WILMINGTON, DE (8/18/26) — The Wilmington Blue Rocks fell to the Frederick Keys, 4-1, Tuesday night at Frawley Stadium, but remain within striking distance of a playoff spot with three weeks left in the regular season.
Wilmington dropped to 56-57 overall and 25-23 in the second half. The Blue Rocks remain two games behind the final playoff spot in the South Atlantic League North Division with 18 games remaining. Frederick improved to 70-40 overall and 29-17 in the second half.
The Keys took the lead in the third inning when RJ Austin grounded out to score Edwin Amparo.
Frederick added three more runs in the fifth. Enddy Azocar delivered a two-run single before Ethan Anderson doubled to bring Azocar home, giving the Keys a 4-0 lead.
Manager Ted Tom elected to use a bullpen game, with Austin Amaral opening the game and tossing two scoreless innings. Mikey Tepper followed with four innings, allowing four runs on three hits while striking out two. Chance Huff, Euri Montero and Jacob Roberts each followed with a scoreless inning.
Despite allowing four runs, Wilmington's pitching staff limited Frederick to seven hits and kept the Keys off the scoreboard over the final four innings.
“Montero did a really good job,” Tom said. “I also think that we made some really nice plays on defense. [Jorgelys] Mota is doing a really good job in center field. [Ronny] Cruz and [Feliz], nice plays. So, we want to kind of continue like the defense.”
The Blue Rocks finally got on the board in the seventh inning when Jacob Walsh crushed a solo home run to right field. The blast traveled a Statcast-estimated 452 feet and left Walsh's bat at 112 mph.
The home run was Walsh's 15th of the season and his 14th since the beginning of July, continuing an impressive turnaround after a difficult start to his season.
“It's really fun to watch,” Tom said of Walsh's recent stretch. “You see the fruits of their labor. ... He's on some kind of tear.”
Walsh finished 2-for-4 with the home run and drove in Wilmington's lone run. The Blue Rocks collected just four hits and went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position.
Walsh said his recent success has come from sticking with the process and applying the advice he's received from Wilmington's coaching staff.
“Just taking the process and taking all the advice our staff is giving me,” Walsh said. “Just going out and doing what I can.”
Walsh's approach has also included preparation away from the field.
“Our cage work early and making sure everything on the field is focused,” Walsh said.
The Blue Rocks now enter the final stretch of the season with a postseason opportunity still in front of them. Wilmington is two games out of the final playoff spot, giving the team 18 games to close the gap and potentially make its first postseason appearance in eight seasons.
Tom said the playoff picture is something the clubhouse is aware of, but he does not want the team to become consumed by the standings.
“I think it's something you guys realize, right?” Tom said. “The kicker is, it's three weeks of baseball remaining, 16 games. There's a lot of baseball left. So if we get caught up in the night and day-to-day of what we have to do, what's Frederick got to do, what's Greensboro got to do, that's not going to work.”
Instead, Tom said the focus has to remain on playing the team's best baseball down the stretch.
“We need to go and play baseball,” Tom said. “We're going to make a run right now. We're going to play our best, pull down the stretch.”
Walsh echoed that approach as Wilmington continues its pursuit of the postseason.
“The only way we're going to be able to do that is by taking care of today, where we are right now,” Walsh said. “Just come in, pick our plan and keep playing baseball.”
Wilmington plays again tomorrow in a doubleheader against Frederick. Game one is scheduled for 5 p.m. and Tucker Biven is the probable starter.