Cats bats silenced by Bowie

New Britain 0 at Bowie 7

W: B. Bergesen (13-3, 2.68); L: J. Rainville (7-8, 6.50)
HR: BOW: B. Davis (4).

Once again, the New Britain Rock Cats proved themselves clawless as they failed to find any sort of comprehensive offense against the Bowie Baysox.

Bowie's Brad Bergesen went the distance for the Orioles farm team, scattering six hits over nine innings while fanning three. The Concord, California, native pick up he 13 win of the season, he has lost only 3 eastern league games in 2008.

Jay Rainville took the start for the listless Cats, and allowed a walk to Sebastien Boucher to lead off. Carlos Rojas doubled and Luis Montanez sacrificed in Boucher. Nolan Reimold then singled to plate Rojas, giving the Baysox an early lead.

With one out on the board in the bottom of the 5th, Jonthan Tucker singled and Blake Davis launched a ball over the right field wall for his fourth home run of the season, extending Bowie's league to 4.

In the bottom of the 8th, Rojas singled with one out on the board, Montanez then tripled to plate Rojas and send Rock Cats field manager Bobby Cuellar out to the mound. He'd lift Jay Rainville in favor of Kyle Aselton. The 6'5" lefty would walk Reimold and allow a single to Matt Wieters that brought in Montanez. He'd then unleash a wild pitch to advance Reimold to 3rd and Wieters to 2nd. Mike Rodriguez singled out to center to drive in Reimold.

Erik Lis was 4-for-4 at the plate and had a double in the 7th inning. Tolleson and Hughes were both 1-for-4, Tolleson with a single in the 3rd and Hughes with one of two singles in the ninth (the other belonging to Lis). It was the only time during the contest the Cats would get two hits in the same inning.

Game number two of the four game set is Tuesday at 7:05 PM at Prince George's Stadium. Baysox southpaw Rommie Lewis (1-5, 4.03) will step onto the hill for the first pitch. New Britain counters with lefty Ryan Mullins (7-7, 4.28).

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Scranton/WB 4 at Rochester 7

W: P. Humber (6-7, 5.38); L: A. Horne (2-3, 5.63); SV: B. Korecky (16)
HR: SWB: C. Ransom (20), B. Broussard (7).

Phil Humber and Casey Daigle held the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees to six hits over 7.3 innings and the Rochester Red Wings did the rest as the Wings picked up a 7-4 win at Frontier Field.

Alan Horne did not fair nearly so well. The Marianna, Florida, native surrendered 5 runs on a pair of hits and 5 walks in 1 innings worth of work.

Horne started off by walking Jason Pridie, who then stole 2nd. Adam Everett took a walk as well. Horne got Darnell McDonald to pop out but Garrett Jones tripled to clear off the bags. Randy Ruiz hit into a ground out before another walk was issued, this time to Howie Clark. Matt Macri lined out to end the inning.

Horne return for the bottom of the second to walk Trevor Plouffe and Jeff Christy. He'd then allow a single to Pride, which plated Plouffe before the Yankees would replace him on the mound with Chris Britton. Britton allowed a single to Everett that brought in Christie and after getting McDonald and Jones out on strikes, allowed a line drive single to Ruiz that brought in Pridie.

Scranton would get on the board in the top of the 4th, with Alberto Gonzalez singling and Cody Ransom hitting his 20th home run of the season, over the center field wall, making the score 5-2, Rochester.

Brian Bruney would replace Britton in the top of the 5th and hit Ruiz with a pitch. There would be an small disagreement regarding Bruney's actions and he would be ejected by umpire Mike Estabrook, as was Ruiz.* Billy Traber stepped onto the mound for the Yankees and Sergio Santos replaced Ruiz at first base. Clark would ground out and Macri single to advance Santos to 3rd. Plouffe then ground into a force out that scored Santos and took Macri out at 2nd, to add another run to the Wings total.

Steve Jackson replaced Traber in the bottom of the 7th, and Clark would reach on a Ben Broussard fielding error. Macri ground out, but Plouffe drew a walk. Christy followed that up with a single to plate Clark, giving Rochester 7 runs. Pridie would single to load the bags, but Everett ground into a double play to end the inning.

Chris Stewart doubled for the Yankees in the top of the 8th. Gonzalez would fly out to move him to 3rd and then pair of wild pitches by Daigle would plate Stewart.

In the 9th, Broussard took his 7th home run of the season off Daigle and J.D. Closser walked. But the Red Wings would bring in Bobby Korecky who got Eric Duncan out on strikes and Chris Stewart and Brett Gardner to both pop out to end the contest.

Pridie finished up 2-for-4 with a walk, a pair of runs and a RBI; Jones was 2-for-5 with a triple and pair of RBIs. Everett was 1-for-4 with a walk, a run and a run scored. Macri was also 1-for-4 but qualifies as a one hit wonder, as did McDonald, who was 1-for-5. Plouffe twas 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, a run and a RBI, while Christy was 1-for-1 with 3 walks, a run and a run scored.

Santos, 0-for-2 and Clark 0-for-3 with a walk, each had a run as well.

Rochester now travels to Pawtuckett for a four game series against the Pawtuckett Paw Sox starting Tuesday at 7:05 PM.

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Tommy Watkins will have surgery on his left shoulder to replace a torn labium on Tuesday morning. He is expected to remain in Rochester through the end of the season.

Brian Duensing was presented with his USA Olympic Baseball team cap and jersey in a pregame ceremony Sunday. Wings GM Dan Mason surprised Duensing with a gift from the front office: a plane ticket for Duensing's wife Lisa to join him in Beijing. His Red Wings teammates have put together a silent auction that will take place at the Aug. 8 home game; proceeds will help offset hotel costs for Duensing's wife.

RHP Anthony Swarzak has been promoted from Double-A New Britain and start Wednesday's game in Pawtucket.

Right-hander Tom Shearn was signed to a free-agent contract. He started the season with Triple-A Louisville and went 6-2 with a 4.53 earned-run average before being sold to a team in Korea.

Adam Everett's rehab assignment expired Monday. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, if Minnesota does not activate the infielder, the ballclub will either have to designate him for assignment or get Everett to agree on a longer rehab stint.

Former Red Wing Jason Tyner was released by the Buffalo Bisons.

Former Red Wing/Rock Cat/Miracle Denard Span, now with the Minnesota Twins hit his first big-league home run Monday night.

Photo of Sergio Santos courtesy of Nancy Zinni.