Carolina Mudcats’ Withrow, Phillips combine on 3-0 shutout of Wilmington
Matt Withrow struck out eight over 6 1/3 scoreless, Evan Phillips earned his eighth save and Keith Curcio hit a two-run home run as the Carolina Mudcats shutout the Wilmington Blue Rocks 3-0 in front of a crowd of 4,966 at Five County Stadium on Friday night.
The Mudcats (28-39) led first in the game after Curcio doubled and scored in the second for a 1-0 lead. Curcio then added two insurance runs with a two-run home run off reliever Brennan Henry in the eighth while stretching the lead to 3-0. Curcio was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. The win snapped a five-game losing streak.
Withrow (5-4, 3.45) matched a career-high with eight strikeouts. Matt Tenuta (3-5, 5.43) took the loss for the Blue Rocks (25-41) despite allowing just one run over seven innings. He also walked two, struck out six and gave up six hits. He retired the first nine he faced in consecutive order before allowing a leadoff single to center in the fourth to Cody Jones. He finished the start with only three hits allowed and walked only one while throwing a season high 101 pitches.
Phillips took over in place of Withrow in the seventh and finished the frame before staying in for a scoreless eighth and ninth. He pitched through a total of 2 2/3 innings and scattered three hits while earning his eighth save of the season.
The victory snapped Carolina’s five game losing streak and brought them within one game of evening up the six game series versus the Blue Rocks. The Mudcats trail in the series two games to one with games four and five of the six game set scheduled for Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. Carolina League All-Star Max Povse (4-4, 3.82) will start for the Mudcats in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader.
The Mudcats will handout souvenir travel mugs on Saturday to the first 1,200 fans ages 15 and older. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. with the gates opening at 3:30 p.m.
Friday’s box score
Wilmington Blue Rocks | ab | r | h | bi |
Jones, CF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Arteaga, SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Franco, 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Downes, LF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Hernandez, RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Johnson, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bailey, DH | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Pehl, 1B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bien, 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 31 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Carolina Mudcats | ab | r | h | bi |
Gaylor, CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Obregon, SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Odom, DH | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Daris. PR-DH | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Meneses, 1B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Curcio, LF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Edgerton, 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Davidson, RF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Murphy, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Harper, 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 31 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
Wilmington | 000 | 000 | 000 | — | 0 | 6 | 4 |
Carolina | 010 | 000 | 02X | — | 3 | 7 | 0 |
E — Pehl, Franco, Johnson, Henry. DP–Wilmington 1, Carolina 1. LOB–Wilmington 7, Carolina 7. 2B–Obregon, Curcio, Meneses, Davidson. 3B–xx. HR—Curcio (2). SB–Jones (7), Davidson (3).
Wilmington Blue Rocks IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |
Tenuta (L, 3-1) | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
Henry | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Carolina Mudcats IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |
Withrow (W, 5-4) | 6 1/3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
Phillips (S, 8) | 2 2/3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
This story was originally published June 17, 2016 at 11:30 PM with the headline "Carolina Mudcats’ Withrow, Phillips combine on 3-0 shutout of Wilmington."