The Wilmington Blue Rocks ended their six-game set against the Greenville Drive on the right foot with a 5-4 win on Sunday, April 21. The win marked the team’s fifth of the series and 11th of the year, which is the most in the South Atlantic League so far. 

“We’re playing good baseball,” manager Mario Lisson said. “We’re fabricating runs and that’s what we want to do. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing, no matter who we’re facing.”

Just like they did to open the game on Friday, the Blue Rocks cracked the scoreboard in the first. Viandel Pena opened the game with a double and scored two batters later after Kevin Made grounded into a fielder’s choice. Pena’s leadoff double would be the last hit they mustered until the fifth inning, however, as Drive starter Dalton Rogers settled in and retired nine of the Rocks’ next 10 batters.

“I don’t really believe we were getting beat today, maybe more of just beating ourselves,” John McHenry said. “He has a pretty decent fastball, we had trouble catching up to that a couple times today.”

The Blue Rocks were finally able to break through in the fifth, sending seven guys to the plate and scoring three runs. 

“We were just chipping away,” McHenry said. “I think that’s kind of like our identity here. We’re just going to fight, scratch, and claw and the next thing you know it’s 4-0.”

While the bats were cold throughout his time on the bump, starting pitcher Rodney Theophile was anything but, as the 24-year-old right-hander threw five scoreless innings for the Blue Rocks. He allowed just three hits and walked three while striking out five.

“He did a nice job, man,” Lisson said. “He mixed it very well, attacking hitters, and used all of his pitches. That’s what we want, that they stay in the zone attacking hitters and trusting their stuff.”

Unfortunately for Wilmington, the relievers that followed suit did not stay in the zone. Evan Lee was the first one out of the bullpen to try and shut down the Drive’s offense following the Rocks’ big inning. 

He did anything but that. 

Lee left the game without recording an out, walking all three guys that he faced. Lisson then turned to Marlon Perez to get out of the bases-loaded jam. Perez, however, couldn’t find the zone either, walking three of the four batters that had faced, with the only out coming from a strikeout. 

“It’s important to stay focused and keep grinding on defense because, you never know, the next pitch could be a ball in play,” McHenry said. “If you’re not focused, then you’re going to make an error, but the same way that they had walks like that, we’re going to have days we’re not offensively clicking either. It’s a part of baseball, it’s going to happen.”

Brendan Collins came in next and finally got the Blue Rocks out of the jam, but the damage was done, and suddenly, the game was tied. 

“Today we did give them those four runs,” Lisson said. “It’s something that we’re going to talk about, little hiccup today. For the most part, they’ve been pretty good at that [limiting walks], so we’re just going to watch videos, see if we can make some adjustments and continue to move forward.”

The game didn’t remain tied for long though. In the seventh, the Blue Rocks scored the go-ahead run on a delayed steal. With Pena taking off for second, Drive catcher Enderso Lira threw down to second to try and throw him out, allowing Johnathon Thomas to steal home.

After the sixth, the bullpen trio of Collins, Chance Huff, and Todd Peterson shut the door on a potential Drive come-from-behind win, allowing just three base runners over 3.2 innings of work. Peterson picked up his MiLB-leading fifth save of the season after a scoreless ninth inning.

“He’s been pretty good, he’s doing what he’s supposed to do,” Lisson said. “He has experience with his stuff right now so he’s kind of putting it together, so we’re very happy to see him do well.”

The bullpen and the rest of the Blue Rocks will have a day to recover before heading to Brooklyn for the first of a six-game series on Tuesday, April 23. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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