Salem, VA – With their bullpen depleted from the previous night’s 14-inning marathon, the Wilmington Blue Rocks had little choice in putting position player Wilver Perez on the hill for the first time in his career on Wednesday night. He entered up three runs in the ninth inning, but allowed four hits as the Salem Avalanche plated four runs in the inning for an 8-7 walk-off defeat of the Blue Rocks. Prospect center fielder Jordan Parraz dealt the death blow, an RBI double to deep center field. The Rocks dropped to 1-5 on the season, including an 0-4 record in one-run games. Wilmington right fielder Joe Dickerson went 3-for-4 on the night, including the first home run by a Rock this season.

Henry Barrera was on the hill as the ninth inning started with 3.1 innings under his belt. After the right-hander allowed a single to Justin Tellam, manager Darryl Kennedy called for a new pitcher. With tighter innings restrictions early in the season, and nine extra innings of work on the staff between two extra-inning games, no other reliever was available. Perez, a utility man in the more conventional sense, entered the game as the hurler, and took the term to a new level.

The 24-year-old right-hander allowed a single to Jhon Florentino that pushed pinch-runner Wladimir Sutil up to second base, and followed with a wild pitch to send both runners into scoring position. Greg Buchanan grounded out to first base, but knocked home Sutil and sent Florentino to third base in the process. Three of the next four hitters doubled to put the Rocks away, with the two-out blow from Parraz scoring Orlando Rosales to clinch it. Perez (0-1) was charged with three runs on four hits for the loss, recording just two outs.

Salem’s ninth-inning heroics spoiled Wilmington’s rally from two runs down in the middle of the contest. Trailing 2-0 entering the fourth inning, leadoff hitter Derrick Robinson kicked off the frame with a first-pitch swinging single to right. Two batters later, Dickerson pulled a two-run homer over the 20-foot wall in right field for Wilmington’s first home run of the season and a 2-2 deadlock.

The Blue Rocks would plate a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth innings against the starter David Qualben, and a single run on reliever Chris Salamida (1-0) in the eighth to provide some insurance, but those scores would not be enough come the ninth.

Early-season pitch count restrictions also forced starter Blake Wood out early. The No. 4 overall prospect for the Royals according to Baseball America allowed three runs on five hits over 4.2 innings, striking out seven and walking one.

Wilmington looks to salvage a win in the finale of the three-game series on Thursday night. Right-hander Matt Kniginyzky (0-1, 4.50) opposes Salem southpaw Polin Trinidad (1-0, 3.00) at 7:07 p.m.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:
Wilmington pitchers combined to strike out 12 men on the night. It marks the fourth time in six games the staff has notched double-digit K’s.

For the first time this season, the Blue Rocks did not steal a single base.

The Rocks left just one man on base all game, Derrick Robinson, who was left stranded at first base in the fifth inning.

Part of the reason for that – Salem starter David Qualben picked off a pair of Blue Rocks in the early innings. Anthony Seratelli was picked off 1-3-6-1 in the second inning, and Jeff Howell suffered a 1-3 fate in the third.

Five different Blue Rocks knocked in at least one run.

Joe Dickerson has hit safely in five consecutive games. Dickerson paces the team in hits (9-for-24), extra-base hits (5) and RBIs (5).

The Blue Rocks have held leads in four of their five losses this season.