New Britain 2 at Reading 9
W: P. Overholt (3-3, 3.98); L: Z. Ward (2-4, 3.43)
HR: REA: J. Donald (10), B. Harman (8).
Checking the New Britain scores is as much a chore as checking Elizabethton is a joy. The Rock Cats are not playing up to their potential at all. This year's version of the Reading Phillies contains much of the best of last year's FSL champion, the Clearwater Threshers.
The New Britain Rock Cats looked more like last year's version of the Fort Myers Miracle than as a collection of the best prospects in the Twins minor league system.
Zack Ward gave up 8 runs on 9 hits and 4 walks while fanning 4 over 5.1 innings. He'd lead off the game with walks to Javon Moran, Jason Donald and Brad Harman to load the bags. Lou Marson's ground out brought in Moran before Ward could get Joey Hammond to strike out and Neil Sellers to ground out to end the inning.
David Winfree singled in the second and got over to 3rd one out later on a Danny Valencia line drive, but Brian Dinkelman would fly out to strand him.
In the bottom of the second, Mike Eylward doubled, moved to 3rd on Luke Appert's ground out and was sacrificed in by Mike Spidale.
Drew Butera walked in the top of the 3rd, moved to 2nd on a Luke Hughes' line drive and to 3rd on a Dustin Martin ground out. But Brock Peterson would pop out and Erik Lis fly out and Butera was left on base.
Reading would not score in the 3rd, but made up for it in the 4th. With one out on the board, Appert and Spidale hit back-to-back singles. Moran's ground out moved the runners, and a line drive by Jason Donald drove in the pair.
Pat Overholt would stymie the Cats in the fourth, fifth and six innings, allowing only a walk to Winfree.
Eylward singled in the bottom of the six, and following a strike out to Appert, Spidale and Moran hit a pair of ground ball singles that drove in Elyard. Donald then went yard, his 10th of the season, over the left field wall. That finished it for Ward, and Rob Delaney came into the game. He'd immediately surrender a solo-shot home run to Harmon and a single to Marson before finding the last two outs.
With two outs in the top of the 7th, Butera would get plunked with a pitch. Hughes then singled to put runners at the corners. Martin doubled to drive in the pair, ending the scoring for both teams.
Delaney gave up 1 run on 2 hits and struck out 6 over 2.2 innings.
Hughes was 2-for-4 in the game with a run. Martin was 1-for-4 with a double and 2 RBIs. Winfree was 1-for-3 with a walk, while Valencia became the one hit wonder, going 1-for-4 at the plate. Both former Miracle players are posting a .196 average with the Cats.
The Cats have one more game in Reading, Thursday, July 3rd with a 7:05 PM start time.
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Reading Eagle
Rochester 5 at Buffalo 4
W: C. Cali (5-0, 3.38); L: R. Newsom (0-1, 4.50)
HR: ROC: R. Jorgensen (5), M. Macri (3). BUF: B. Snyder 2 (7).
It took 12 innings, but the Rochester Red Wings managed to skid past the Buffalo Bisons.
Danny Graves worked the first 5 for the wings, allowing 3 earned runs on six hits and a pair of walks while fanning 2.
Ryan Jorgenson doubled in the top of the 3rd, move to third on a Tommy Watkins single, and come in on a Trevor Plouffe single to open the scoring and putting the Wings up early. That wouldn't last though as the Bisons used a pair of doubles in the bottom half the stanza to put 2 runs on the board.
Brad Snyder then went yard in the bottom of the 4th for the herd, with a fly ball out to left.
Jorgensen hit his own home run in the top of the fifth, his fifth of the season over the left field wall.
Matt Macri would do the same in the top sixth for his 3rd home run of the year.
The score would stay tied at 3 until the top of the ninth. With Jensen Lewis on the mound for the herd, Sergio Santos singled then move to second on a Jorgensen sac-bunt. Watkins also hit a sac bunt and Pouffe's sac-fly would score Santos.
Bobby Korecky would handle the pitching chores for the Wings in the bottom of the stanza, but Buffalo responded with Snider hitting his 7th homer of the season over the right field wall.
On to extra innings. All-star Darnell McDonald and Garrett Jones hit back-to-back singles, and passed ball put McDonald on 3rd. Randy Ruiz struck out and Jones would advance to 2nd on defensive indifference before Howie Clark was intentionally walked to load the bases. Macri then singled to drive in McDonald for the game winning run.
Jorgensen was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs and a run scored. Jones and Macri were 2-for-6, Macri with a run and 2 RBIs. Plouffe was 1-for-4 with a walk and 2 RBIs.
The two teams rematch Thursday in Buffalo at Dunn Tire park with a 6:05 PM game.
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2 comments:
You're right. The RockCats pitching has not been good at all, and they're getting pounded night after night.
Manship has a good shot at passing all the other pitchers as 'next to AAA'
They miss Tolleson in the lineup. I thought I read Hughes would be in the Olympics..true?
Korecky has 5 blown saves. He's going to have a tough time making the big club again under-performing like that.
Leveret is at A ball, starting slowly. Do you think Waltenbury should move up too, now that Parmalee and Benson are out a long time? Might not be a bad idea.
The thing is - at the end of last season - Swarzak looked like a legitimate MLB prospect. Suddenly, he looks like the next pitcher to move down to High A. Mullins has been consistent but not as stellar as I expected. So how long, before what ever is affecting the rest of the Rock Cats pitching staff, affects Manship.
Hughes has, through his career, taken off at odd times to go play for team Australia, so yes, there's a good chance he'll be with the Aussie Team for the Olympics.
Korecky looks really good some nights and really terrible on others. Maybe it's a disappointment factor and he needs to put it behind him.
Much as I'd like to see Walt in Beloit, both Walt and Leveret are first basemen and neither are flexible enough to play elsewhere. So It's probably to their mutual benefit to have one in E-Town and the other in Beloit. Baseball is a lot like flying, the more you do it, the better you get at it. They both need time to develop and it's better if they are not fighting each other for playing time.
Ditto with moving Revere. It won't hurt him to stay in Beloit where he can play every single night if he needs to. If he comes up here, he's going to be sharing time with Ovalle et al.
Solarte on the other hand can play outfield, and several infielding positions, so he gets adequate playing time doing various things, and doesn't have to squeeze any of the other players out.
It's kind of the same reason they moved Rocky to Double A instead of Ramos. Wilson won't get any better sitting on the bench behind Butera, where as Rocky's used to having splinters in his butt.
Might also be the reason they only moved Delaney. This way they each get more playing time. Although I honestly believe you need at least two good closers on a team at any given time.
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