Wilmington Falls 3-9 to BlueClaws and Cyclones in Back-to-Back Home Series

Now back on the road, the Wilmington Blue Rocks just completed their back-to-back home series. In the 12 total games against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws and Brooklyn Cyclones, Wilmington fell 3-9 and holds the bottom spot in the South Atlantic League North heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

Series 1 vs Jersey Shore BlueClaws

Like many other homestands this season, the first half of this back-to-back was riddled with weather disruptions. The remnants of Hurricane Debby made their way up the east coast and forced one game to end early and another to be postponed completely.

Going into the matchup, the Blue Rocks and BlueClaws were neck-and-neck in their hopes of earning a postseason stretch. Jersey Shore took the series 4-2, improving the team’s chances at a playoff run and pushing Wilmington to the lower half of the SAL North standings.

Key Factors

• Marc Davis made his first appearance in Wilmington as the starter for Game 1. The right-hander went just 2.1 innings in the loss and was placed on the 7-day injured list shortly after. Game 1 was marked as an official game after the seventh inning due to torrential downpours in the area.
• The rain stuck around for Game 2 but the teams managed to play all nine innings. Wilmington fell 5-4 in the Wednesday matinee behind starter Jose Atencio.
• Thursday night’s game was postponed due to inclement weather.
• With the threat of wind and rain, the Blue Rocks managed to pick up a win Friday night and cap the night off with fireworks. Jarlin Susana recorded nine strikeouts in his third win with the Blue Rocks, and Jared McKenzie and TJ White hit back-to-back home runs to seal the 4-3 win.
• Wilmington and Jersey Shore split the doubleheader Saturday evening. The BlueClaws took the first one with a 5-2 final score and the Blue Rocks won the later game 3-2. Murphy Stehly, Jared McKenzie, Robert Hassell III, and Marcus Brown were the team’s top offensive contributors, and Seth Shuman earned his first win with Wilmington since joining from Fredericksburg in late June.
• The Blue Rocks lost Game 6 on Sunday largely due to fielding errors that allowed the BlueClaws to score five runs early. Despite valiant efforts from the offense, including a two-run RBI triple from Jared McKenzie, Wilmington lost the final game of the series 9-4.

Series 2 vs Brooklyn Cyclones

After falling 2-4 against the BlueClaws, the Blue Rocks had an opportunity to pick themselves up with some wins at home in their series against the Brooklyn Cyclones. Unfortunately, the Blue Rocks, riddled with obstacles like player promotions and more inclement weather, fell 1-5 in the six-game homestand.

Hours before Game 1, Richard Guasch and Phillip Glasser were promoted to the Washington Nationals Double-A affiliate Harrisburg Senators. Guasch, a right-handed reliever, recorded a 2.76 ERA during his time in Wilmington. Glasser led the team in nearly every batting statistic after the Blue Rocks from Low-A in late April.

Key Factors

• Jose Atencio had one of his best outings of the season in the series opener Tuesday night, but a mixture of fielding errors and a lack of offense resulted in the 2-0 loss.
• The home team redeemed itself in Game 2 in an offensive showcase, where they recorded nine hits and six runs. Jarlin Susana and the bullpen held the Cyclones to four runs, and the starter struck out seven batters in 4.2 innings.
• In Thursday night’s matchup, TJ White hit the first home run of the series and his 11th of the season. Despite the solo home run, nine total hits and five runs from the Blue Rocks, the Cyclones took Game 3 with a final score of 8-5.
• The BlueClaws recorded three runs early in Game 4, and that was all the team needed to secure its third win of the series. Despite a valiant effort to come back, including a solo home run from Armando Cruz and four shutout innings from Tyler Schoff (one inning) and Wander Arias (three innings), the Blue Rocks lost their first Friday night home game of the season 3-2.
• The Blue Rocks suffered a heartbreaking loss in Game 5. Bryan Caceres had a career-defining performance with six strikeouts and zero runs through six innings. After four runs, including 2-RBIs from Robert Hassell III, the Rocks held a 4-0 lead heading into the ninth inning. Brooklyn recorded five runs against the bullpen, solidifying the Game 5 win and series win.
• The final game of the double homestand was capped off with even more rain Sunday afternoon. Despite a solid outing from starter Jose Atencio, the Blue Rocks were unable to hold on to their one-run lead and fell 2-1 after an official six-inning game.

The Blue Rocks now take on the Hudson Valley Renegades on the road before hosting their final homestand of the 2024 season against the Aberdeen IronBirds.