckers had a leadoff batter on base for the first time when Marty Costes singled to open the frame. A double-play grounder ended it.
"When it comes to crunch time, we try to throw quality pitches," said Ratliff, who earned his third save of the series. "I know Fayetteville is a hitters' park. I was not expecting a 2-0 game."
Complete playoff coverage
Ninth-ranked Royals prospect MJ Melendez, who homered in Game 4 and was behind the plate for Wilmington's dominant pitchers, was named the Most Valuable Player of the postseason.
"It's a testament to our pitching," Melendez said. "Some of them were on short rest and they lock it in and still come with their best."
Thorman said Melendez's leadership was invaluable and his handling of the pitching staff spot-on.
"He really changes the game back there," he said.
Right-handed hitter Dennicher Carrasco gave the Blue Rocks the lead with an opposite-field home run in the fourth inning against Fayetteville starter Luis Garcia.
That was the only run Houston's No. 29 prospect allowed as he gave up three hits and struck out 11 in 6 1/3 innings before departing to a huge ovation.
Wilmington nearly extended its lead with two outs in the eighth, when Kyle Isbel lined a shot off the fence down the right-field line. But the Blue Rocks left the bases loaded when Humberto Castellanos was summoned from the bullpen and induced a flyout from Tyler Hill.
But Wilmington added a run in the ninth, when Melendez drew a two-out walk and scored on a double by No. 10 Kansas City prospect Nick Pratto.
Wilmington won the series despite scoring a total of 11 runs across the five games.
Thorman and Ratliff are among the Blue Rocks heading to the Arizona Fall League, so they'll have a break of just a few days before the start of that action. Thorman plans to drive his truck home to Canada before heading to Arizona.
"It's worth it now," he said.
Wilmington won its fifth title overall, with the other four coming in a six-year span in the 1990s.
It marked the end of the first season in Fayetteville for the Astros affiliate. The franchise won the title last year when it played in nearby Buies Creek while its stadium was under construction.
Bob Sutton is a contributor to MiLB.com.
Eco-friendly turf gem of FredNats stadium
When you install a turf system in a brand new stadium, questions of whether or not the players will end up liking it has to be near the top of concerns for the team’s front office staff. Luckily for the Class A Advanced Fredericksburg Nationals, who played host to the
Toolshed: Recent noteworthy Carolina seasons
This space started honoring the short-season leagues after their respective campaigns were delayed in June. Now following the cancellation of all Minor League Baseball in 2020, we're turning it into an appreciation of the full-season circuits as well. So Toolshed is revisiting the 10 most notable individual seasons put together
The Road to The Show: Keys lefty Hall
Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken to reach the brink of realizing his Major League dream. Here's a look at Baltimore Orioles left-hander DL Hall. For more player journeys on The Road to The Show, click here. One of the most direct ways
2020 Minor League Baseball season shelved
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Major League Baseball™ (MLB™) has informed Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) that it will not be providing its affiliated Minor League teams with players for the 2020 season. As a result, there will not be a Minor League Baseball season in 2020. "These are unprecedented times for
MiLB teams celebrate 2020 invincibility
At 5 p.m. on June 30, the news that many had feared finally became official: there would be no 2020 Minor League Baseball season. Amid the immediate and inevitable outpouring of sadness for the present and anxiety for the future, the Bowie Baysox found a silver lining. The Baysox, the
Did you know? Carolina League edition
When it comes to size, scope and longevity, few, if any, sporting bodies can rival Minor League Baseball. With 160 teams in nearly as many markets, there are innumerable nooks and crannies to explore. This marks the seventh installment in a series dedicated to such explorations, providing one unique, weird,
Bus driver Timmons made Pelicans go
Myrtle Beach Pelicans manager Steve Lerud always sits in the same seat on the team bus. First row, right of the aisle, kitty-corner from the driver. On most road trips last year, Lerud’s first on the job, his spot gave him a direct line to driver Terrance Timmons. Sometimes they’d
Namesake toasts Woodpeckers on 'Beer Day'
April 7 may not be a traditional holiday on a calendar, but it's still celebrated by many.That's because the date marks National Beer Day, a day enjoyed by many baseball fans ... for obvious reasons.
Purple pros: Dash introduce classic look
New decade, new logo. The Winston-Salem Dash, Class A Advanced affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, unveiled their new primary logo on Wednesday afternoon. The longtime Carolina League franchise has adopted a simpler, cleaner look, featuring an interlocking "WS." This mark offers simultaneous nods to both "Winston-Salem" and "White Sox."
Carolina League announces 2019 off-the-field awards
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Oct. 14, 2019) - Following another incredibly successful season on and off the field, the Carolina League has announced its honorees for several off-the-field awards:Calvin Falwell Executive of the Year: Myrtle Beach's Ryan MooreFemale Executive of the Year: Myrtle Beach's Kristin CallJohn H. Johnson President's Award Nominee: Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem's Weil named Broadcaster of the Year
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Oct. 8, 2019) - Joe Weil, the play-by-play broadcaster for the Winston-Salem Dash, has earned the Carolina League's eighth-annual Broadcaster of the Year award. Weil received the most votes among the league's lead broadcasters and broadcast assistants.Weil, 26, has been a member of the Dash's broadcast team since
Cox hurls gem, keeps Blue Rocks alive
Wilmington had its back against the wall in the Mills Cup Finals, but pitching coach Steve Luebber had no doubt that Austin Cox would come through. Sure enough, the left-hander kept his team alive.The Royals' No. 21 prospect took a no-hitter into his final frame, allowing one knock over six innings,
Toolshed: Hicklen more than raw talent
Brewer Hicklen couldn't help but laugh a little. Yes, he knew it would be Saturday in two days. Yes, that meant everyone's attention would be on college football. Yes, he knows he's 23 years old. But..."I still think about it, I'll be honest with you, even at this age," he
Rodriguez gets Woodpeckers closer to title
Nivaldo Rodriguez had already been a boon to the Fayetteville pitching staff down the stretch. On Thursday, he put the Woodpeckers a win away from the Carolina League title. The Astros' No. 26 prospect struck out seven and allowed a run on three hits over six innings as Fayetteville edged Wilmington, 2-1,
Melendez delivers in clutch for Blue Rocks
With Class A Advanced Wilmington staring at a 2-0 deficit in its best-of-5 Mills Cup Finals, MJ Melendez kicked in the door left ajar by Fayetteville.Kansas City's No. 9 prospect delivered a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning as the Blue Rocks rallied past the Woodpeckers, 5-4, to even the
Hensley lofts Fayetteville to early lead
Since his promotion to the Carolina League on Aug. 1, David Hensley has been stringing hits together. On Tuesday, he helped Fayetteville jump out to an early lead in the Mills Cup Finals.The Astros infield prospect went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer as the Woodpeckers edged Wilmington, 2-1, at Frawley
Blue Rocks cap comeback, advance
If the Carolina League semifinals proved anything, it was that home-field advantage was paramount. After losing the first two games in Salem, Class A Advanced Wilmington completed a comeback for the ages.Royals left-hander Rito Lugo struck out 10 over six innings as the Blue Rocks defeated Salem, 6-3, on Sunday
Hill's walk-off hit buoys Blue Rocks
The Carolina League will feature two winner-take-all games to determine the Mills Cup Finals matchup.In its second straight walk-off win, Wilmington got an RBI single in the 10th inning from Tyler Hill and edged Salem, 5-4, in Game 4 of the best-of-5 semifinal series on Saturday at Frawley Stadium.
Hicklen delivers Blue Rocks from brink
It was a wild night at Frawley Stadium.Wild pitches in the eighth and ninth innings ramped up the excitement before Royals No. 15 prospectBrewer Hicklen delivered a walk-off bunt as Wilmington nipped Salem, 3-2, in Game 3 to stave off elimination in the Mills Cup semifinals.
Esplin's power backs Ward's gem for Salem
Tyler Esplin had only a small cup of coffee with Class A Advanced Salem during the regular season, but he came through in a big way in the playoffs on Thursday. The Red Sox outfielder homered twice and drove in three runs to back eighth-rankedThad Ward's six-inning outing as Salem rolled to
Potomac's Teel earns CL Player of the Month award
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Sept. 5, 2019) - For the first time since August of 2017, the Uncle Ray's Carolina League Player of the Month is a pitcher. Potomac's Carson Teel paced all CL hurlers with a 0.87 earned run average en route to his first professional monthly award, Minor League Baseball
On the Road: A fond farewell to the Pfitz
It's Aug. 28, the penultimate day of the Potomac Nationals' home season. General manager Bryan Holland is sitting at his desk within an office cluttered with the detritus of another long Minor League season. But this year the team commonly referred to as the P-Nats isn't just wrapping up another
Granberg leads Salem in Mills Cup opener
Devlin Granberg saved his best game in the Carolina League for the most important time of the year. The Red Sox prospect collected three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs to lead Class A Advanced Salem to an 8-3 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-5 Carolina League semifinals.
SDCS foes claim league's final weekly awards
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Sept. 3, 2019) - With Down East and Fayetteville preparing for their Southern Division Championship Series matchup, the Carolina League has honored Wood Ducks outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez as the Player of the Week and Woodpeckers right-hander Shawn Dubin as the Pitcher of the Week for the final