It's a good bet that Wilmington pitcher Matt Kniginyzky, scrolling down the Salem Avalanche lineup Monday afternoon, didn't feel a shiver down his spine when his eyes met the name of catcher Justin Tellam.

Tellam was hitting just .133 coming into Monday's game, playing in just 13 games as backup to the Houston Astros' conversion project Koby Clemens.

But Tellam isn't toothless. With one out and runners at second and third in the bottom of the sixth inning, he belted a double to left field to bring the Avalanche back from a 3-2 deficit for a 4-3 Carolina League win over the Blue Rocks at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium.

As catchers are wont to do, Tellam heaved credit for the win upon the shoulders of the pitching staff, or at least the bullpen. Reliever Chad Wagler pitched 3 ¹₃ innings and Bryan Hallberg earned his first save with one inning. Neither gave up a run.

But the Avalanche (21-27) has been struggling. It needed more than good relief pitching.

"Some days we get good pitching and we can't hit, some days we hit and we don't get pitching," Tellam said. "Today we got both. Wagler came in and threw strikes and got a chance to win."

And Tellam's double got them a lead for Wagler and Hallberg to hang onto.

"That was a big hit by Tellam," Avalanche manager Jim Pankovits said. "It's the toughest thing in baseball, I think, to play on a part-time basis and swing the bat. A lot of guys can play part time and play defense. But not too many can swing the bat."

At times Monday, it seemed that throwing a strike was another candidate for the hardest thing in baseball. It was a point of emphasis in Salem's preseries pitchers' meeting, what with the best base-stealing team in the Carolina League coming to town. The Blue Rocks, with their .240 team batting average, aren't that good at getting on base themselves. And, it's not a good idea to help them by putting them on base via walks and other ways.

But Salem starter Douglas Arguello walked five batters and hit another in 4 ²₃ innings.

"He's got to find a way to be a lot more effective and keep us in games, or he's going to start losing opportunities," Pankovits said. "It's a bad tempo he sets."

Arguello also gave up six hits, but still managed to allow just one run and the Avalanche was down only one run when he left the game in Chad Wagler's hands with two outs and two runners aboard in the fifth inning.

Wagler got Jeff Howell to fly out and retired 10 of the 11 batters he faced. He gave up one hit -- a bunt single.

With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Jimmy Van Ostrand singled and went to third base when Clemens doubled to left.

Kniginyzky, who had been the recipient of a couple of mound visits earlier in the game, was left to his own devices in the sixth. His 1-2 pitch to Tellam was over the plate enough for Tellam to drive it into left and allow Van Ostrand and Clemens to sprint home.

That was enough for Salem. Because once the Avalanche had the lead, this time it didn't let it get way.

"Right after we scored two runs in the sixth, [Wagler] got them 1-2-3 in the next inning," Tellam said. "Our bullpen did it for us."

How the runs scored

Wilmington third: Dyson walked. Dyson went to third on a throwing error by Arguello on a failed pick-off attempt. Robinson reached on an infield single. McConnell grounded into a double play, Dyson scored. Blue Rocks 1, Avalanche 0.

Salem third: Mena walked. Sweet singled, Mena to second. Buchanan sacrifice bunted, Mena to third, Sweet to second. Parraz grounded out, Mena scored, Sweet to third. Torres doubled, Sweet scored, Torres thrown out at third. Avalanche 2, Blue Rocks 1.

Wilmington fourth: Johnson singled. Howell doubled, scored. Avalanche 2, Blue Rocks 2.

Wilmington fifth: One out. Mertins walked. Dickerson singled, Mertins to second. Mertins stole third, Dickerson stole second. Seratelli flied out, Mertins scored. Blue Rocks 3, Avalanche 2.

Salem sixth: One out. Van Ostrand singled. Clemens doubled, Van Ostrand to third. Tellam doubled, Van Ostrand scored, Clemens scored. Avalanche 4, Blue Rocks 3.

WILMINGTON SALEM

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Robinson, D cf 5 0 2 0 Parraz rf 3 0 0 1

McConnell ss 5 0 0 0 Torres ss 4 0 1 1

Mertins 2b 3 1 1 0 Ori 1b 4 0 1 0

Dickerson rf 2 0 1 0 Quintero pr-lf 0 0 0 0

Seratelli 1b 3 0 0 1 Van Ostrand lf-1b 4 1 1 0

Johnson, J 3b 3 1 1 0 Clemens dh 3 1 1 0

Howell c 3 0 1 1 Florentino pr-dh 0 0 0 0

Perez, W dh 4 0 1 0 Tellam c 4 0 1 2

Dyson lf 3 1 0 0 Mena 3b 2 1 0 0

Sweet cf 3 1 2 0

Buchanan 2b 2 0 0 0

Totals 31 3 7 2 Totals 29 4 7 4

Wilmington 001 110 000 -- 3

Salem 002 002 00x -- 4

E--Mena (3), Arguello (1). DP -- Salem 2. LOB -- Wilmington 8, Salem 6. 2B-- Howell (9), Torres (15), Clemens (13), Tellam (4). 3B--Mertins (4). SB -- Dickerson (22), Mertins (10), Buchanan (5). CS -- McConnell (8).

IP H R ER BB SO

Wilmington

Kniginyzky L, 1-5 6 6 4 4 3 2

Nicoll 1 0 0 0 0 2

Chambliss 1 1 0 0 0 0

Salem

Arguello 4 2-3 6 3 3 5 1

Wagler W, 2-0 3 1-3 1 0 0 0 0

Hallberg S, 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

HBP -- Dickerson (by Arguello). Umpires -- Abbott, home; Dudones, bases.

T -- 2:30. A -- 4,698.