Rock Cats' Bats Fall Silent

Published on May 13, 2012 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


NEW BRITAIN, CT - Reading's Julio Rodriguez struggled with control but still took a no-hitter into the sixth inning as the Phillies escaped with a 6-4 victory over New Britain on Sunday afternoon.

The R-Phils regained the first place spot in the Eastern Division by a half a game over the Rock Cats. New Britain was out-hit 14-4 in a game where the `Cats reached base more times on free passes than hits and went just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Rodriguez managed to escape numerous threats by the Rock Cats in the early innings. He walked the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the first before retiring the next two batters. Chris Colabello then worked the count full before drawing a walk to load the bases. Rodriguez managed to strike out Nate Hanson to end the inning and keep the `Cats off the board.

The second inning brought more control issues for Rodriguez, who walked Danny Lehmann to open the inning before hitting Mark Dolenc in the back with a pitch. Rodriguez once again worked his way out of damage by forcing the next three batters to fly out. He went on to retire a total of nine straight batters while keeping the Rock Cats hitless into the sixth inning despite several hard-hit balls by the `Cats.

In the fifth, Rodriguez walked James Beresford to open the inning. Estarlin De Los Santos laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Beresford to second before a passed ball allowed him to advance to third. Aaron Hicks then delivered a sacrifice fly to left that scored Beresford to give the Rock Cats a 1-0 lead without a hit on the board.

Meanwhile, Andrew Albers kept the R-Phils off the board until the sixth inning. Steve Susdorf lined a single into right field to score Tyson Gillies to tie the game, 1-1. Darin Ruf, who reached base on a walk, then scored on Sebastian Valle's one-out sacrifice fly to left for a 2-1 lead.

Rodriguez retired the first two batters in the sixth before Nate Hanson broke up the no-hit bid with a single into center field.

The Phillies tacked on two more runs in the seventh on Troy Hanzawa's two-run triple. In the bottom of the inning, the Rock Cats answered back with two runs of its own courtesy of Evan Bigley's single to center that scored Beresford and De Los Santos to close the gap, 4-3.

Reliver Caleb Thielbar ran into trouble in the eighth as Susdorf led off with a double and came around to score on a one-out double by Miguel Abreu. Jiwan James singled to put runners on the corners before Thielbar was lifted for Bobby Lanigan. With two outs, Hanzawa's bunt single scored Abreu for a 6-3 lead.

Chris Herrmann homered to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning to bring the Rock Cats to within two runs.

Rodriguez (3-0) limited the Rock Cats to one run and one hit but walked five and threw 46 of his 96 pitches for balls. J.C. Ramirez closed it out in the ninth to notch his second save.

Albers (1-1) allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out four in six innings.

ALLSTATE PLAYER OF THE GAME: RF Evan Bigley went 1-for-4 with a two-run single for the Rock Cats.

Of Note: The Rock Cats have an off day on Monday before continuing the current homestand on Tuesday night. The `Cats will take on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in a four-game, three-day series that kicks off with a 5:05 P.M. single-admission doubleheader on Tuesday.

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Eastern League Stories from May 13, 2012


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