The WGOM

The Connecticut Defenders ended New Britain's championship hopes, defeating the Rock Cats 2-0 in New Britain to win the best-of-five series three games to one.  New Britain got only three hits in the loss.  The Rock Cats used seven pitchers in the game; all but one of them did well, and none of them gave up more than one run.  Connecticut threatened in the first, putting runners on first and second with one out, and again in the third, loading the bases with one out, but did not score until the fourth when they got a single, a wild pitch, and another single to take a 1-0 lead.  New Britain's only threat came in the sixth, when a pair of walks put runners on first and second with one out.  That was the only time the Rock Cats got a runner to second base, and when a walk and two singles put the Defenders up 2-0 after seven, the game was pretty much decided.  Whit Robbins had two of New Britain's three singles.  Michael McCardell was the starter, giving up three hits and three walks, but no runs, in 2.2 innings.  He struck out four.  Spencer Steedley, Kyle Waldrop, Tony Davis, and Spencer Steedley each pitched two-thirds of an inning, with Steedley giving up a run on three hits to take the loss.  Frank Mata pitched 2.2 innings, giving up a run but striking out five.  Alex Burnett pitched a scoreless ninth.

New Britain stayed alive, defeating Connecticut 6-1 in New Britain.  The Rock Cats now trail the best-of-five series two games to one.  Each team put runners on first and second in the first inning but failed to score.  Brian Dinkelman led off the New Britain second with a home run to put the Rock Cats up 1-0.  In the fourth, a single, a ground out, and a double tied the score for the Defenders, but they left the go-ahead run on third base.  In the bottom of the fourth, Wilson Ramos singled and Dinkelman hit his second home run of the game to give New Britain a 3-1 lead.  Connecticut again left a runner on third in the seventh.  In the bottom of the seventh, Dinkelman singled, Alejandro Machado walked, and Whit Robbins hit a three-run homer to put the Rock Cats ahead 6-1.  The Defenders got a two-out threat in the ninth, putting runners on second and third, but a strikeout ended the game.  Dinkelman had three hits, two of them home runs, scored three times, and drove in three runs.  Ramos had two hits, and Robbins drove in three runs.  Ryan Mullins got the win, giving up only one run on four hits in 6.2 innings.  Kyle Waldrop retired the only man he faced, and Alex Burnett pitched the final two innings scorelessly, striking out five.

Game 3 of the Eastern League playoffs was rained out last night. It has been rescheduled for this evening.

New Britain was 72-69, in second place in the EL North, 10.5 games out of first. The top two teams in each division qualify for the playoffs, so the Rock Cats are in the playoffs this year.

Thursday

New Britain's bats fell silent as the Rock Cats lost to the Reading Phillies 3-1 in New Britain.  An error, a single, and a sacrifice fly gave Reading a 1-0 lead in the second inning.  The Phillies scored two more in the fourth on a single, a double, a ground out, and a wild pitch to go ahead 3-0.  The Rock Cats got only two runners as far as second base in the first eight innings, one on a two-out double by Luke Hughes in the first and the other in the sixth when Whit Robbins was hit by a pitch and took second on a balk.  New Britain avoided the shutout in the ninth, getting leadoff walks to Yancarlos Ortiz and Brian Dinkelman and a two-out single by Erik Lis.  That put the tying run on base, but a foul fly out ended the game.  No Rock Cat had more than one hit.  Cole Devries took the loss, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits in 5.2 innings.  He struck out six.  Carlos Gutierrez pitched two shutout innings and Frank Mata pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out two.

Friday

The Rock Cats took a big lead early, but needed a run in the ninth to defeat the Trenton Thunder 8-7 in New Britain.  New Britain jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, getting singles by Brian Dinkelman, Ramon Santana, Luke Hughes, and Wilson Ramos, walks to Juan Portes and Steve Singleton, and a single by Alejandro Machado.  The Rock Cats added two more in the third when Machado reached on an error, Whit Robbins singled, and Yancarlos Ortiz tripled.  In the fourth, singles by Santana, Ramos, and Portes and a sacrifice fly by Singleton took the lead to 7-0.  Trenton scored what seemed like a harmless run in the fifth on a double and a single.  In the seventh, however, Trenton thundered back, opening the inning with walk, two singles, another walk, and a triple, followed by a one-out single, and concluding with a two-out single and an error.  When the smoke had cleared, the Thunder had six runs, and the score was tied.  There was no more scoring until the bottom of the ninth, when Hughes drew a lead-off walk and scored on a Ramos double to win the game.  Ramos had three hits and Dinkelman and Santana each had two.  Deolis Guerra pitched six innings, giving up five runs on six hits.  Kyle Waldrop pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, and Frank Mata pitched a scoreless ninth to get the win.

Saturday

New Britain came from behind to tie, but could not get the rest of the way as the Rock Cats lost to Trenton 4-3 in twelve innings.  It was the Thunder who scored first this day, getting a pair of third-inning runs on a single, an error, and a double.  The lead went to 3-0 in the fifth on an error and two singles.  New Britain got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth on doubles by Whit Robbins and Ramon Santana.  A two-out rally tied the score for the Rock Cats in the eighth:  Brian Dinkelman singled, and back-to-back doubles by Alejandro Machado and Erik Lis scored two runs.  New Britain put runners on first and second with one out in the tenth, and put runners on second and third with one out in the eleventh, but neither rally came to fruition.  In the twelfth, Trenton scored the winning run on a walk, a bunt, an error, and a sacrifice fly.  Robbins was the only Rock Cat with two hits.  Matt Fox pitched 5.2 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on eight hits.  Tony Davis and Carlos Gutierrez each pitched a scoreless inning and Alex Burnett pitched three shutout innings.  Frank Mata took the loss.

Sunday

The Rock Cats overcame an instant 4-0 deficit to defeat Trenton 6-4.  The Thunder thundered out with four runs in the first, and everything happened after two were out:  a double, two walks, another double, another walk, and a single produced the runs.  New Britain came back with one in the bottom of the first on a single by Brian Dinkelman, a ground out, and a double by Erik Lis.  The Rock Cats got within two in the fourth on a home run by Wilson Ramos.  In the sixth, Ramon Santana walked, Lis hit an RBI double, and Whit Robbins came through with a two-run homer to put New Britain in the lead 5-4.  The Rock Cats got an insurance run in the eighth on singles by Juan Portes, Steve Singleton, and Alejandro Machado.  Trenton had only one runner beyond first base after the first inning.  Lis, Ramos, Singleton, and Machado each had two hits.  Michael McCardell got the win, giving up four runs on five hits in six innings.  Kyle Waldrop pitched two shutout innings, and Alex Burnett pitched a scoreless ninth to get the save.

Monday

A three-run fifth boosted the Rock Cats over Trenton 4-1.  The Thunder took the early lead, scoring their only run of the game in the third inning on a home run by Marcos Vechionacci.  New Britain put together a two-out rally in the fourth to tie the game:  Whit Robbins singled, Juan Portes walked, and Steve Singleton hit an RBI single.  In the fifth, Ramon Santana singled, Yancarlos Ortiz reached on an error, and Alejandro Machado hit a three-run homer to give the Rock Cats a 4-1 lead.  Trenton never threatened after that, failing to put any runners past first base.  Singleton was the only New Britain player with two hits.  Ryan Mullins pitched four innings, giving up a run on three hits and striking out four.  Spencer Steedley got the win with two shutout innings of relief.  Tony Davis also pitched two shutout innings, and Frank Mata pitched a scoreless ninth to get the save.

Tuesday

Off Day

Statistical notes:  The Rock Cats were fifth in doubles, second in runs, fourth in triples, and seventh in home runs.  They were ninth in walks and twelfth (last) in stolen bases.  The Rock Cats were fourth in OBP, tied for third in SLG, tied for third in AVG, and fourth in OPS.

Rock Cats pitchers were seventh in ERA, eighth in fewest hits allowed, tied for sixth in fewest home runs allowed, and fourth in fewest walks allowed.  They were fourth in strikeouts and seventh in WHIP.

Brian Dinkelman was second in doubles (38) and tied for fourth in OBP (.383).  Ryan Mullins was tied for third in wins (11), tied for first in starts (27), and tied for fifth in complete games (1).  Cole Devries was tied for first in most losses (14) and tied for fifth in complete games (1).  Matt Fox was fifth in ERA (3.58), tied for fifth in complete games (1), fifth in innings (151), and third in strikeouts (120).  Frank Mata was tied for fourth in games (52) and tied for third in holds (9).  Deolis Guerra was tied for fifth in complete games (1) and tied for second in shutouts (1).  Anthony Slama was first in saves (25) and first in games finished (43).  Rob Delaney was tied for third in holds (9).  Jose Lugo was tied for third in holds (9).

Notes:  Tony Davis was promoted from Elizabethton to New Britain...Spencer Steedley spent a few days on the bereavement list due to the death of his grandmother...Luke Hughes was placed on the temporarily inactive list to prepare for the World Cup...Angel Morales was promoted from Beloit to New Britain...The Rock Cats play the Connecticut Defenders in the first round of the playoffs, which begin Wednesday.  The first round is a best-of-five series.  This is the first time New Britain has been in the playoffs since 2003...The starting rotation for the playoffs will be Deolis Guerra, Matt Fox, Ryan Mullins, and Michael McCardell...New Britain set a new attendance record with 366,682 for the season.

New Britain is 69-67, in second place in the EL North, eleven games behind Connecticut.  The top two teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.  New Britain is two games ahead of third-place Trenton.

Thursday

The Rock Cats got only five hits in losing to the Connecticut Defenders 3-1 in Connecticut.  New Britain scored first, getting singles by Erik Lis and Juan Portes and a ground-rule double by Steve Singleton.  The Defenders tied the score in the fourth on a pair of triples.  In the sixth, a triple and a two-run homer by Eddy Martinez-Esteve put Connecticut in the lead 3-1.  The Rock Cats attempted a two-out rally in the seventh, loading the bases on a single and two walks, but a ground out ended the inning.  New Britain got a leadoff walk in the ninth, but did not advance the runner past first.  No Rock Cat had more than one hit; Singleton's double was the only extra-base hit.  Michael McCardell took the loss, giving up three runs on six hits in 5.1 innings.  Kyle Waldrop pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Friday

Rained out

Saturday

Game 1

New Britain overcame a 5-2 deficit, but still lost to the Trenton Thunder 6-5 in Trenton.  The Rock Cats scored two in the first, getting a single by Brandon Roberts, a walk to Rene Tosoni, and a two-run double by Wilson Ramos.  Trenton thundered back in the third, getting three singles, two hit batsmen, and a bases-clearing double to take a 5-2 lead.  New Britain got a run back in the fifth on a double by Alejandro Machado and a single by Ramos.  The Rock Cats tied it at five in the sixth:  Yancarlos Ortiz walked, Brandon Roberts and Steve Singleton singled to load the bases, and two wild pitches brought in runs.  In the bottom of the seventh, however, a walk and a single put runners on first and third, an intentional walk loaded the bases, and an unintentional walk brought home the winning run for Trenton.  Roberts and Ramos each had two hits.  Cole Devries lasted only 2.2 innings, giving up five runs on five hits.  Frank Mata pitched 2.1 shutout innings and Spencer Steedley pitched a scoreless inning.  Loek Van Mil took the loss.

Game 2

This game was started on Saturday, but was suspended in the fifth inning.  Therefore, the report can be found under Sunday's game 1.

Sunday

Game 1

The Rock Cats got only three hits in losing to the Thunder 2-1.  Trenton got the first run, going ahead 1-0 in the third on a home run by Marcos Vechionacci.  The Thunder went ahead 2-0 in the fourth on a double and a single.  New Britain did not get a runner past first base until the seventh, when Luke Hughes hit a one-out home run to avoid the shutout.   The Rock Cats did get the tying run to first with two out, but that was it.  No New Britain player had more than one hit.  Ryan Mullins took the loss, giving up two runs on five hits in four innings.  Kyle Waldrop pitched two shutout innings of relief.

Game 2

New Britain got back in the win column with a 5-3 victory over Trenton.  The Rock Cats got the lead in the first inning, scoring twice on a walk to Brandon Roberts, a double by Rene Tosoni, a ground out, and a Brian Dinkelman single.  A double and a triple put the Thunder on the board in the fifth, but New Britain came right back in the sixth, as Luke Hughes singled, Erik Lis and Brian Dinkelman walked, and Steve Singleton hit a bases-clearing single-and-error to put the Rock Cats in front 5-1.  In the seventh, Trenton got a single and a two-run homer by Austin Krum with two out, but that was the extent of the rally.  No New Britain player had more than one hit.  Deolis Guerra pitched 4.2 innings, giving up one run on five hits.  Spencer Steedley retired the only man he faced to get the win.

Monday

A two-run eighth gave the Thunder a 4-2 victory over the Rock Cats.  New Britain got on the scoreboard in the third inning when Yancarlos Ortiz singled, took second on a ground out, and scored on a single by Rene Tosoni.  Trenton got a home run by Eduardo Nunez to tie the score in the fourth, and another by Richie Robnett in the fifth to take the lead 2-1.  In the eighth, Tosoni walked and Wilson Ramos and Brian Dinkelman each singled to tie the score, but in the bottom of the eighth, two singles and a triple put the Thunder in the lead to stay.  The Rock Cats went out in order in the ninth.  Ramos had three hits, two of them doubles, and Dinkelman had two hits.  Matt Fox pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits.  Spencer Steedley took the loss.

Tuesday

Michael McCardell struck out eight in seven shutout innings as New Britain blanked the Reading Phillies 2-0 in New Britain.  Reading put runners on base in each of the first five innings, once loading the bases and once getting runners to first and third, but they were denied each time.  In the fourth, Alejandro Machado singled, went to second on a bunt, and scored on a Wilson Ramos single.  The Rock Cats got an insurance run in the eighth when Whit Robbins doubled and scored on an error.  The Phillies out-hit New Britain 7-4, but stranded ten baserunners.  No Rock Cat had more than one hit.  McCardell got the win, giving up only five hits.  Alex Burnett pitched two shutout innings to get a save.

Wednesday

The Rock Cats put up a crooked number in four innings as they defeated Reading 11-6.  New Britain took the lead early, scoring twice in the second on a single by Erik Lis, a double by Wilson Ramos, and two RBI ground outs.  The Rock Cats took a commanding lead in the third when Yancarlos Ortiz and Brian Dinkelman singled, Alejandro Machado was hit by a pitch to load the bases, a wild pitch scored one, and Luke Hughes hit a two-run double to put New Britain ahead 5-0.  The Phillies got back into the game, however, scoring once in the fourth on three singles and three times in the fifth on a single, a double, and a home run by Quintin Berry to cut the lead to 5-4.  The Rock Cats regained control of the game with a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth:  Lis homered, Ramos singled, Steve Singleton walked, Juan Portes doubled, and Whit Robbins hit a two-run single to put New Britain ahead 9-4.  New Britain scored two more in the seventh when Lis doubled, Portes singled, and Robbins doubled.  Reading made the final score look a little better in the eighth, scoring twice on a hit batsman, two singles, an error, and a walk.  Lis and Robbins each had three hits, with Lis scoring three runs and Robbins driving in four.  Dinkelman, Ramos, and Portes each added two hits.  Ryan Mullins got the win, giving up four runs on six hits in 6.2 innings and striking out seven.  Spencer Steedley pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Statistical notes:  The Rock Cats are fourth in the league in runs, second in doubles, fourth in triples, and seventh in home runs.  They are eighth in walks and twelfth (last) in stolen bases.  The Rock Cats are tied for third in OBP, third in SLG, third in AVG, and tied for second in OPS.

Rock Cats pitchers are seventh in ERA, eighth in fewest hits allowed, eighth in fewest home runs allowed, and fourth in fewest walks allowed.  They are fourth in strikeouts and tied for seventh in WHIP.

Brian Dinkelman is second in doubles (37) and third in OPS (.833).  Ryan Mullins is tied for third in wins (11), tied for second in starts (26), tied for fourth in complete games (1), and first in strikeouts (129).  Matt Fox is fourth in ERA (3.59), tied for fourth in complete games (1), and third in strikeouts (113).  Anthony Slama is fourth in games (51), first in saves (25), and first in games finished (43).  Jose Lugo is tied for fifth in games (50) and tied for third in holds (9).  Cole Devries is tied for fourth in complete games (1).  Deolis Guerra is tied for fourth in complete games (1) and tied for second in shutouts (1).  Rob Delaney is tied for third in holds (9).  Frank Mata is tied for third in holds (9).

Notes:  Toby Gardenhire was placed on the disabled list with a broken left wrist...Jeff Christy was promoted from New Britain to Rochester...Yangervis Solarte was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain...Rene Tosoni was placed on the temporarily inactive list to prepare to play for Canada in the World Cup...Luke Hughes and Loek Van Mil will also be leaving soon to play for their country's World Cup teams...Ramon Santana was promoted from Beloit to New Britain...Anthony Slama and Brian Dinkelman were named to the Eastern League's year-end all-star team.  New Britain had not had a representative on the post-season all-star team since 2005, and had not had two players on the team since 2004...Manager Tom Nieto will be joining the Twins after the Rock Cats season is over...New Britain ends the season with a four-game series with Trenton which will probably determine the last playoff spot in the North.

New Britain is 66-63, in second place in the EL North, ten games behind Connecticut.  The top two teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.  New Britain is three games ahead of Trenton for second place.

Tuesday, August 18

Suspended game--completed August 19

Wednesday, August 19

Game 1

A four-run third was enough to lift the Binghamton Mets to a 7-5 victory over the Rock Cats in Binghamton.  A Shawn Bowman home run put the Mets ahead 1-0 in the second inning.  New Britain came back with three in the third:  Whit Robbins doubled, Yancarlos Ortiz and Brandon Roberts singled, and Rene Tosoni tripled to give the Rock Cats a 3-1 lead.  In the bottom of the third, however, two singles, a walk, and a pair of doubles led to four Mets runs and put Binghamton in front 5-3.  Singles to Ortiz and Roberts, a walk to Tosoni, and a sacrifice fly by Brian Dinkelman cut the lead to 5-4 in the fifth.  That was as close as they got, however.  The Mets scored in the sixth on a single, a bunt, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly, and got one more in the eighth on a walk, a bunt, and a single to make the score 7-4.  New Britain opened the ninth with singles by Luke Hughes and Robbins, and when Toby Gardenhire reached on catcher's interference, the bases were loaded with no one out.  Ortiz singled to score Hughes and move the tying run into scoring position with no one out, but a soft liner and two strikeouts ended the game.  Ortiz had three hits and Roberts and Robbins each had two.  Michael McCardell started, but pitched only two innings before the previous day's play was suspended, giving up a run on one hit.  Frank Mata took the loss in relief.  The only one of four relievers to go unscored upon was Spencer Steedley, who pitched two-thirds of an inning.

Game 2

The Rock Cats led all the way in getting a split with Binghamton, winning 6-1.  New Britain scored two in the top of the first:  Brandon Roberts was hit by a pitch, Luke Hughes walked, and Brian Dinkelman hit a two-run double.  Two singles and a ground out produced a run for the Mets in the bottom of the first, cutting the lead to 2-1.  From there, however, it was all Rock Cats.  In the third, Roberts and Rene Tosoni singled and Hughes hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 3-1.  In the fifth, Roberts singled and Tosoni homered to increase the lead to 5-1, and in the sixth, singles by Dinkelman and Whit Robbins and a Yancarlos Ortiz ground out made it 6-1.  Binghamton threatened in the seventh and last inning, starting the inning with two singles and a walk, but a strikeout, a pop up, and a fly out kept the Mets off the scoreboard.  Roberts, Tosoni, and Dinkelman each had two hits.  Ryan Mullins got the win, giving up one run on six hits in six innings.  Alex Burnett pitched a scoreless seventh.

Thursday

Deolis Guerra had another solid outing as New Britain defeated Binghamton 7-2.  The Rock Cats again scored two in the first inning:  Luke Hughes singled, Erik Lis doubled, and Wilson Ramos singled.  There was no more scoring until the fifth, when the Mets tied the game on a double, a single, a passed ball, an error, and a sacrifice fly.  The 2-2 game caused double trouble for Binghamton, however, as following a walk to Wilson Ramos, Brian Dinkelman, Whit Robbins, and Steven Singleton each doubled, producing three runs and putting New Britain ahead 5-2.  In the seventh, Ramos singled and Dinkelman hit a two-run homer, making the score 7-2, which is where it stayed.  Ramos had three hits and Dinkelman and Singleton each had two.  Guerra got the win, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits in 6.2 innings.  Spencer Steedley pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Friday

A first-inning rally led to another New Britain victory, as the Rock Cats defeated the Reading Phillies 6-3 in New Britain.  Brandon Roberts singled and stole second, Luke Hughes doubled him in, Rene Tosoni singled, Erik Lis hit a sacrifice fly to score Hughes, Tosoni stole second, and Brian Dinkelman singled to score Tosoni.  Reading got on the scoreboard in the second on a home run by Kevin Nelson, but Hughes countered with a home run of his own in the bottom of the second to make the score 4-1.  The Rock Cats rallied for two more in the fourth:  Yancarlos Ortiz walked, Dinkelman doubled, and two ground balls each scored a run.  The Phillies scored once in the sixth on a walk, two stolen bases, and a single, and they got one more in the eighth on a walk, two ground outs, and a single, but never threatened to take the lead.  Roberts had three hits and Hughes and Singleton two each, with Hughes driving in three runs.  Matt Fox got the win, giving up two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings and striking out seven.  Alex Burnett pitched 1.1 innings, striking out three, to get the save.

Saturday

The Rock Cats made it four in a row, defeating Reading 3-2.  The Phillies got a single, a double, and a ground out to take a 1-0 lead in the fourth.  In the fifth, Steven Singleton singled, went to second on an error, took third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Brandon Roberts' single to tie the score.  New Britain took the lead in the sixth on a Juan Portes home run.  In the seventh, Roberts tripled and scored on a Luke Hughes single to give the Rock Cats an insurance run.  Reading loaded the bases with two out in the eighth, but a strikeout ended the inning.  Kevin Nelson led off the ninth with a home run to cut the lead to 3-2, but the next three batters went out to end the game.  Singleton had three hits and Roberts two.  Michael McCardell got the win, giving up a run on six hits in seven innings.  Alex Burnett got the save.

Sunday

A two-run seventh enabled the Rock Cats' winning streak to go to five, as they defeated the Phillies 5-4.  Reading scored in the second on a double, a single, and a ground out to take a 1-0 lead.  Three singles produced two runs and put the Phillies ahead 3-0 in the top of the third.  In the bottom of the third, Juan Portes doubled and Brandon Roberts singled to make the score 3-1.  In the fourth, a home run by Rene Tosoni and consecutive doubles by Erik Lis and Luke Hughes tied the score.  Reading got back-to-back doubles of their own in the sixth to go ahead 4-3.  In the seventh, however, New Britain took its first lead of the game when Hughes tripled, Portes doubled, and Roberts singled, giving the Rock Cats a 5-4 edge.  The Phillies got a two-out double and a stolen base in the ninth, but a ground out ended the game.  Roberts, Lis, Hughes, and Portes each had two hits for New Britain.  Cole Devries pitched six innings, giving up four runs on nine hits.  Loek Van Mil, Spencer Steedley, and Alex Burnett each pitched a shutout inning, with Burnett getting the save.

Monday

New Britain was out-hit 14-8, but still stretched its winning streak to six by defeating Reading 6-3.  The Rock Cats led from the outset:  in the first inning, Brandon Roberts singled, Alejandro Machado walked, and Juan Portes singled to put New Britain ahead 1-0.  In the second, a single by Brian Dinkelman, a double by Yancarlos Ortiz, a walk to Machado, and singles by Luke Hughes and Wilson Ramos plated three runs and put the Rock Cats ahead 4-0 after two innings.  The Phillies got things going in the fourth when two singles sandwiched a double to score a run, and Reading scored two in the seventh on a single, a walk, a single, and a ground out to cut the lead to 4-3.  New Britain got two back in the bottom of the seventh when Portes walked and Erik Lis homered to make the score 6-3.  Reading put two on with one out in the ninth, bringing the tying run up to bat, but could not get the ball out of the infield the rest of the way.  Roberts was the only Rock Cat with two hits.  Ryan Mullins gave up twelve hits in 6.1 innings, but allowed only three runs.  Kyle Waldrop pitched two shutout innings of relief, striking out three, and Loek Van Mil retired the only batter he faced to get a save.

Tuesday

Connecticut scored four runs in the first inning to snap the Rock Cats' winning streak, as the Defenders defeated New Britain 5-4 in Connecticut.  The Defenders jumped on starter Deolis Guerra, getting a walk, a double, a single, another double, and another single to take a 4-0, first-inning lead.  The Rock Cats battled back, scoring one in the second on singles by Erik Lis, Brian Dinkelman, and Steven Singleton and getting two in the fourth on a Juan Portes double, singles by Whit Robbins and Brandon Roberts, and an error to cut the lead to 4-3.  Connecticut scored once in the bottom of the fourth on a single, two wild pitches, and a double, but New Britain got the run back in the fifth when Wilson Ramos was hit by a pitch and Lis and Dinkelman singled.  A double play ended the inning, however, leaving the Defenders ahead 5-4.  The Rock Cats threatened in the eighth, putting a runner on third with one out, but a strikeout and a fly out ended the inning and the winning streak.  Lis and Dinkelman each had two hits for New Britain.  Guerra took the loss, giving up five runs on seven hits in six innings.  Carlos Gutierrez pitched two shutout innings of relief.

Wednesday

Connecticut shut down the New Britain offense, as the Rock Cats got only four hits in losing 3-0.  The Defenders again took a first-inning lead, scoring twice on a single, a double, a ground out, and a wild pitch.  A double and two singles scored one more Connecticut run in the sixth.  All four New Britain hits were singles, the Rock Cats never got more than one in an inning, and only once did a runner get as far as second base.  Wilson Ramos had two of the singles.  Matt Fox took a complete-game loss, giving up three runs on seven hits.

Statistical notes:  The Rock Cats are fourth in runs, third in doubles, tied for third in triples, and seventh in home runs.  They are seventh in walks and twelfth (last) in stolen bases.  The Rock Cats are tied for first in OBP, third in SLG, first in AVG, and second in OPS.

Rock Cats pitchers are seventh in ERA, eighth in fewest hits allowed, seventh in fewest home runs allowed, and fourth in fewest walks allowed.  They are third in strikeouts and eighth in WHIP.

Brian Dinkelman is second in doubles (36).  Erik Lis is tied for fifth in total bases (197).  Ryan Mullins is tied for third in wins (10), tied for fourth in complete games (1), and first in strikeouts (119).  Anthony Slama is tied for second in games (51), first in saves (25), and first in games finished (43).  Jose Lugo is tied for fourth in games (50) and tied for third in holds (9).  Matt Fox is tied for fourth in complete games (1), fifth in innings (138.1), and second in strikeouts (110).  Cole Devries is tied for fourth in complete games (1).  Deolis Guerra is tied for fourth in complete games (1) and tied for second in shutouts (1).  Rob Delaney is tied for third in holds (9).  Frank Mata is tied for third in holds (9).

Notes:  Alejandro Machado has been assigned to New Britain on a rehab assignment...Matt Moses has been placed on the seven-day disabled list with an injured finger...Brandon Roberts was last week's Eastern League Player of the Week.  Roberts was acquired by the Twins when they traded Juan Castro to Cincinnati...Pitcher Jay Rainville retired, stating that he simply did not get his velocity back after being injured in 2006, that he could see he had no future as a player as a result, and that it was time to move on to the next phase of his life...Toby Gardenhire broke his arm in a collision while playing first base.  He is, of course, out for the season...Five Rock Cats have been selected to play in the Arizona Fall League:  Alex Burnett, Michael McCardell, Spencer Steedley, Steven Singleton, and Rene Tosoni.

New Britain is 60-60, in second place in the EL North, nine games behind Connecticut.

Sunday, August 9

Matt Fox pitched seven strong innings as the Rock Cats defeated the Akron Aeros 4-1 in Akron.  New Britain took the lead in the first inning on walks to Brandon Roberts and Erik Lis and a single by Brian Dinkelman.  The Aeros tied it in the second, getting a walk and a double.  The Rock Cats got the lead right back with two in the third:  Roberts and Mark Grudzielanek walked, Rene Tosoni singled to load the bases, a Lis sacrifice fly scored one, and a ground out scored another to put New Britain ahead 3-1.  Fox gave up only two singles the rest of the way before being replaced at the start of the eighth inning.  New Britain added an insurance run when Steven Singleton homered in the ninth.  Dinkelman was the only Rock Cat with two hits.  Fox got the win, giving up one run on five hits.  Anthony Slama pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out three.

Monday, August 10

Off Day.  No games were played in the Eastern League this day.  Perhaps they purposely leave a day or two open late in the season to make up rainouts.

Tuesday, August 11

New Britain got nine hits, but only three runs as the Rock Cats lost to the Erie SeaWolves 5-3 in New Britain.  Erie jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, getting a walk, a single, and a two-run triple.  A Brennan Boesch homer made it 3-0 SeaWolves after three.  The Rock Cats got on the scoreboard in the fifth:  Brian Dinkelman singled, took second on a ground out, and scored on an RBI single by Yancarlos Ortiz.  Erie came right back in the sixth, sandwiching two doubles around a single to make the score 5-1.  New Britain scored once more in the bottom of the sixth when Rene Tosoni singled and Erik Lis doubled.  The Rock Cats brought the tying run to the plate in the eighth, but failed to score.  Lis homered to lead off the ninth, followed by a walk and a single which put the tying run on base with no one out.  A sacrifice bunt put the tying run in scoring position with one down, and a hit batsman loaded the bases, but a strikeout and a ground out ended the game.  Tosoni, Lis, Steven Singleton, and Yancarlos Ortiz each had two hits.  Cole Devries took the loss, giving up five runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings.  Alex Burnett pitched 1.1 shutout innings and Kyle Waldrop pitched 1.2 innings scorelessly.

Wednesday

Four one-run innings were enough for the Rock Cats to defeat Erie 4-1.  A Rene Tosoni homer put New Britain ahead 1-0 in the first inning.  In the third, Brandon Roberts singled and Tosoni doubled to give the Rock Cats a 2-0 lead.  New Britain put up another fence post in the fourth when Brian Dinkelman and Whit Robbins singled and Yancarlos Ortiz reached on an error.  The lone SeaWolves run came in the fifth on a single, a double, and a ground out, but the Rock Cats countered in the bottom of the fifth when Tosoni reached on an error and scored on a Luke Hughes double.  Erie got a runner into scoring position in the sixth, seventh, and ninth, but did not tally.  Tosoni was the only New Britain player with two hits.  Michael McCardell got the win, giving up one run on four hits in five innings.  Carlos Gutierrez pitched a scoreless sixth and Alex Burnett pitched two shutout innings.  Alex Burnett had a scoreless ninth to get a save.

Thursday

New Britain won a pitchers' duel, defeating Erie 1-0 in twelve innings.  The SeaWolves got a leadoff double in the second and again in the third, but did not take advantage of them.  The Rock Cats had runners on first and second with one out in the sixth, but a double play ended the inning.  Erie had a runner on second with one out in the eighth, but failed to score.  New Britain loaded the bases with one out in the eleventh, but a pair of strikeouts ended the threat.  Finally, in the bottom of the twelfth, Toby Gardenhire singled, took second on a Brian Dinkelman sacrifice, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Whit Robbins single to win the game.  The teams combined to strand seventeen runners and go 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position.  Brandon Roberts, Rene Tosoni, and Toby Gardenhire each had two hits.  Ryan Mullins pitched seven shutout innings, giving up eight hits but striking out nine.  Frank Mata pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, Spencer Steedley struck out the only man he faced, and Kyle Waldrop pitched three shutout innings to get the win.

Friday

Deolis Guerra pitched six no-hit innings as the Rock Cats defeated the Akron Aeros 7-0 in Akron.  The Aeros got a man on with a walk in each of the first two innings, but did not advance either past first base.  New Britain got only one hit in the first four innings, although they did fail to score after loading the bases with walks in the fourth.  In the fifth, the Rock Cats broke through with four runs when Toby Gardenhire singled, Brandon Roberts walked, Wilson Ramos singled, Erik Lis doubled, and Brian Dinkelman singled.  Three throwing errors also contributed to the inning.  New Britain added three more in the seventh on doubles by Rene Tosoni and Ramos, a single by Lis, and a double by Dinkelman.  Loek Van Mil replaced Guerra, who threw ninety-three pitches, to start the seventh and retired the side in order, but in the eighth, Van Mil gave up a one-out single, the only Aero hit of the game.  Lis had three hits and Ramos and Dinkelman each had two.  Guerra got the win, striking out nine in his six hitless innings.  Loek Van Mil pitched two shutout innings and Spencer Steedley pitched one.

Saturday

New Britain scored four in the first, and that was all the Rock Cats needed to defeat Akron 4-1.  Brandon Roberts and Rene Tosoni each singled, Brian Dinkelman walked, and Luke Hughes hit a grand slam for all the New Britain runs.  The Aeros got a leadoff double in the second, but did not seriously threaten again until the eighth, when three singles and a sacrifice fly scored their only run, a run which broke a string of thirty-two scoreless innings by Rock Cats pitchers and seventeen scoreless innings by the New Britain bullpen.  Roberts and Hughes each had two hits, with Hughes, of course, driving in four runs.  Matt Fox got the win, giving up only two hits in seven innings.  Alex Burnett pitched 1.2 scoreless innings to get a save.

Sunday

Akron had their hitting shoes on early, scoring six runs in the first three innings to defeat the Rock Cats 8-1.  A single, a walk, and a three-run homer by Matt McBride gave the Aeros a 3-0 lead in the first.  A Carlos Rivero homer, followed by a single, a wild pitch, and another single, made the score 5-0 after two.  Beau Mills homered in the third to make the Akron advantage 6-0.  New Britain got on the scoreboard in the fourth when Erik Lis doubled, Luke Hughes singled, and Brian Dinkelman doubled, but that was as good as it would get for the Rock Cats.  Akron added a run in the fifth on a single, a double, and a sacrifice fly, and got one more in the sixth when Rivero hit his second home run of the game.  New Britain got only one hit in the last three innings.  Lis and Hughes each had two hits for the Rock Cats.  Cole Devries took the loss, giving up five runs on seven hits in five innings.  Loek Van Mil pitched two shutout innings and Frank Mata pitched one.

Monday

League-wide Off Day

Statistical notes:  The Rock Cats are fourth in runs, third in doubles, tied for fourth in triples, and seventh in home runs.  They are seventh in walks and twelfth (last) in stolen bases.  The Rock Cats are tied for first in OBP, fifth in SLG, first in AVG, and tied for second in OPS.

Rock Cats pitchers are seventh in ERA, eighth in fewest hits allowed, eighth in fewest home runs allowed, and fourth in fewest walks allowed.  They are third in strikeouts and eighth in WHIP.

Brian Dinkelman is tied for first in doubles (34).  Cole Devries is tied for first in most losses (13), tied for second in starts (23), and tied for fourth in complete games (1).  Anthony Slama is first in appearances (51), first in saves (25) and first in games finished (43).  Jose Lugo is second in appearances (50) and tied for third in holds (9).  Ryan Mullins is tied for fourth in complete games (1) and first in strikeouts (113).  Deolis Guerra is tied for fourth in complete games (1) and tied for second in shutouts (1).  Matt Fox is tied for third in strikeouts (100).  Rob Delaney is tied for third in holds (9).  Frank Mata is tied for third in holds (9).

Notes:  As many of you know, Mark Grudzielanek was released.  He had batted .267 in eight games with New Britain.  Grudzielanek's reaction:  "They just wasted my time"...Michael McCardell has been activated from the disabled list...Juan Portes was placed on the disabled list with a wrist injury...Alex Burnett has been activated from the disabled list and has become the closer...Anthony Slama was promoted from New Britain to Rochester...Pitcher Jay Rainville has retired.  Rainville, 23, was 3-3 this season with a 5.53 ERA...Loek Van Mil was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain...Wilson Ramos was activated from the disabled list...Jeff Manship was the fifth New Britain opening day starter to reach the majors that same year in six years.  The others were J. D. Durbin (2004), Francisco Liriano (2005), Glen Perkins (2006), and Nick Blackburn (2008)...Former Twins prospect and Rock Cats pitcher Brent Schoening passed away Sunday after a battle with leukemia.  He was 31.

New Britain is 55-58, third in the EL North, ten games behind Connecticut.

Sunday

The Rock Cats led all the way in defeating the Bowie BaySox 6-2 in New Britain.  The Rock Cats scored two in the second when Brian Dinkelman walked and stole second, Steven Singleton doubled, and Matt Moses singled.  Bowie cut the lead in half in the fourth when Jonathan Tucker homered to make it 2-1.  New Britain took control in the sixth, scoring twice on back-to-back homers by Erik Lis and Dinkelman.  Moses led off the seventh with another home run, making the score 5-1.  In the eighth, Whitney Robbins walked, went to third on Lis' double, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Luke Hughes to put the Rock Cats up by five.  The BaySox scored once in the ninth on a double and two singles, but Anthony Slama came on to get the last out.  Lis and Moses each had two hits.  Ryan Mullins got the win, giving up a run on two hits in five innings.  Carlos Gutierrez pitched three scoreless innings of relief.  Slama got a save. 

Monday

Off Day.  No games were scheduled in the Eastern League this day.

Tuesday

Erie scored four in the first and never looked back as the SeaWolves defeated New Britain 7-2 in Erie.  Two singles, a walk, and a home run by Michael Bertram produced the four first-inning runs for the SeaWolves.  They added two more in the third on a single, a walk, and two more singles to go ahead 6-0.  The Rock Cats got two in the fifth when Matt Moses and Mark Grudzielanek singled and Brian Dinkelman doubled.  That was as close as they would get, however; a Cale Iorg homer put Erie ahead 7-2 in the sixth, and that's where the score stayed.  New Britain never got more than one runner in an inning after the fifth.  Grudzielanek and Dinkelman each had two hits for the Rock Cats.  Matt Fox took the loss, giving up six runs on eight hits in five innings.  Jay Rainville pitched a scoreless inning of relief in his first appearance since June 30.

Wednesday

The Rock Cats were able to overcome a first-inning deficit, but could not hold the lead as they lost to Erie 6-4.  An error, a hit batsman, and a three-run homer by Deik Scram gave the SeaWolves a 3-0 lead in the first.  New Britain was no-hit for three innings, but scored in the fourth when Mark Grudzielanek singled, Brian Dinkelman and Erik Lis walked, and Luke Hughes hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 3-1.  The Rock Cats took the lead in the sixth when Grudzielanek and Dinkelman singled and Hughes hit a three-run homer.  The lead was short-lived, however:  Brennan Boesch homered in the bottom of the sixth to tie the score.  Erie took the lead in the seventh on an error and a single, and got an insurance run in the eighth on a single, an error, a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly.  New Britain got the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth, but the last two batters struck out.  Grudzielanek was the only Rock Cat with two hits.  Frank Mata started, giving up three unearned runs on two hits in five innings.  Kyle Waldrop took the loss in relief.  New Britain made three errors, and five of Erie's six runs were unearned.

Thursday

All aspects of the game were functioning for New Britain this day, as they dominated Erie 10-0.  The Rock Cats failed to score after loading the bases with one out in the second, but broke through in the third, scoring on a Rene Tosoni homer.  They added another run in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Brian Dinkelman and Jeff Lanning to go ahead 2-0.  In the fourth, Tosoni singled, Luke Hughes and Erik Lis walked, a wild pitch scored Tosoni, and a Steven Singleton single scored Hughes to make the score 4-0.  New Britain took control in the sixth, scoring three times:  Brandon Roberts singled and stole second, Mark Grudzielanek walked, a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Rene Tosoni singled them in, and Tosoni scored on a double by Hughes.  Erie, meanwhile, did not get a hit until the sixth inning, and got only two for the game.  The Rock Cats added three more runs in the ninth when Hughes and Lis singled and Dinkelman hit a three-run homer.  Hughes had four hits, Tosoni had three hits, scored three times, and drove in three runs, and Lis and Dinkelman had two hits, with Dinkelman driving in three runs.  Cole Devries got the win, pitching 7.1 shutout innings, giving up only two hits, and striking out eight.  Spencer Steedley pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, striking out three.

Friday

The Rock Cats won a slugfest, defeating the Akron Aeros 9-6 in Akron.  New Britain got one in the first inning on singles by Brandon Roberts and Mark Grudzielanek and a double by Luke Hughes.  The Rock Cats went ahead 4-0 in the second:  Toby Gardenhire and Brian Dinkelman singled, Steven Singleton tripled, and Roberts singled.  Akron got a single, an error, a single, and a hit batsman in the third, but could only come up with one run.  New Britain got the run back in the fourth when Dinkelman reached on an error and Singleton and Roberts each singled, making the score 5-1.  In the bottom of the fourth, an error, a double, and a single plated two runs for Akron, cutting the lead to 5-3.  The Rock Cats had their biggest inning in the sixth, when Singleton tripled, Roberts and Grudzielanek singled, Hughes reached on an error, and Erk Lis and Gardenhire each singled, resulting in four New Britain runs and a 9-3 lead.  Akron scored three in the seventh on a walk, a single, a walk, and a double, all with none out, but the next three batters were retired.  The Aeros put two on with one out in the ninth, brining the tying run to the plate, but could not score again.  Roberts and Singleton each had four hits, with Gardenhire getting three and Grudzielanek contributing two.  Ryan Mullins got the win, giving up three runs (one earned) on six hits in six innings.  Anthony Slama pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out three, to get a save.

Saturday

New Britain lost to Akron 11-7 in a game that was not as close as that might sound.  The Aeros scored two in the first on a walk, a single, a wild pitch, a ground out, and a sacrifice fly.  They added one in the second on a triple and a single and two more in the third on homers by Matt McBride and Nicholas Weglarz to go ahead 5-0 after three innings.  Rene Tosoni homered in the fourth to get the Rock Cats on the scoreboard, but Akron came right back with three in the bottom of the fourth on two singles, a triple, and another single to make the score 8-1, and scored again in the fifth on three singles to go ahead 9-1.  New Britain put together a four-run seventh:  Whit Robbins was hit by a pitch, Jeff Christy walked, Brandon Roberts reached on an error, and Toby Gardenhire and Erik Lis doubled, pulling the Rock Cats within four at 9-5.  Akron bounced back with two in the eighth on a single and a two-run homer by Carlos Santana.  In the ninth, New Britain made the score look a little better, scoring two on a single by Matt Moses, a Roberts double, a Gardenhire single, and an infield out.  Roberts and Gardenhire each had two hits.  Deolis Guerra took the loss, giving up eight runs on eight hits in only 3.1 innings.  Kyle Waldrop pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

Statistical notes:  The Rock Cats are fourth in runs, second in doubles, tied for third in triples, and seventh in home runs.  They are sixth in walks and eleventh in stolen bases.  The Rock Cats are first in OBP, fourth in SLG, first in AVG, and second in OPS.

Rock Cats pitchers are ninth in ERA, ninth in fewest hits allowed, eighth in fewest home runs allowed, and fourth in fewest walks allowed.  They are third in strikeouts and ninth in WHIP.

Brian Dinkelman is tied for first in doubles (32).  Anthony Slama is tied for first in games (50), tied for first in saves (24), and first in games finished (42).  Jose Lugo is tied for first in games (50) and tied for third in holds (9).  Ryan Mullins is tied for fifth in starts (21), tied for fourth in complete games (1), and first in strikeouts (104).  Cole Devries is tied for fifth in starts (21) and tied for fourth in complete games (1).  Deolis Guerra is tied for fourth in complete games (1) and tied for second in shutouts (1).  Rob Delaney is tied for third in holds (9).

Notes:  Alex Burnett was placed on the seven-day disabled list with an injured hand.  Jay Rainville was activated from the disabled list to replace him...Deolis Guerra was Eastern League pitcher of the week for the week ending July 26...Mark Grudzielanek is 7-for-27 in seven games for the Rock Cats.  All seven hits are singles.

New Britain is 52-55, third in the EL North, ten games behind Connecticut.

Wednesday, July 22

Game 1

The Rock Cats got only four hits in being shutout by the Portland Sea Dogs 3-0 in New Britain.  Portland scored a single run in the third on a single and a double, another in the fifth on three singles, and another in the seventh on a single, a wild pitch, and a single.  The Rock Cats came closest to scoring in the fourth, when Juan Portes hit a two-out triple, and the fifth, when they got singles from Toby Gardenhire and Yancarlos Ortiz.  Ryan Mullins took the complete game loss, giving up three runs on eight hits.

Game 2

New Britain got on the scoreboard, but that was the only good news as Portland completed a doubleheader sweep by defeating the Rock Cats 5-1.  There was no scoring until the fourth, when the Sea Dogs tallied on a single, a stolen base, and a single.  They took a 2-0 lead in the fifth on a walk and a double.  New Britain's nearest attempt at scoring was in the fourth, when Rene Tosoni hit a one-out double.  Portland put the game out of reach in the seventh with a double, two walks, and a three-run double.  The Rock Cats avoided being shut out for the day when Brian Dinkelman and Steven Singleton hit back-to-back doubles in the seventh.  Frank Mata took the loss, giving up a run on two hits in 3.2 innings.

Thursday, July 23

Game 1

The Rock Cats again got only one run, but this time it was enough, as Deolis Guerra threw a four-hit shutout and New Britain defeated Portland 1-0.  The lone run came in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Erik Lis, Steven Singleton, and Toby Gardenhire singled to win the game.  The Sea Dogs' biggest threat came in the second, when they got a one-out double.  Singleton had three hits for the Rock Cats.  Guerra got a complete-game win, striking out twelve.

Game 2

Rained out

Friday, July 24

New Britain scored as many runs as they had in their previous three games combined, but it was not enough as the Rock Cats lost to the Connecticut Defenders 4-2 in Connecticut.  The Defenders got all the runs they needed in the first inning, scoring three times on a single, a walk, and a three-run homer by Brett Pill.  New Britain rallied in the fifth, scoring twice on a single by Toby Gardenhire, a double by Danny Lehmann, a sacrifice fly by Brandon Roberts, and a Steven Singleton single to cut the lead to 3-2.  Connecticut got an insurance run in the seventh on a triple and an error.  The Rock Cats got only one more man to second base, in the ninth, on a single and a wild pitch.  Brian Dinkelman had two hits.  Matt Fox took the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits in 6.1 innings and striking out nine.  Jose Lugo retired both batters he faced, and Alex Burnett pitched a scoreless eighth.

Saturday, July 25

The offensive silence continued, as the Rock Cats failed to score in thirteen chances, losing an extra-inning game to Connecticut 1-0.  The Defenders got the first runner to third base in the fifth, on a single, an error, and a fly ball, but a liner and another fly ball ended the threat.  Connecticut again threatened in the ninth, getting a one-out double, an intentional walk, a ground out, and another intentional walk to load the bases, but a ground out sent the game to extra frames.  In the thirteenth, a single, a double, and an error brought home the game's only run for the Defenders.  New Britain only twice got a runner as far as second base.  Erik Lis and Danny Lehmann each had two hits.  Michael McCardell pitched seven shutout innings, giving up only four hits.  Anthony Slama pitched three scoreless innings.  Kyle Waldrop took the loss, going 2.1 innings.

Sunday

New Britain' offense finally broke loose, scoring six runs.  Unfortunately, Connecticut scored ten as the Rock Cats once again went down to defeat.  The Defenders scored six runs in the first inning, getting two singles, two walks, a double, an intentional walk, and another double.  New Britain came back somewhat in the second, getting two runs on a walk to Steven Singleton and singles by Matt Moses, Jeff Christy, and Luke Hughes.  The Rock Cats got back in the game in the fourth, as Singleton doubled, Moses and Christy singled, Brandon Roberts reached on an error, and Rene Tosoni singled to make the score 6-5.  Connecticut got an insurance run in the sixth on a walk, a single, a hit batsman, and an infield out, but New Britain again pulled within one in the seventh when a Whit Robbins homer made the score 7-6.  In the bottom of the seventh, however, a single, an error, a walk, and a bases-clearing double gave the Defenders a 10-6 lead, and the Rock Cats could not rally again.  Tosoni had three hits and Hughes, Moses, and Christy each had two.  Cole Devries took the loss, giving up six runs on seven hits and five walks in only 4.2 innings.  Alex Burnett retired both batters he faced, and Carlos Gutierrez pitched a perfect eighth.

Monday

Power outage

Tuesday

Game 1

The offense went back into its shell as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats defeated the Rock Cats 5-1 in New Hampshire.  The Fisher Cats scored first, getting a second-inning run on a walk and two singles.  New Britain tied it in the third when Whit Robbins doubled and scored on a throwing error.  In the fifth, however, New Hampshire took control.  A single, a walk, and another single loaded the bases; an error scored one,  a walk scored another, and a single scored two more.  The Rock Cats loaded the bases in the sixth, but a ground out ended the threat.  Robbins had two of New Britain's five hits.  Ryan Mullins took the loss, giving up five runs (one earned) on six hits in 4.2 innings.  Alex Burnett pitched 1.1 scoreless innings.

Game 2

New Britain's offense went from bad to worse as they managed only three hits in a 5-0 whitewashing by New Hampshire.  Two of the hits came in the first inning, when back-to-back singles failed to lead anywhere.  The Fisher Cats scored all their runs in the third, when they got four singles and two doubles before anyone was retired.  The Rock Cats got a leadoff double in the fifth, and loaded the bases with two out on an error and two walks in the sixth, but to no avail.  Deolis Guerra took the loss, pitching two hitless innings before the roof fell in in the third:  for the game, he gave up five runs on six hits in two innings.  Kyle Waldrop pitched two scoreless innings and Carlos Gutierrez and Spencer Steedley had one apiece, with Gutierrez striking out two.

Wednesday

The losing continued as the Rock Cats lost to New Hampshire 5-4.  The Fisher Cats scored two in the second on a triple, a double, and a single.  New Britain got one back in the third when Brandon Roberts singled, went to second on an error, took third on Rene Tosoni's bunt single, and scored on a double play.  New Hampshire came right back, however, scoring three in the bottom of the third on two walks and a three-run homer by David Cooper.  The Rock Cats tried to chip away, getting a run in the fourth on an Erik Lis homer and another in the fifth when Brian Dinkelman reached on an error and scored on singles by Luke Hughes and Lis, making the score 5-3.  It looked as if New Britain might pull off a comeback in the ninth:  Steven Singleton walked, Roberts was hit by a pitch, and Yancarlos Ortiz got a bunt single to load the bases with no one out.  Tosoni hit a sacrifice fly to score one, but a strikeout and a fly out ended the game.  Lis was the only Rock Cat with two hits.  Matt Fox took the loss, giving up five runs on five hits in six innings.  Frank Mata and Anthony Slama each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Thursday

New Britain finally broke its losing streak, defeating the Fisher Cats 2-1.  New Hampshire again took an early lead, scoring in the first on a single and a double.  The Rock Cats loaded the bases in the second and third but did not score, and it appeared this might be another day of frustration.   In the fourth, however, New Britain finally got a run when Rene Tosoni singled, moved to second on a walk to Brian Dinkelman, and scored on a Luke Hughes single.  In the fifth, Juan Portes and Steven Singleton singled, they moved to second and third on a wild pitch, and Portes scored when Danny Lehmann reached on an error.  Four Rock Cats pitchers kept the game in control, not allowing a runner past first after the first inning.  Dinkelman, Hughes, and Portes each had two hits for New Britain.  Michael McCardell got the win, giving up a run on three hits in five innings.  Carlos Gutierrez pitched two scoreless innings, Alex Burnett pitched o.2 scoreless, and Anthony Slama pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out four to get a save.

Friday

Rained out

Saturday

Game 1

A four-run second lifted the Bowie BaySox past the Rock Cats 7-4 in New Britain.  Bowie scored one in the first on a double and a pair of ground outs.  In the second, two doubles, two singles, and a triple put the BaySox ahead 5-0.  The Rock Cats got on the board in the bottom of the second:  Danny Lehmann singled, Brian Dinkelman doubled, and Rene Tosoni singled to make the score 5-2.  Bowie got a single run in the fourth on a walk, an error, and a ground out, and another in the fifth on a triple and a single to go up 7-2.  New Britain got two in the sixth when Whit Robbins singled and Dinkelman homered, and a pair of singles later in the inning brought the tying run to the plate with one out, but a pair of ground outs ended the threat.  Juan Portes had three hits, and Tosoni, Robbins, and Dinkelman each had two.  Cole Devries took the loss, giving up seven runs (six earned) on ten hits in four innings.  Kyle Waldrop pitched three scoreless innings of relief.

Game 2

New Britain came from behind to gain a split, defeating Bowie 3-2.  The Rock Cats got a run in the first when Steven Singleton singled, Luke Hughes walked, and Brian Dinkelman doubled.  The BaySox took the lead with two in the third on a double, a triple, and a sacrifice fly.  In the fourth, Dinkelman hit another double, Whit Robbins singled, Brandon Roberts walked, and Singleton hit an RBI single to put New Britain ahead 3-2.  Bowie put runners on first and third in the fourth and first and second in the fifth, but the Rock Cats' lead held up.  Dinkelman had three hits and Singleton and Robbins each had two.  Deolis Guerra got the win, giving up two runs on four hits in five innings.  Anthony Slama pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to get a save.

 Statistical notes:  The Rock Cats are fifth in the league in runs, second in doubles, tied for third in triples, and tied for seventh in home runs.  They are tied for fifth in walks and eleventh in stolen bases.  They are first in OBP, fourth in SLG, third in AVG, and third in OPS.

Rock Cats pitchers are tenth in ERA, tenth in fewest hits allowed, tied for seventh in fewest home runs allowed, and fourth in fewest walks allowed.  They are second in strikeouts and tied for ninth in WHIP.

Brian Dinkelman is tied for first in the league in doubles (30).  Jose Lugo is first in games (50) and tied for second in holds (9).  Anthony Slama is second in games (47), second in saves (22), and first in games finished (39).  Cole Devries is tied for fourth in starts (20) and tied for fourth in complete games (1).  Ryan Mullins is tied for fourth in complete games (1) and first in strikeouts (98).  Deolis Guerra is tied for fourth in complete games (1) and tied for second in shutouts (1).  Rob Delaney is tied for second in holds (9).

Notes:  Spencer Steedley was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain...Jose Lugo was promoted from New Britain to Rochester...Mark Grudzielanek was promoted from the GCL Twins to New Britain.  He was 0-for-4 in his debut Saturday...Michael McCardell has been placed on the seven-day disabled list with a strained lower back...Saturday night's sellout crowd of 8,079 was the third largest in franchise history.

New Britain is 49-46, second in the EL North, 4.5 games behind Connecticut.

Wednesday

The Eastern League all-star game.  The South broke a 3-all tie with single runs in the eighth and ninth to defeat the North 5-3.  Five Rock Cats played in the game.  Brian Dinkelman was 1-for-2, striking out in the sixth and getting a single in the eighth.  Whit Robbins was also 1-for-2, striking out in the seventh and getting a single in the ninth.  Rene Tosoni was 0-for-4, striking out in the second, drawing a walk in the fourth, grounding out in the sixth, flying out in the seventh, and popping out in the ninth.  Matt Fox pitched a perfect second inning, striking out one.  Anthony Slama started the ninth, giving up a run on a walk, a hit batsman, and a single in two-thirds of an inning.

Thursday

A three-run first provided the margin of victory as New Britain defeated the Reading Phillies 5-2 in Reading.  Extra-base hits did most of the first-inning damage:  Brian Dinkelman doubled, Luke Hughes tripled, Erik Lis doubled, and Toby Gardenhire singled.  A Hughes homer made the score 4-0 in the third.  The Phillies got a home run by Jeremy Slayden to get on the board in the fourth, but the Rock Cats got it back in the fifth when Juan Portes singled, Lis was hit by a pitch, and Gardenhire singled.  Reading got a final run in the sixth on a single and a double, but got only one hit after that.  New Britain really should have scored more than five--they had fourteen hits in the game, but left fifteen runners on base.  Steven Singleton had three hits, and Hughes, Portes, Gardenhire, and Yancarlos Ortiz each had two, with Gardenhire driving in three runs.  Yohan Pino got the win, giving up two runs on four hits in five innings.  Alex Burnett pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, Jose Lugo 1.2, and Anthony Slama pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.

Friday

A three-run inning again boosted the Rock Cats over the Phillies, this time by a score of 6-4.  Reading got a Jeremy Slayden homer to go ahead 1-0 in the first.  New Britain tied it in the second when Steven Singleton walked and Matt Moses tripled, but the Phillies went back up 2-1 in the bottom of the second on a walk, a stolen base, and a single.  The Rock Cats took the lead in the third:  Allan de San Miguel walked, Brandon Roberts doubled, Rene Tosoni hit a sacrifice fly, and Erik Lis hit a two-run homer to put New Britain ahead 4-2.  Reading got a Tim Kennelly homer to make the score 4-3 in the bottom of the third, but the Rock Cats got the run back in the fourth when Steven Singleton doubled and scored on two ground outs.  New Britain stretched the lead to 6-3 in the sixth when Singleton tripled and Moses doubled.  The Phillies loaded the bases in the sixth and had runners on first and third in the seventh and eighth, but did not score again until the ninth, when Brian Stavisky hit a solo homer.  Singleton had three hits and scored three times for the Rock Cats, lacking only a home run for the cycle; Moses contributed two hits.  Cole Devries got the win, giving up three runs on six hits in five innings.  Frank Mata pitched a scoreless inning, Carlos Gutierrez pitched 1.1 innings scorelessly, and Alex Burnett had a scoreless ninth for the save.

Saturday

The three-run inning was again important, as New Britain had two of them on the way to an 11-3 rout of Reading.  The first of the three-run innings came in the third, when Brandon Roberts singled, Luke Hughes popped out on a bunt attempt, Rene Tosoni doubled in Roberts, Juan Portes and Erik Lis walked to load the bases, and Toby Gardenhire singled in two runs.  Thus, we clearly see that the bunt was the key to the inning.  The Rock Cats struck for three more in the fifth:  Portes homered, Lis walked, Gardenhire doubled, Steven Singleton singled, and Allan de San Miguel hit a sacrifice fly.  The Phillies got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with an Ozzie Chavez homer, but New Britain got the run back in the sixth when Roberts singled, Hughes walked, Tosoni was hit by a pitch, and Lis hit a sacrifice fly.  The Rock Cats went up 9-1 in the seventh when Singelton doubled, de San Miguel singled, Roberts doubled, and Hughes singled.  A home run, a double, and a single plated two for Reading in the bottom of the seventh to make it 9-3, but New Britain tacked on two more in the eighth on a Portes walk and a Lis homer.  Roberts had four hits and scored three times; Singelton had three hits; Gardenhire had two hits; and Lis drove in three runs.  Deolis Guerra got his second win in as many starts for New Britain, giving up three runs on four hits in 6.1 innings.  Kyle Waldrop pitched the final 2.2 innings without giving up a run.

Sunday

New Britain was denied a sweep, as it was the Reading offense that controlled in a 9-1 victory over the Rock Cats.  The Phillies scored three in the third on a walk, a strikeout/passed ball, another walk, and two singles.  New Britain loaded the bases in the fourth, but did not score.  A Kevin Mahar homer in the bottom of the fourth put Reading ahead 4-0.  The Rock Cats got three baserunners in the fifth, but again did not score.  The Phillies put the game away in the sixth, scoring four times on two walks, a triple, and a home run to take an 8-0 lead.  Luke Hughes hit an eighth inning homer for the lone New Britain run, but Reading got it back in the bottom of the eighth with a home run of their own by Tim Kennelly.  The Rock Cats had seven hits and five walks, but left eight runners on base.  Rene Tosoni had three hits and Hughes had two.  Matt Fox took the loss, giving up four runs (one earned) on five hits in 4.2 innings.  Kyle Waldrop pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Monday

It got late early in New Britain, as the Portland Sea Dogs walloped the Rock Cats 19-1.  A single, a walk, and a homer put Portland ahead 3-0 in the top of the first.  The Rock Cats scored in the bottom of the first on a double by Brandon Roberts and a single by Steven Singleton, but from there it was all Portland.  The Sea Dogs scored three in the third on two singles and two doubles, five in the fourth on two singles, a walk, a double, and a home run, four in the fifth on two singles, a double, and a home run, two in the sixth on an error and a home run, and two in the ninth on a walk and a home run.  Portland hit four doubles and five home runs for the game.  For New Britain, Roberts and Singleton each had two hits.  Michael McCardell had a rather inauspicious debut at AA, giving up eleven runs on eleven hits in four innings to take the loss.  He did strike out seven.  Alex Burnett pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Tuesday

A doubleheader was rained out.  The Rock Cats will play doubleheaders with Portland Wednesday and Thursday.

Statistical notes:  The Rock Cats are second in the league in runs, third in doubles, tied for second in triples, and seventh in home runs.  They are sixth in walks and eleventh in stolen bases.  They are first in OBP, third in SLG, first in AVG, and second in OPS.

New Britain pitchers are tenth in ERA, tenth in fewest hits allowed, eighth in fewest home runs allowed, and fourth in fewest walks allowed.  They are third in strikeouts and eighth in WHIP.

Brian Dinkelman is tied for fifth in doubles (23).  Jose Lugo is first in games (48) and tied for second in holds (9).  Anthony Slama is second in games (43), second in saves (20), and first in games finished (36).  Cole Devries is tied for fourth in starts (18) and tied for third in complete games (1).  Ryan Mullins is second in strikeouts (86).  Rob Delaney is tied for second in holds (9).

Notes:  Portland's 19 runs Monday tied a franchise record, set against New Britain May 24, 1997.  Their five homers was the most they have hit in one game since May 23, also against New Britain...Steven Singleton was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain.  He is off to a good start, going 12-for-20 (.600) with four doubles and a triple...Daniel Berg, who is batting .098 in 41 at-bats for New Britain, has been designated for assignment...Yohan Pino was promoted from New Britain to Rochester...Jeff Christy was sent to New Britain from Rochester...Michael McCardell was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain...Allan de San Miguel was sent from New Britain to Ft. Myers.

New Britain is 46-44, second in the EL North, seven games behind Connecticut.

Wednesday

Game 1

Connecticut scored three in the first, and that was all the Defenders needed to defeat the Rock Cats 3-1 in New Britain. The runs scored on an error, a triple, a sacrifice fly, a double, and a single. Rene Tosoni led off the first with a double, and went to third with one out on a sacrifice, but did not score. Juan Portes put the Rock Cats on the board with a solo homer in the fourth, but they also stranded two runners in the inning. They again stranded two in the fifth, and did not threaten after that. Portes was the only New Britain player with two hits. Cole Devries pitched a complete game loss, giving up three unearned runs on five hits.

Game 2

This time it was New Britain who scored three in the first as they gained a split by defeating Connecticut 7-3.  The Defenders scored one in the top of the first when two singles sandwiched an error.  In the bottom of the first, Yancarlos Ortiz walked, Luke Hughes and Rene Tosoni singled to load the bases, and Erik Lis hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game.  Whitney Robbins singled to give the Rock Cats a 2-1 lead, and Brian Dinkelman walked and Daniel Berg was hit by a pitch to force in a third run.  Connecticut tied it in the third on a triple, a single, and a double.  New Britain took the lead back in the fourth when Ortiz singled and Hughes doubled him home for a 4-3 game.  The Rock Cats got some insurance in the sixth when Dinkelman again walked, Ortiz was hit by a pitch, and Hughes and Tosoni hit back-to-back doubles to make the score 7-3.  The Defenders got only one hit, a single, after the third inning.  Hughes had four hits, three of them doubles, and drove in three runs.  Tosoni had two hits, and Ortiz scored three times.  Deolis Guerra got the win, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits in five innings.  Anthony Slama pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three, to get the save.

Thursday

Jesse English might as well have been using a foreign language, as he silenced the New Britain bats and led Connecticut to a 6-0 victory.  There was no scoring until the third, when a walk, a single, and a double gave the Defenders a 1-0 lead.  It went to 2-0 in the fifth on a double, a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly.  Connecticut salted it away in the sixth on two doubles, a single, and another double, scoring three runs to go ahead 5-0.  The Defenders scored their final run in the eighth on a pair of singles, an error, and a ground out.  The only Rock Cats threat came in the ninth, when two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two out.  All six of New Britain's hits were singles, and no one had more than one.  Matt Fox took the loss, giving up two runs on five hits in five innings.  Alex Burnett pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Friday

The Rock Cats overcame a five-run Binghamton fourth to defeat the Mets 10-7 in New Britain.  Binghamton scored one in the first on two singles and a double, and took a 2-0 lead in the second on a single, an error, and a double.  In the bottom of the second, Toby Gardenhire and Erik Lis singled, Brandon Roberts walked, Brian Dinkelman hit an RBI single, Yancarlos Ortiz hit a sacrifice fly, Rene Tosoni was hit by a pitch, and Luke Hughes walked to force in a run and give the Rock Cats a 3-2 lead.  They went ahead 4-2 in the third when Lis singled, took third on a Danny Lehmann single, and scored on a ground out.  The Mets then took a 7-4 lead in the fourth on a double, two walks, and four singles.  New Britain cut the lead to one in the fifth:  Lis singled, Lehmann doubled him in, Roberts singled, and Dinkelman hit a sacrifice fly.  Binghamton left runners on second and third in the sixth, and it cost them, as the Rock Cats tied it in the bottom of the sixth when Hughes tripled and Juan Portes singled.  In the seventh, singles by Roberts and Dinkelman, a sacrifice bunt, and a two-run single by Tosoni put New Britain ahead 9-7, and a Lis homer in the eighth made it 10-7.  The Mets got only one single in the last three innings.  Lis had four hits and scored four times.  Lehmann and Roberts each had three hits, and Dinkelman had two.  Ryan Mullins lasted only 3.2 innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits, striking out five.  Alex Burnett pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to get the win, and Anthony Slama pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three, to get a save.

Saturday

Yohan Pino and Jose Lugo combined to scatter seven hits and lead New Britain to a 5-0 victory over Binghamton.  The Rock Cats scored two in the first when Brandon Roberts singled and stole second, Erik Lis hit an RBI single and advanced to second on a wild pitch, and Juan Portes hit an RBI double.  The Mets had runners on second and third in the second and fourth, but did not score.  In the bottom of the fourth, Lis homered to put New Britain ahead 3-0.  In the sixth, Luke Hughes reached on an error and Lis hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot, to give the Rock Cats a 5-0 lead.  After the fourth inning, Binghamton did not advance a runner past first.  Lis was easily the batting star for New Britain, getting three hits, scoring three times, and driving in four runs.  Yohan Pino got the win, pitching six shutout innings, giving up seven hits and striking out eight.  Jose Lugo pitched three shutout innings to get the save.

Sunday

The Rock Cats overcame a 5-2 deficit, but could not hold an 8-6 lead and fell to Binghamton 10-8 in ten innings.  The Mets scored four times in the first on a walk, two errors, and four singles.  New Britain came back with two in the third:  Allan de San Miguel was hit by a pitch, Brandon Roberts reached on an error, Yancarlos Ortiz sacrificed them to second and third, Erik Lis hit a sacrifice fly to score one, and Whit Robbins reached on an error to score another.  Binghamton took a 5-2 lead in the sixth on two singles and an infield out, but the Rock Cats again came back in the seventh.  The rally was again started by de San Miguel, who walked.  Singles by Roberts and Luke Hughes scored one and put runners on first and third, and Lis' sacrifice fly made the score 5-4.  Robbins then singled and Juan Portes walked to load the bases, Toby Gardenhire walked to force in a run and tie the score, and Daniel Berg hit a two-run single to give New Britain a 7-5 lead.  Binghamton cut the lead to 7-6 in the eighth when Jonathan Malo scored from first on a single, but the Rock Cats added one in the bottom of the eighth when Roberts singled, went to second on Ortiz' bunt, and scored on a single by Lis.  In the ninth, however, the Mets got a single and two walks to load the bases, and a single and a sacrifice fly tied the score at eight.  In the tenth, two walks, two singles, and a sacrifice fly plated three runs and gave Binghamton the victory.  Roberts, Hughes, and Portes each had two hits, with Roberts scoring three runs.  Frank Mata lasted only 4.1 innings, giving up four unearned runs on seven hits.  None of the four relievers went unscored upon.  Anthony Slama gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning to get a blown save, and Carlos Gutierrez gave up three runs in 1.2 innings to get the loss.

Monday

It got late early for New Britain, as the Mets scored eleven runs in the first two innings and defeated the Rock Cats 14-1.  Two singles, a walk, and four doubles led to a six-run first for Binghamton.  They came right back with five more in the second, getting two walks, two errors, a double, and three singles.  The Mets added three in the sixth on a walk, a double, and three singles.  New Britain got only one runner past first until the ninth, when an Erik Lis homer spoiled the shutout.  Lis had three hits and Brian Dinkelman had two.  Cole Devries took the loss, giving up ten runs (seven earned) on seven hits and three walks in only 1.1 innings.  Kyle Waldrop pitched two scoreless innings of relief and Matt Fox one.

Tuesday

Off Day

Statistical notes:  The Rock Cats are second in runs, fourth in doubles, third in triples, and tied for seventh in home runs.  They are sixth in walks and eleventh in stolen bases.  They are first in OBP, fourth in SLG, second in AVG, and second in OPS.

Rock Cats pitchers are eighth in ERA, tenth in fewest hits allowed, tied for second in fewest home runs allowed, and fourth in fewest walks allowed.  They are third in strikeouts and eighth in WHIP.

Brian Dinkelman is tied for fifth in doubles (22).  Erik Lis is fourth in AVG (.320).  Jose Lugo is first in games (45).  Anthony Slama is second in games (41), second in saves (19), and first in games finished (34).  Cole Devries is tied for third in starts (17) and tied for third in complete games (1).  Ryan Mullins is tied for third in starts (17) and second in strikeouts (86).  Rob Delaney is second in holds (9).   

Notes:  Brian Dinkelman left Saturday's game in the fifth inning when he was hit in the ankle by a pitch.  He did not play Sunday, but was back in the lineup Monday...Rene Tosoni was named MVP of the Futures Game, driving in what turned out to be the winning run with a pinch-hit RBI double...Tosoni will also represent New Britain in the Eastern League's Home Run Derby...Outfielder Matt Moses has been out with back spasms...The first baseman for the Binghamton Mets is Ike Davis, son of ex-Twin Ron Davis...Connecticut went 8-1 in New Britain Stadium this year...Erik Lis had his parents and an aunt and uncle in attendance Saturday, when he hit two home runs.

New Britain is 43-40, second in the EL North, six games behind Connecticut.

Wednesday

Game 1

Three Rock Cats pitchers combined on a two-hitter as New Britain took the first game of the doubleheader over the Portland Sea Dogs 3-1 in Portland. The Rock Cats took a 1-0 lead in the third when Toby Gardenhire singled, took second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a double by Brandon Roberts. In the fourth, Erik Lis doubled, went to third on a ground out, and scored when Juan Portes reached on an error. Portes then scored on singles by Gardenhire and Allan de San Miguel to put New Britain ahead 3-0. Portland got both their hits in the fourth, when they got their only run on a single, a stolen base, and a double. Gardenhire was the only Rock Cat with two hits. Frank Mata made his first start of the year after thirty relief appearances, giving up a run on two hits in 3.2 innings. Jose Lugo pitched 2.1 scoreless innings to get the win, and Anthony Slama had a scoreless seventh for the save.

Game 2

New Britain swept the doubleheader, again winning 3-1.  They scored two in the first inning:  Rene Tosoni doubled, Brian Dinkelman was hit by a pitch, they advanced on a ground out, and both scored on a Whitney Robbins single.  Portland got three singles to start the fourth, loading the bases, but scored only one, on a sacrifice fly, to cut the lead to 2-1.  The Rock Cats got a tw0-0ut insurance run in the seventh when Matt Moses singled and scored on a double by Yancarlos Ortiz.  Tosoni had two hits.  Yohan Pino made his second start of the year and pitched four innings, giving up one run on five hits.  He struck out six.  Kyle Waldrop got the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.  Alex Burnett got the last out to record a save.

Thursday

Rained out

Friday

Game 1

Portland scored two in the fifth to break a 4-all tie and take a 6-4 victory.  The Sea Dogs scored three in the first on a single, an error, another single, and a double.  The Rock Cats bounced right back to tie the score in the second when Juan Portes walked, Toby Gardenhire doubled, Allan de San Miguel walked to load the bases, and Brandon Roberts drove in all three with a double.  Each team scored once in the third to tie the game at four--New Britain got singles by Rene Tosoni and Erik Lis and two ground outs; Portland got a double and a single.  In the fifth, however, the Sea Dogs got what proved to be the winning runs when a double, a single, and a hit batsman loaded the bases, a sacrifice fly scored one, and a single scored another.  The Rock Cats got two on with one out in the sixth, but a fly out and a ground out ended the threat.  Brandon Roberts and Rene Tosoni each had two hits.  Cole Devries took the loss, giving up six runs (three earned) on ten hits in 4.1 innings, striking out five.  Jose Lugo pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Game 2

Portland again had a big first inning as they swept New Britain, this time winning 8-5.  The Sea Dogs scored four in the first on a triple, a single, a walk, a single, and a double.  Juan Portes put the Rock Cats on the board in the second with a home run, and singles by Toby Gardenhire and Erik Lis and a Yancarlos Ortiz sacrifice fly made the score 4-2.  New Britain closed to 4-3 in the fourth on doubles by Gardenhire and Lis, but Portland came right back with three in the bottom of the fourth on a double, three walks, and a single.  The Rock Cats kept battling, getting two in the fifth on an error and singles by Brian Dinkelman, Whitney Robbins, and Gardenhire to make the score 7-5, but the Sea Dogs again answered in the bottom of the fifth on a double and a single.  New Britain did not get a hit after the fifth inning.  Gardenhire had three hits and Lis and Dinkelman had two apiece.  Matthew Fox took the loss, giving up seven runs on six hits and six walks in 3.2 innings.  Alex Burnett pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Saturday

The Rock Cats again played fourteen innings, but this time it was all in one game as they fell to the Trenton Thunder 7-6 in Trenton.  The Thunder scored a run in the first on a triple, a ground out, and a double play to take a 1-0 lead.  New Britain took a 2-1 lead in the third when Toby Gardenhire and Allan de San Miguel singled, Juan Portes doubled, and Brian Dinkelman hit a sacrifice fly.  They increased the lead to 4-1 in the fifth when de San Miguel walked, Rene Tosoni and Portes singled to load the bases, and an error brought in two runs.  Rock Cats starter Carlos Gutierrez had things under control, but he was removed after five innings, and the bullpen could not hold the lead.  In the sixth, a single, a walk, and a double brought in two runs to make the score 4-3, and Trenton tied it in the seventh on a single and a double.  New Britain appeared to have won the game in the tenth, when Erik Lis doubled, Whitney Robbins singled, and Daniel Berg walked to load the bases.  Yancarlos Ortiz hit a sacrifice fly and Gardenhire laid down a squeeze bunt to score two runs and give the Rock Cats a 6-4 lead.  With two out in the tenth, however, the Thunder got a single and a home run to tie the score at six.  Trenton again put together a two-out rally in the fourteenth, winning the game with a single and a double.  Lis had four hits in the game, with Portes and Dinkelman each contributing two.  Gutierrez gave up a run on only one hit in five innings.  No reliever went unscored upon, but Kyle Waldrop had pitched three scoreless innings of relief before taking the loss in the fourteenth.

Sunday

New Britain broke its three-game losing streak in style, shutting out Trenton 5-0.  The Rock Cats scored without a hit in the first:  Rene Tosoni was hit by a pitch, Toby Gardenhire walked, a sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, and an infield out scored a run.  The lead went to 3-0 in the third on a Danny Lehmann single, an error, and a double by Juan Portes.  Singles by Erik Lis, Yancarlos Ortiz, and Lehmann made the score 4-0 after four, and singles by Brian Dinkelman, Portes, and Whitney Robbins and a walk to Daniel Berg increased it to 5-0 after five.  That was more than enough for New Britain starter Ryan Mullins, who pitched eight shutout innings, giving the Rock Cats bullpen a much-needed rest.  Portes, Robbins, Lis, and Lehmann each had two hits for New Britain.  Mullins got the win, giving up only five hits and striking out eight.  Jose Lugo pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out three.

Monday

The Rock Cats made it two in a row, scoring all their runs early in defeating Trenton 3-1.  They got two in the first when Yancarlos Ortiz singled, Brian Dinkelman walked, Rene Tosoni singled to load the bases, and Juan Portes delievered a two-run single.  In the second, two errors put runners on first and second, and walks to Dinkelman and Tosoni forced in a run to make the score 3-0.  The Thunder threatened in the second, putting runners on first and third with one out, but a line-drive double play ended the threat.  Trenton got on the board in the fifth with a hit batsman and two singles, but left the bases loaded.  Another line-drive double play ended a two-on, one-out threat in the sixth, but then the New Britain bullpen took control, giving up no hits in the last three innings.  Portes had three hits to lead the offense.  Yohan Pino got the win, giving up one run on six hits in 5.1 innings.  Alex Burnett pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, and Anthony Slama had a scoreless ninth to get the save.

Tuesday

New Britain got seven hits, but no runs, as they lost to the Connecticut Defenders 3-0 in New Britain.  Connecticut took the lead in the second when two singles sandwiched a walk.  They made it 3-0 in the sixth on a single, two errors, another single, and a sacrifice fly.  The Rock Cats got at least one runner on in each of the first eight innings, and had two on in the third, sixth, and seventh, but could not score.  They left eleven runners on base and were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.  Yancarlos Ortiz was the only New Britain player with two hits.  Frank Mata took the loss, giving up a run on four hits in five innings.  Jose Lugo pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

Statistical notes:  The Rock Cats are second in runs, fourth in doubles, third in triples, and eighth in home runs.  They are sixth in walks and eleventh in stolen bases.  They are first in OBP, fourth in SLG, second in AVG, and third in OPS.

Rock Cats pitchers are eighth in ERA, ninth in fewest hits allowed, tied for fifth in fewest home runs allowed, and fourth in fewest walks allowed.  They are third in strikeouts and eighth in WHIP.

Brian Dinkelman is tied for fifth in the league in doubles (21).  Jose Lugo is first in appearances (44) and tied for fifth in holds (7).  Anthony Slama is second in appearances (38), second in saves (17), and first in games finished (32).  Ryan Mullins is tied for third in starts (16) and tied for second in strikeouts (81).  Rob Delaney is tied for second in holds (9).

Notes:  New Britain will have five representatives to the Eastern League all star game:  Brian Dinkelman, Matt Fox, Whit Robbins, Anthony Slama, and Rene Tosoni...Wilson Ramos, on the disabled list since June 12 with a hamstring injury, has been sent to the Twins' spring-training complex in Ft. Myers to recuperate...The Saturday start is to be Carlos Gutierrez' last of the season, as he goes to the bullpen to limit his innings...Jay Rainville has been placed on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain.  His roster spot has been taken by Deolis Guerra, who has been promoted from Ft. Myers...Luke Hughes, who has been on a rehab assignment with the GCL Twins, will join New Britain rather than return to Rochester.  He appears to have been passed by Danny Valencia.

New Britain is 39-36, second in the EL North, 4.5 games behind Connecticut.

Wednesday

The Twins' desire to limit Carlos Gutierrez' innings cost New Britain a game, as the Harrisburg Senators scored four times against the New Britain bullpen to defeat the Rock Cats 5-3 in New Britain. New Britain took a 1-0 lead in the first when Brandon Roberts singled, went to third on a Rene Tosoni double, and scored on Whitney Robbins' single. They went up 3-0 in the second when Matt Moses singled, Yancarlos Ortiz walked, and Allan de San Miguel tripled them both in. The Rock Cats missed a chance to add to their lead in the fourth, when they got runners to second and third with one out and did not score. Harrisburg got on the board with a solo homer in the fifth. Gutierrez came out after five innings; Kyle Waldrop pitched a perfect sixth and Jose Lugo a perfect seventh, but in the eighth Lugo gave up a leadoff single and was replaced by Alex Burnett. The Senators promptly got a single, a double, and a walk, making the score 3-2 and loading the bases. A pair of outs tied the score, and a double put Harrisburg on top 5-3. Roberts, Tosoni, and Robbins each had two hits. Gutierrez gave up a run on two hits and no walks. Burnett took the loss. Frank Mata pitched 1.1 scoreless innings.

Thursday

New Britain scored seven in the second and defeated Harrisburg 8-5.  With one out in the second, Juan Portes walked and Matt Moses homered.  Yancarlos Ortiz and Danny Lehmann then singled, and Brandon Roberts was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Rene Tosoni unloaded them with a double, and Brian Dinkelman hit a two-run homer to put the Rock Cats ahead 7-0.  Three singles, a double, and a ground out put the Senators back into the game 7-3 in the fourth.  Tosoni manufactured a run in the seventh, getting a double, taking third on a wild pitch, and scoring on a ground out.  Harrisburg scored two in the ninth, but Anthony Slama came in to retire all three men he faced to end the game.  Tosoni had two hits and drove in three.  Ryan Mullins was the winner, giving up three runs on seven hits and no walks in six innings.  Slama got the save.

Friday

Rained out--will be made up as part of a doubleheader July 8.

Saturday

The bats were silent this day, as New Britain managed only four hits in losing to the Connecticut Defenders 3-0 in New Britain.  Brett Pill hit a solo homer in the first to put Connecticut ahead 1-0.  No runners got past first again for either team until the fifth, when the Rock Cats got a walk and a single with two out, but did not score.  In the seventh, a double and a single put the Defenders up 2-0.  New Britain again tried to rally with two out in the seventh, getting an error, a hit batsman, and a walk, but again the rally failed to produce a run.  A single, a hit batsman, and a double gave Connecticut a third run in the eighth, and that was that.  No Rock Cat had more than one hit, and all the hits were singles.  Cole Devries took the loss despite giving up only two runs on six hits in seven innings.  Alex Burnett pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Sunday

The Rock Cats could only score in one inning, and it wasn't enough as they fell to Connecticut 4-3.  New Britain got a leadoff double in the first and put two on in the third, but there was no scoring until the fifth, when the Defenders put two singles around a double to go ahead 1-0.  Connecticut made it 3-0 in the sixth on a homer, a double, and a single.  In the bottom of the sixth, Rene Tosoni doubled, Erik Lis walked, and Juan Portes singled to cut the lead to 3-1.  An error loaded the bases, Daniel Berg walked to drive in a run, and Danny Lehmann singled to tie the score.  In the eighth, a double, a ground out, and a squeeze bunt brought home the game-winner for the Defenders.  The Rock Cats got two on with two out in the bottom of the ninth, but a ground out ended the game.  Tosoni had three hits and Brian Dinkelman had two.  Matthew Fox pitched 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on eight hits.  Kyle Waldrop had a scoreless 1.2 innings.  Anthony Slama took the loss.

Monday

A four-run first was all Connecticut really needed as the Defenders defeated New Britain 6-3.  Connecticut put together six singles, including two infield hits, to score the four first-inning runs.  The Rock Cats put runners on second and third in the second and fourth, but the next run was scored by the Defenders in the top of the fifth on three singles.  New Britain finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth, when an error and singles by Whitney Robbins and Brian Dinkelman put the Rock Cats on the board.  The Defenders got a double and a single in the sixth to go back up by five.  In the bottom of the sixth, Allan de San Miguel walked, Brandon Roberts singled, and Whitney Robbins and Erik Lis delivered RBI singles to make the score 6-3, but that was as close as New Britain would come, and they never mounted another serious challenge.  Robbins had three hits and Lis and Dinkelman had two each.  Carlos Gutierrez took the loss, giving up five runs on ten hits in four innings.  Kyle Waldrop and Jose Lugo each pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, and Frank Mata pitched a scoreless two-thirds of an inning.

Tuesday

The first inning was again the key, as the Rock Cats scored seven in the first to defeat the Portland Sea Dogs 9-5 in Portland.  New Britain needed only two hits to score their seven first-inning runs.  Brandon Roberts and Toby Gardenhire walked, and Rene Tosoni was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Whitney Robbins walked to bring in the first run, and Daniel Berg hit a bases-clearing double to make the score 4-0.  Following a walk to Brian Dinkelman, Erik Lis hit a three-run homer to put the Rock Cats ahead 7-0.  Portland scored three in the bottom of the first in a similar fashion:  two walks preceded a three-run homer to make the score 7-3.  The Sea Dogs loaded the bases with two out in the third, but the next runs were scored in the fourth, when Gardenhire singled and Tosoni homered to increase the lead to 9-3.  The lead was cut to 9-5 in the seventh when Portland got a double and a homer, but those were the last hits the Sea Dogs would get.  Gardenhire, Tosoni, and Juan Portes each had two hits, with Lis and Berg each driving in three runs.  Ryan Mullins got the win, giving up three runs on four hits and three walks and striking out eight in six innings.  Alex Burnett and Anthony Slama each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Statistical notes:  The Rock Cats are second in runs, tied for third in doubles, third in triples, and tied for fifth in home runs.  They are sixth in walks and eleventh in stolen bases.  The Rock Cats are first in OBP, third in SLG, tied for first in AVG, and second in OPS.

Rock Cats pitchers are eighth in ERA, tied for ninth in fewest hits allowed, tied for sixth in fewest home runs allowed, and fourth in fewest walks allowed.  They are fourth in strikeouts and eighth in WHIP.

Danny Valencia is tied for third in triples (4).  Jose Lugo is first in games (39).  Anthony Slama is second in games (35) and second in saves (15).  Ryan Mullins is tied for first in starts (15) and second in strikeouts (73).

Notes:  Jeff Manship has been promoted to Rochester...Rene Tosoni has been selected to appear for the World team in the all-star Futures Game...As expected, Monday's started will be Carlos Gutierrez' last for this season.  He is being moved to the bullpen to prevent him from pitching too many innings this year.  There have been no reports on what the Rock Cats will do to replace both Gutierrez and Manship in the rotation.  They had planned to start Yohan Pino in Manship's spot Friday, but that was not looked at as a permanent solution.