Wright on the Wrong End as Keys Fall 7-4

The Keys were defeated for the fifth consecutive game Saturday night 7-4 against the Wilmington Blue Rocks.

The Blue Rocks scored five runs and recorded eight hits in six innings against Frederick pitcher Mike Wright. The third round selection in 2011 struggled to locate his fastball and left it up in the zone to the majority of the hitters.  Wright said despite his outing he felt good.

“I was getting hurt up in the zone a lot,” he said. “All my pitches felt really good.  This is the best I have felt all year. It was really just about location today.”

Wright has pitched well in his first full season as a professional.  Including the Saturday start, the North Carolina native is 4-2 with a 3.35 ERA. He has been one of the most effective pitchers for the Keys in a year that has not gone well for Frederick on the mound.  The Keys own the second highest ERA in the Carolina League (4.45) and the second lowest strikeout total in the league (216).

“It’s just baseball,” Wright said. “When you feel good you do bad and when you feel bad you do good. If I feel this good every day then I will still have a good career.”

The loss drops the Keys to 10-21 on the season; the worst record in the Carolina League and by percentage points the second-worst record in all of Class A (Rome Braves are 6-27). The horrible start doesn’t signal a potential lost season for the defending Carolina League champions; however, a chance at the first half crown is dwindling each game. The first half ends June 17.

Outfielders Jeremy Nowak (concussion) and Trent Mummey (hamstring) will each be returning to the lineup within the next few days from the disabled list.

“We have to make the right adjustments in each facet of the game,”  Manager Orlando Gomez said. “”We are going to get better.”

Additional Notes

• Outfielder Xavier Avery has been called to the big leagues with 3B Mark Reynolds going to the DL.
• The Orioles have promoted Bobby Stevens to Double-A Bowie.  Stevens is hit .253 with four homers and 10 RBI in 21 games with high-A Frederick.
• Catcher Adam Davis has been promoted to Frederick from Delmarva.  Davis will make his Carolina League debut for the Keys Sunday.