Rock Cats Tie Team Record with Ninth Straight Win; Outslug Reading 10-8

Published on June 20, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


New Britain, CT - The Rock Cats defeated the Reading Fightin' Phils by the score of 10-8 on Friday evening at New Britain Stadium.

Fans were witness to a game full of hits and runs, swinging momentum to either team at times, but the Cats' would prevail with four runs in the seventh, giving them their ninth straight win. The victory ties a team record that was set back in 1998 and was matched in 2005.

3B Brandon Waring put the Cats on the board early with a solo shot that clanked off the light tower just past the wall in left center. Waring's homer, one of three on the night, was a good omen, as New Britain has won the last 10 games in which a Rock Cats player has left the yard.

The home club tacked on another run in the bottom of the third to make it a 2-0 lead. 2B Eddie Rosario cracked a base hit out to right field to score CF Aaron Hicks, who reached on a throwing error by SS Edgar Duran to start the inning. Hicks, who played for New Britain back in 2012 where he set the single season records for Triples and Runs Scored, is playing out his Major League rehab assignment in the Hardware City.

The Rock Cats broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth, going up 5-0 on a sacrifice fly from RF Reynaldo Rodriguez and a two-run triple by SS Tony Thomas. Rodriguez lifted a fly ball out to deep center to drive home Rosario and send Reading starter LHP Hoby Milner to the showers in the process. RHP Ryan O'Sullivan came on in relief of Milner and Thomas promptly sent his offering into the gap in right-center, pushing DH Nate Hanson and 1B Kennys Vargas across the plate and while motoring himself all the way to third.

Reading would fight back with four runs of their own in the top half of the sixth, three of them coming on a fly ball that fell between Hicks and Rodriguez in right-center. Both outfielders converged on the hit by 3B Anthony Phillips but the ball flew past the two Rock Cats untouched, giving Phillips a three-RBI double. C Logan Moore singled in the following at-bat to score Phillips and make it a 5-4 ballgame.

New Britain picked up an insurance run with two outs in their half of the sixth. Hanson sent a liner out to left field that fell just in front of LF Jiwan James and allowed C Kyle Knudson to score from second, increasing the lead to 6-4.

The Fightin' Phils completed the comeback to knot the game up at 6-6 on back-to-back runs in the top of the seventh. CF Aaron Altherr sent a double to right off of New Britain reliever RHP Daniel Turpen to score Duran, who singled to start the inning. DH Jake Fox singled home Altherr to erase the New Britain lead completely.

This would not last as the Rock Cats picked up four runs on four hits in the seventh, including home runs by both Rodriguez and LF Mike Kvasnicka. Reading reliever RHP Nefi Ogando started the inning by giving up the solo blast to Rodriguez, his eleventh of the year, and Kvasnicka's two-run shot left the ballpark in a hurry, giving New Britain the lead once again.

Rogers exited the game with two outs in the top of the seventh. He scattered nine hits while allowing five runs, one earned, and recording three walks and three strikeouts. Rock Cats relievers would be reached for three runs, all earned, including two in the top of the ninth, but pitched well enough to close out the game with Turpen improving to 3-1 in the win.

Milner lasted four and one-third innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits while walking three and striking out three. Reliever Ogando, who gave up the two home runs in the seventh, falls to 2-1.

Each batter in the Rock Cats lineup picked up at least one hit on Friday with Rosario pacing the team with three to go along with two RBIs.

New Britain continues the series against the Phillies' Eastern League affiliate on Saturday evening with a start time of 6:35 p.m. Rock Cats LHP Jason Wheeler, making his Rock Cats debut, squares off against RHP Perci Garner.

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Eastern League Stories from June 20, 2014


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