Cats avoid Sweep with 2-1 win over Defenders

New Britain 2 at Connecticut 1

W: Y. Pino (2-2, 3.30); L: D. McKae (5-4, 4.88); SV: B. Julianel (13)
HR: NBR: E. Lis (8).

The New Britain Rock Cats finally found a win on Sunday over the Connecticut Defenders, in a pitcher's duel at the Dodd Stadium.

Zach Ward would make the start for the Cats, working four innings, allowing only 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4.

The Cats would pounce on the board in the top of the 2nd when a throwing error by Jake Wald allowed Erik Lis to reach. Lis then stole 2nd base. Danny Valencia would hit a fly ball to center that Antoan Richardson dropped, allowing the Cats new 3rd baseman to get on base as well. Dustin Martin then singled to load up the bags. A sac-fly by David Winfree plated Lis for the run. Toby Gardenhire would ground into a force out that took Martin out at 2nd, and Drew Butera would pop out to leave the runners stranded.

Lis would homer in the top of the 4th off Defenders' starter Dave McKae for the only earned run the Giant's prospect would allow. He would give up 4 hits and strike out two over 4 innings of work.

Yohan Pino would take over at the top of the 5th, and would go on to work three innings. The bottom of the sixth would see Ben Copeland take a triple off him. He would then hit Eddy Martinez-Esteve with a pitch. Adam Witter ground into a double play which would plate Copeland for the Defenders only run in the game. Carlos Sosa would take a walk, before Pino got Simon Klink to ground out, ending the inning.

Pino would earn the win, improving his record to 2-2. Ben Julianel would pick up his 13th save of the season, allowing 1 hit while fanning 3 over the final two stanzas.

Brian Dinkelman, Felix Molina, Lis, Valencia and Martin were all 1-for-4, while Gardenhire was 1-for-2 with a walk.

The Rock Cats return home to New Britain Stadium on Monday where they will host a four-game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, who aren't really cats at all, but a kind of weasel. First pitch is slated for 6:35 PM.

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Log
Rock Cats
Defenders



Rochester 7 at Indianapolis 6

W: B. Korecky (4-3, 3.19); L: J. Chavez (1-3, 3.95)
HR: ROC: R. Ruiz (10), R. Jorgensen (4), S. Santos (2).

A double by Darnell McDonald in the top of the 11th would not do the trick, but Trevor Plouffe's sac-fly would bring in Garrett Jones to give the Rochester Red Wings a win over the Indianapolis Indians, splitting the four game series at 2 wins each.

Danny Graves would take the start for the Wings, and would hold the Tribe off for two innings. Matt Kata singled in the bottom of the 3rd. One out later, Carlos Maldonado hit a line drive to right, putting two men on base. Andrew McCutchen then doubled out to left to score Kata. Maldonado would try to steal home but would be caught at the plate, and Brian Bixler would ground out to end the inning.

Indians starter Jason Davis would hit McDonald with a pitch. Jones then singled his way onto base. A wild pitch by Davis moved the pair. With Randy Ruiz at the plate, McDonald would try to steal home, but would be caught. Ruiz would then take a walk before a sac-fly the Santos brought in Jones to tie up the game.

A wild pitch by Graves allowed Indian's 3rd baseman Neil Walker to reach on a strike out. Steve Pierce would then single his way onto the bags. Following a fly out to Craig Wilson, Adam Boeve would double to drive in the pair.

Jason Pridie would single in the top of the fifth with two outs and McDonald would take a walk. A wild pitch and a passed ball allowed Pridie to score. Ruiz would homer in the top of the sixth to tie up the game again, his 10th yard ball of the season.

Graves would work 5, allowing the three runs on 7 hits while fanning 3. Naples, Florida, resident Carmen Cali came in for the bottom of the sixth inning.

Pierce would greet Cali with a double. After Craig Wilson ground out, Boeve would walk. Kata then tripled to drive in the pair, Luis Ordaz would take a walk, before Maldonado hit a sac bunt to plate Kata.

Despite a pair of walks in the 7th, the Red Wings would continue to trail by 3.

With Evan Meek on the mound, Ruiz would single his way onto the bags. Sergio Santos then hit his second home run of the season over the left field wall to give the Wings a pair of runs. Two outs later, Ryan Jorgenson went yard over the left field wall to tie the game up again.

Tim Lahey would replace Cali in the 8th and would keep the Tribe off the board for the final two innings of regulation play.

With Jesse Chavez on the mound in the 11th, McDonald would double. Chavez would then issue an intentional walk to Jones. Ruiz would single to load the bags. Following a coaching visit to the mound, Chavez would get Santos to ground into a force out, which would take McDonald out at the plate. That set the stage for Plouffe's sac-fly.

Bobby Korecky would work the last two innings allowing only 2 hits and fanning 2. He'd stike out Maldonado in the bottom of the 11th and then use a pair of ground outs to end the game.

Ruiz would finish up 4-for-5 in the contest with a pair of runs, a walk and a run scored. McDonald was 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and a double, and Jorgenson was 2-for-4 with a walk, a run and a RBI. Alejandro Machado was 2-for-5 but did not factor into the scoring. Santos and Pridie were both 1-for-5 with a run each, Santos with 3 RBIs in the contest.

Rochester will now pay a visit to the Louisville Bats for a four game series. First pitch on Monday is set for 7:05 PM.

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Indians
Red Wings