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De La Cruz Goes Deep as CT Tigers Suffer Sweep

June 21, 2018 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Norwich Sea Unicorns News Release


BURLINGTON, Vt. - Isrrael De La Cruz belted his first career home run to give the Connecticut Tigers (2-4) a 3-0 lead in the fifth but the Vermont Lake Monsters (5-1) scored 10 unanswered runs to complete a three-game sweep of their Stedler Division rival with a 10-3 victory on Wednesday night at Centennial Field.

Connecticut seized an early lead with aggressive base running in the third inning. Julio Martinez scored from third on a wild pitch and moments later, De La Cruz raced home to score from second base on an RBI groundout to the shortstop by Cam Warner.

In his fifth professional season and 637th at-bat, De La Cruz drilled his first-ever home run over the right field fence in the fifth. The 20-year-old utility man went deep against lefty Rafael Kelly (Win, 1-0) for the first home run by any Connecticut Tiger in 2018.

Kelly regrouped after allowing only one earned run and finished off six innings of relief pitching for Vermont with one strikeout and no walks. Charlie Cerny started for the Lake Monsters and tossed one perfect inning on 13 pitches.

Connecticut starting pitcher Carson Lance allowed a two-out, two-run single on Jameson Hannah's first career hit in the fifth but left in line for the victory with a 3-2 lead after two hits, five walks, and three strikeouts.

The first-place Lake Monsters plated three runs in the seventh and five more runs in the eighth. Five of those runs were charged to Victor Mueses (Loss, 0-1) and Daniel Gonzalez allowed all three inherited runners to score in the eighth.

Detroit Tigers prospect Sam McMillan recorded his first New York-Penn League hit. The 19-year-old catcher singled to center in the third inning to snap an 0-for-11 streak to start his Connecticut career. Warner, the 24-year-old third baseman from Canberra, Australia, led the Tigers on Wednesday with two doubles.

Connecticut suffered a fourth loss in a row after allowing a season-high 10 runs and 9 walks. It was the second time in the last four games the Tigers failed to protect a three-run lead.

The Tigers return home to Dodd Stadium on Thursday, June 21 for their first Throwback Thursday of the season. Every Thursday in 2018, the Tigers will throw it back to the 1990s and play in Norwich Navigators uniforms. Fans will also enjoy throwback pricing on concessions including domestic draft beers for just two dollars each.

The Connecticut Tigers are the New York-Penn League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut. Individual tickets for 2018 home games, season memberships to "The Club," ticket mini-plans, and Tigers team merchandise are now on sale at The Tiger Den in Dodd Stadium, over the phone at 860-887-7962, and online at CTTigers.com.

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