Defenders Win 7-3

Published on July 8, 2009 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


New Britain, CT - Luke Hughes had three doubles - including the go-ahead RBI double in the fourth - on a perfect night at the plate to lead the Rock Cats to a 7-3 win over the Defenders in the nightcap of Wednesday night's doubleheader. The victory snapped the Defenders' four-game win streak and put the Rock Cats (44-41) back within six games of the first-place Defenders (50-35), who dropped just its' 13th game on the road this season after taking the earlier game, 3-1.

The Defenders jumped out to an early lead off of Deolis Guerra, who was making his Double-A debut for the Rock Cats, in the first inning. Mike McBryde greeted Guerra with a single to left field. An error by third baseman Luke Hughes allowed the next batter, Brad Boyer, to reach base safely and put McBryde at third. Brett Pill followed with a single to left that scored McBryde for the 1-0 advantage. Guerra escaped the jam by forcing a double play and then a ground out to first to end the inning.

The Rock Cats answered back in the bottom of the inning against the Defenders' Mike Musgrave. Yancarlos Ortiz started the inning off with a walk and Luke Hughes and Rene Tosoni followed with consecutive base hits that loaded the bases with no outs. Erik Lis' sacrifice fly to center plated Ortiz to tie the game. Whit Robbins' RBI single to left put the ‘Cats on top, 2-1. With two outs, Brian Dinkelman drew a walk to load the bases again. Musgrave then hit Danny Berg with a pitch to walk in another run.

The Defenders got to Guerra again in the third, this time with a triple by Boyer, who scored on a groundout by Pill. Tyler LaTorres added an RBI double that tied the game, 3-3.

Hughes, who finished the night a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with three doubles, two runs, and three RBI, put the Rock Cats back on top when he knocked in Ortiz with a double to center field. The Aussie struck again in the sixth when he dropped another two-base hit into left field to knock in two more runs.

The 20-year-old Guerra (1-0), who is rated as the 20th best prospect in the Twins' system, finished with three runs - two earned - on five hits in five innings to pick up his first career victory in the Eastern League. Anthony Slama came on in the sixth to slam the door and fired two shutout innings with one hit and three strikeouts to earn his 18th save.

Ben Snyder (3-3) suffered the loss after allowing one run - Hughes' first RBI double - on three hits in four innings of relief.

(Game 1) New Britain, CT - Despite an impressive complete game effort by Cole DeVries and a home run by Juan Portes, the Rock Cats dropped the first game of Wednesday night's doubleheader to the Defenders, 3-1.

DeVries (5-8) limited the Defenders to three runs - all unearned - on five hits through seven innings. He struck out three.

The Defenders scored all their runs in the top of the first. Brock Bond started the inning off by reaching on a fielding error by first baseman Erik Lis. DeVries battled back to strike out the next batter before Bobby Felmy laced a triple to left field to knock in Bond. Felmy scored on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Brett Pill. Brad Boyer rounded out the scoring with a line drive to left field that scored Eddy Martinez-Esteve, who had reached on a double.

Madison Bumgarner, the San Francisco Giants' 2007 first round draft pick and current number one prospect, scattered five hits in four innings. The lone run he allowed was a solo shot to Portes to start the fourth. Dan Griffin (6-5) came on in relief in the fifth and limited the Rock Cats to one hit in his only inning of work to pick up the win. Joe Paterson tossed two scoreless innings in relief to notch his 10th save of the season.

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Eastern League Stories from July 8, 2009


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