Vasquez Perfect on the Mound, Rodriguez Perfect at the Plate

Published on August 16, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


New Britain, CT - The New Britain Rock Cats defeated the Harrisburg Senators by the scores of 5-1 and 9-0 during Saturday's doubleheader at New Britain Stadium in front of a crowd of 5,870.

Virgil Vasquez and Reynaldo Rodriguez shared the spotlight over the course of the two games - Vasquez hurled the first no-hitter in New Britain Stadium history in Game Two and Rodriguez reached base safely a perfect seven for seven times over the course of the two games - five hits and two walks, with three of the hits being home runs.

Game One

A pair of home runs and solid starting pitching propelled the Rock Cats to victory in Game One.

Rodriguez sent shots over the leftfield wall in the second and fourth innings - the first one being a two-run home run and the second was a solo home run off of Harrisburg starter RHP John Simms. The last Rock Cat to record a multi-homer game was Brandon Waring back on July 24th vs. Altoona.

RHP Jose Berrios was very impressive for the home club, working into the sixth inning and allowing just one run - a sacrifice fly from DH Cutter Dykstra that scored LF Quincy Latimore, making it a 4-1 game in New Britain's favor. The Twins top pitching prospect struck out five over five and one-third innings, giving up five hits and two walks.

Berrios improves his record to 2-3 while reliever RHP Edgar Ibarra earned his first save with New Britain after coming down from Triple-A Rochester back on August 5th.

New Britain picked up runs on an RBI single from 3B Nate Hanson in the bottom of the third and an RBI double from Rodriguez in the sixth. Hanson's base hit scored 2B Levi Michael, who was 2-3 in the first contest and is batting .429 with six hits in his first four games.

The Senators righthander Simms went the distance in the losing effort, allowing five runs, all earned, on nine hits while walking none and striking out five. He falls to 2-5 on the year.

Game Two

Rock Cats starter Vasquez twirled the no-no on just 69 pitches - the first one of his professional career. The Major League veteran issued no free passes and struck out two while working with C Matt Koch, their first time as a battery this season. The only blemish on the night was a fielding error committed by SS Jorge Polanco in the top of the second inning, allowing LF Kevin Keyes to reach first.

Rodriguez continued to swing a hot bat into the second game, launching a two-run homer off of RHP Brian Dupra in the bottom of the second inning. CF Eddie Rosario chipped in with a two-run single as the bases were loaded later on in the frame. The line drive out to right scored RF Tony Thomas and 3B Steven Wickens to give New Britain a 4-0 lead.

Thomas put the Rock Cats up by five after lifting a sacrifice fly to deep right field, driving in Rodriguez, who reached on his fifth hit of the night.

SS Jorge Polanco got into the mix in the bottom of the fourth, sending a double out to centerfield off of reliever RHP Paul Demny and plating 1B Mike Gonzales to make it 6-0.

New Britain picked up three more runs in the bottom of the sixth - a two-run double from Polanco and a sacrifice fly from 3B Steven Wickens to put the Cats' up 9-0.

Vasquez's no-hitter was the first ever at home for the Rock Cats and second ever in franchise history - the last one came in 2003 with Horacio Estrada on the mound in Reading. The second year Rock Cat evens his record to 6-6 on the season.

The Rock Cats look to complete the series sweep on Sunday afternoon as they send LHP Jason Wheeler to the mound to square off against LHP Zach Kroenke. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m.

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