Late Result from 4/29/10 & Tonight's Matchups

Indianapolis 4 Paw Sox 1
W: Daniel McCutchen (1-0)
L: Randor Bierd (1-1)
S: Wilfredo Ledezma (2)
HR: PAW - Josh Reddick (2)
"For the third game in a row, Indianapolis continued its' mastery over the PawSox." Full recap

Tonight's Probable Pitching Matchups

New Britain Rock Cats (N/A)
vs. Portland Sea Dogs (Stephen Fife 0-1, 4.00) @ 6:05pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

Indianapolis Indians (Brad Lincoln 2-1, 3.63)
vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (Adam Mills 0-2, 4.26) @ 6:15pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

Reading Phillies (Drew Naylor 1-2, 4.86)
vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Kyle Drabek 3-1, 3.80) @ 6:35am
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)


MiLB Gameday Audio

Thunder Cats

Fisher Cats 14 Trenton 12
W: Bobby Buzachero (1-0)
L: D.J. Mitchell (2-2)
S: Danny Farquhar (6)
HR: NH - Eric Thames (3) TREN - Marcos Vechionacci (1)

NOTES ... With the win, the Fisher Cats moved to 13 and 7, best in the Eastern League's Eastern Divison ... Darin Mastroianni swiped his league leading 12th stolen base ... Danny Farquhar is now tied with Richmond closer Rafael Cova for the league lead in saves ... There was at least one run scored in every inning except for the 6th and 9th ... New Hampshire swept the three game series, their second sweep of the season, both on the road ... The Fisher Cats open up a three game series at home versus the Reading Phillis, Friday night at 6:35pm ...

"New Hampshire sent eleven batters to the plate and scored seven runs in the fifth inning en route to a 14-12 win at Trenton Wednesday..." Full recap

(side note - The Fisher Cats are guaranteeing the weather this weekend. If the game time temperature for any game between April 30 and May 2 is below 70 degrees at the start of the game, you can redeem your ticket stub from that game for a FREE TICKET for any Monday through Wednesday, non-Portland home game during the 2010 season!)

Today's Games 4/29/10

Probable Pitching Matchups

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Luis Perez 2-1, 1.52)
vs. Trenton Thunder (D.J. Mitchell 2-1, 3.07) @ 10:35am
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

Indianapolis Indians (Daniel McCutchen NR)
vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (Randor Bierd 2-1, 4.50) @ 6:15pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)


MiLB Gameday Audio

Tonight's Results 4/28/10

Fisher Cats 4 Trenton 1
W: Vince Bongiovanni (1-0)
L: Wilkin De La Rosa (0-1)
S: Trystan Magnuson (1)
HR: NH - Brian Jeroloman (2)
NOTES ... With the win, New Hampshire goes to 8 and 4 in road games this season ... Trenton catcher Austin Romine extended his hit streak to 11 games ... The Fisher Cats finish their series against Trenton with an early 10:35am start tomorrow ...
"Brian Jeroloman broke a 1-1 tie with a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning..." Full recap


Sea Dogs 3 Binghamton 9
W: Eddie Kunz (2-2)
L: Casey Kelly (0-1)
HR: BING - Zack Lutz (6)
NOTES ... Casey Kelly threw 39 pitches in the first inning ... Binghamton's Zach Lutz moved into sole possesion of the home run lead in the Eastern League ... Portland went 4 and 2 on their road trip ... Portland starts a three game home set versus New Britain Friday at 6:00pm ...
"One night after the Sea Dogs were able to quiet the bats of Binghamton, the B-Mets bats woke up and shook the 'Dogs." Full recap

Today's Results

Richmond 5 Rock Cats 3
W: Daniel Turpen (1-1)
L: Santos Arias (0-4)
S: Tony Pena (2)
NOTES ... New Britain has lost five straight games and are 1-11 on the season at home ... Santos Arias blew his second save opportunity of the season... The Rock Cats hit the road for seven games against Portland and New Hampshire ... New Britain is last in the Eastern League with 50 runs scored as a team ... Santos Arias is the first four game loser in the Eastern League this season ...
"Down to the team's final strike in the top of the ninth inning, Flying Squirrels outfielder Thomas Neal roped a double down the left field line with the bases loaded..." Full recap

Indianapolis 10 Paw Sox 9

W: Anthony Claggett (2-0)

L: Fernando Cabrera (0-1)

S: Wilfredo Ledezma (1)

HR: IND - Neil Walker (3), Brian Myrow (2)
NOTES ... Pawtucket is 5 and 7 at McCoy Stadium this season ... Fernando Cabrera was 25 for 25 in converting save opportunities during his Paw Sox career until today ... Daniel Nava has hit safely in eight straight games for the Paw Sox ... The Pawtucket pitching staff has allowed 86 walks this season, the most by any team in the International League ...
"All good things, as PawSox closer Fernando Cabrera knows, must come to an end." Full recap

Yesterday's Results

GAME 1 - Richmond 3 Rock Cats 1
W: Daryl Maday (3-0)
L: Tyler Robertson (0-1)
S: Rafael Cova (6)
HR: RICH - Brandon Crawford (2)

GAME 2 - Richmond 2 Rock Cats 0
W: David Mixon (2-1)
L: Mike McCardell (0-2)
"The Richmond Flying Squirrels got outstanding starting efforts for right-handers Daryl Maday and David Mixon en route to a doubleheader sweep of the New Britain Rock Cats..." Full recap

Indianapolis 7 Paw Sox 2
W: Jeremy Powell (1-3)
L: Kason Gabbard (0-1)
"The PawSox and Indianapolis endured a rain delay of an hour and three minutes on Tuesday night before Indy dropped Pawtucket 7-2." Full recap

Sea Dogs 2 Binghamton 0
W: Ryne Miller (1-1)
L: Mike Antonini (2-2)
S: Bryson Cox (2)
HR: POR - Kalish (4)
"Red Sox prospect yields one hit over six scoreless innings" Full recap

Fisher Cats 4 Trenton 3
W: Collins (1-0)
L: Duff (0-1)
S: Farquhar (5)
"Jonathan Diaz went 3-for-5 with three, two-out, RBI singles, including the game-winner in the top of the 10th inning, as the Fisher Cats beat Trenton 4-3 at Waterfront Park on Tuesday night." Full recap

Tonight's Matchups

Richmond Flying Squirrels (Craig Clark 1-1, 3.07)
vs. New Britain Rock Cats (Cole DeVries 0-3, 3.09) @ 10:35am
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

Indianapolis Indians (Kevin Hart 1-0, 3.52)
vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (Michael Bowden 0-0, 4.35) @ 12:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

Portland Sea Dogs (Casey Kelly 0-0, 1.08)
vs. Binghamton Mets (Eddie Kunz 1-2, 10.22) @ 6:35pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Bobby Bell 2-1, 7.31)
vs. Trenton Thunder (Lance Pendleton 1-2, 4.05) @ 7:05am
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)


MiLB Gameday Audio

Yesterday's results

Buffalo 1 Paw Sox 5
W: Kris Johnson (1-1)
L: Bobby Livingston (0-2)
HR: PAW - Kevin Frandsen (2), Daniel Nava (1)

Sea Dogs vs. Binghamton PPD
Richmond vs. Rock Cats PPD


Tonight's Matchups

GAME 1 Richmond Flying Squirrels (Daryl Maday 2-0, 0.96)
New Britain Rock Cats (Tyler Robertson 0-0, 3.09) @ 5:05pm

GAME 2 Richmond Flying Squirrels (David Mixon 1-1, 3.78)
New Britain Rock Cats (Mike McCardell 0-1, 4.60)
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

Indianapolis Indians (Jeremy Powell 0-3, 11.77)
vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (Kason Gabbard 0-0, 0.00) @ 6:15pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

Portland Sea Dogs (Ryne Miller 0-1, 6.92)
vs. Binghamton Mets (Ryan Pope 0-1, 4.20) @ 6:35pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Zach Stewart 1-1, 7.71)
vs. Trenton Thunder (David Phelps 2-0, 0.77) @ 7:05am
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

Standings

Today's Matchups

Buffalo Bisons (Bobby Parnell 0-1, 3.97)
vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (Kris Johnson 0-1, 10.57) @ 12:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

Richmond Flying Squirrels (Daryl Maday 2-0, 0.96)
vs. New Britain Rock Cats (Mike McCardell 0-1, 4.60) @ 6:35pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

Portland Sea Dogs (Ryne Miller 0-1, 6.92)
vs. Binghamton Mets (Mike Antonini 2-1, 6.28) @ 6:35pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)


MiLB Gameday Audio

Today's Results

Fisher Cats 5 Binghamton 1
W: Scott Shaw (3-0)
L: Randy Boone (1-2)
S: Roy Merritt (2)
HR: NH - Eric Thames (2)

Buffalo 10 Paw Sox 3
W: Pat Misch (1-0)
L: Adam Mills (0-2)
HR: BUF - Jesus Feliciano (1), Mike Jacobs (1)

Sea Dogs 9 Trenton 6
W: Robert Coello (3-1)
L: Noel Castillo (0-2)
HR: POR - Juan Apodaca (1), Lars Anderson (5)

Harrisburg vs. Rock Cats PPD

Yesterday's Results

Fisher Cats 5 Binghamton 1
W: Kyle Drabek (3-1)
L: Brad Holt (0-1)

Buffalo 4 Paw Sox 2
W: R.A. Dickey (2-1)
L: Randor Bierd (2-1)
S: John Lujan (1)
HR: BUF - Mike Cervenak (2)

Harrisburg 15 Rock Cats 5
W: Rafael Martin (1-0)
L: Carlos Gutierrez (0-1)

Sea Dogs 5 Trenton 2
W: Stephen Fife (1-1)
L: Ryan Pope (0-2)
HR: POR - Nate Spears (2)

Today's Matchups

Hopefully we will be able to get all these games in today as weather is a big threat across the board. Word out of Pawtucket is that things are still a go, but down in Trenton the tarp is on the field and the skies look grim.

Buffalo Bisons (Pat Misch 0-0, 2.76)
vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (Adam Mills 0-1, 2.57) @ 1:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Randy Boone 1-1, 3.29)
vs. Binghamton Mets (Scott Shaw 2-0, 9.49) @ 1:05am
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

Portland Sea Dogs (Feliz Doubront 2-0, 3.21)
vs. Trenton Thunder (Jeremy Bleich 1-1, 2.04) @ 1:05pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

Harrisburg Senators (Tom Milone 1-0, 2.20)
New Britain Rock Cats (Tyler Robertson 0-0, 3.09) @ 1:35pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

Today's Matchups

Buffalo Bisons (R.A. Dickey 1-1, 3.32)
vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (Randor Bierd 2-0, 4.50) @ 1:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Kyle Drabek 2-1, 5.17)
vs. Binghamton Mets (Dylan Owen 1-1, 3.38) @ 1:05am
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

Harrisburg Senators (Aaron Thompson 1-1, 2.87)
New Britain Rock Cats (Carlos Gutierrez 0-0, 3.60) @ 6:35pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

Portland Sea Dogs (Stephen Fife 0-1, 4.00)
vs. Trenton Thunder (Ryan Pope 0-1, 4.20) @ 7:05pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

Luis Perez is human! After tossing three straight gems to start the season, the Fisher Cats pitcher game back down to earth a little bit as New Hampshire lost to Binghamton 3-2. The Cats took a 2-0 lead in the second inning after Brian Jeroloman's RBI single, but that was where the runs would stop. In the fifth inning the Mets, after striking for one run in the fourth, put together a two out rally capped by a Kirk Nieuwenhuis RBI double and a Luis Hernandez RBI single to right. The Fisher Cats squandered a bases loaded chance in the top of the ninth. Perez (2-1) picked up his first loss on the year, going 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and five walks. Mets reliever Josh Stinson (2-0) came on in the second and threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings for the win.

Fisher Cats 2 Binghamton 3
W: Josh Stinson (2-0)
L: Luis Perez (2-1)
S: Derrick Ellison (2)

Michael Bowden and the Pawtucket bullpen took advantage of a little home cooking to help pace the Paw Sox to a 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Bisons. Bowden worked 4 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while collecting three strikeouts. Robert Manuel, Alan Embree and Joe Nelson combined for four innings of scoreless ball in relief. It was not until the ninth inning, when Fernando Cabrera came in to turn off the lights, that things got a little interesting. The Mets tacked one on to make it 5-3, then had the game-tying run at the plate before Cabrera collected the save. Manuel (2-0) picked up the win for Pawtucket.

Buffalo 3 Paw Sox 5
W: Robert Manuel (2-0)
L: Tobi Stoner (0-2)
S: Fernando Cabrera (3)
HR: PAW - Jorge Jimenez (1)

The Sea Dogs scored a run in the top of the first inning to take an early lead, but unfortunately they were completely shut down the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Trenton took advantage of a four run seventh inning to put things away for the Thunder. Casey Kelly looked a bit shaky at times, but only allowed one run over 3 1/3 innings of work. His counterpart D.J. Mitchell tossed 6 solid frames, striking out five Dogs and giving up only one run and two hits.

Sea Dogs 1 Trenton 9
W: D.J. Mitchell (2-1)
L: Ryne Lawson(0-2)
HR: TREN - Laird (3)

Asleep at the Wheel

My apologies for missing the New Britain matchup as I was unaware of the noon start time. Unfortunately, the Rock Cats couldn't keep the good vibes alive in New Britain. The score was tied at one apiece going into the ninth inning when the Senators Leonard Davis drove in Jesus Valdez from second with a single. Harrisburg reliever Drew Storen came in for a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up the save. The two teams face off again tomorrow night at 6:35pm.

Senators 2 Rock Cats 1 Final
W: Carr (2-0)
L: Arias (0-3)
S: Storen (3)

Tonight's matchups are full of fire power with Luis Perez, Casey Kelly and Michael Bowden all ready to toe the rubber. Perez is looking to maintain his white hot start to the season. Kelly is on a strict 50 pitch count once again tonight in Trenton and he faces off against another quality pitching prospect in D.J. Mitchell. Michael Bowden is looking to jump start his season and a home game could be just what he needs to do it.

Tonight's Matchups

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Luis Perez 2-0, 0.53)
vs. Binghamton Mets (Eric Niesen 0-2, 2.84) @ 7:05am
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

Portland Sea Dogs (Casey Kelly 0-0, 0.00)
vs. Trenton Thunder (D.J. Mitchell 1-1, 4.15) @ 7:05pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

Buffalo Bisons (Tobi Stoner 0-1, 4.32)
vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (Michael Bowden 0-0, 4.26) @ 7:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

Cats Attack, Dogs Bark Back-to-Back, PawSox Pounded

A monster night by Adam Calderone powered the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to a 10-3 victory over the Binghamton Mets. Calderone went 3-for-5 with a home run, double, single and four RBIs on the night. Bobby Bell lasted six full innings, scattering six hits, one walk and striking out seven, en route to his second win of the season. Lucas "Zippity" Duda (4) and Jose Coronado (3) added home runs to the Mets effort. Luis Perez, one of the hottest pitchers in all of the minors, takes the hill for the Fisher Cats tomorrow with game time set for 7:05pm.

The New Britain Rock Cats shook off their home rust, beating Harrisburg 2-1 with a walk-off single in the ninth. The Juan Portes hit knocked home Rene Tosini, leading to the first home victory of the season for the Rock Cats. The Cats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, but the Senators struck back with one of their own in the top of the sixth. New Britain starter Deolis Guerra pitched a solid seven innings, giving up one run on five hits while striking out six. Reliever Chris Province picked up the win after coming in to get just one out in the top of the ninth. New Britain worked their overall record to 4-10.

In Trenton the Portland Sea Dogs took down the Thunder 3-2 after Lars Anderson and Ray Chang hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning. Robert Coello came on in relief of starter Eammon Portice to earn the victory. Coello tossed three near-flawless innings, striking out five batters and allowing only one walk, upping his record to 2-1 on the season. The win puts the Sea Dogs at .500, with a 7-7 overall record. Tomorrow night's battle of Future Red Sox vs. Future Yankees has Casey Kelly matched up against D.J. Mitchell on the hill.

The PawSox were the lone loss of the four New England MiLB teams tonight. They got beat up pretty good down in Lehigh Valley, as the Iron Pigs took advantage of 18 hits to wallop Pawtucket 12-2. Starter Fabio Castro gave up 5 earned runs over 3 innings and Ramon Ramirez did the same in only two innings of work. The PawSox end their nine game road trip with a record of 3-5. They start an eight game homestand tomorrow night against the Buffalo Bisons, with Michael Bowden expected to get the starting nod for the Sox.

Tonight's Matchups

Harrisburg Senators (Matt Chico 0-2, 5.19)
New Britain Rock Cats (Deolis Guerra 1-1, 4.91) @ 6:35pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Bobby Bell 1-1, 9.90)
vs. Binghamton Mets (Eddie Kunz 1-1, 9.72) @ 7:05am
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

Portland Sea Dogs (Eammon Portice 2-0, 2.80)
vs. Trenton Thunder (Lance Pendleton 1-2, 6.23) @ 7:05pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

Pawtucket Red Sox (Fabio Castro 0-0, 5.14)
vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Brandon Duckworth 0-0, 0.00) @ 7:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

Rock Cats Crumble; PawSox Save the Day

The New Britain Rock Cats missed a golden opportunity to end their two game slide, but instead dropped their third in a row with a heatbreaking 5-4 loss to the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The back-and-forth battle saw the Rock Cats take a 4-3 lead in the seventh after a 2 RBI single by Estarlin De Los Santos. Cole DeVries came on in relief and got New Britain through the seventh inning unscathed, but was not so lucky in the eighth. The leadoff hitter for Richmond got plunked, Roger Kieschnick followed with a triple to tie the game and eventually scored on an Andy D'Alessio single to put Richmond up. Rafael Cova came on for the Flying Squirrels in the ninth and shut the door on the Cats. New Britain completes their road trip with a 3-4 record. Not great, but a step forward from their 0-7 start at home. The Rock Cats look for their first home win on the season when they return to New Britain Stadium tomorrow night to face off against the Harrisburg Senators.

The Pawtucket Red Sox sent Daisuke Matsuzaka off with a parting gift of a win, as they took down Lehigh Valley 8-4. With Dice-K proving he's ready-to-go, and the Boston pitching staff struggling, there is no doubt that Matsuzaka's next outing will be with the big club. In his third start with Pawtucket, Dice-K was in control once again, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and no walks. Dice has walked only one batter in his 16.2 innings of work with the PawSox, while striking out 13. Kevin Frandsen went 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs and a home run and Daniel Nava chipped in with a 2 for 5 day as well, adding 3 RBIs on a double in the sixth. Pawtucket wraps up their eight game road trip tomorrow against the IronPigs.

Sea Dogs and Fisher Cats May Not be Morning People

The alarm clock must have rang a little too early for the Fisher Cats today as they slumbered through a 13-3 loss to Trenton. The 11:00am start time obviously did not affect the Thunder as they struck early and put a stop to the four game New Hampshire win streak. Trenton got hits from all but one of their starting nine and six players contributed RBIs to the cause. Eric Thames offered up a bright spot for the Cats, launching his first career Eastern League homer in the ninth inning. Randy Boone (1-1) picked up his first loss of the season, while Thunder starter David Phelps moved to 2-0 on the year with the win. New Hampshire and Trenton are now tied atop the Eastern League's Eastern Division, with a record of 8-5. The Fisher Cats ship off to Binghamton to start a four game series against the Mets starting tomorrow night.

For the second straight game the Binghamton Mets rung up double digits on the Sea Dogs, this time winning by a score of 10-4. The Sea Dogs allowed 25 runs over the past two games against the Mets. Back-to-back doubles by Binghamton in the first inning started off the scoring and it was pretty much all down hill from there. Zach Lutz took over the Eastern League lead with his fifth home run on the season, jacking a solo shot for the Mets in the third inning. Mike Antonini (2-1) picked up the win for the Mets, throwing 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks. Portland starter Kyle Weiland (0-2) suffered the loss, giving up eighth runs over four innings. The Sea Dogs hit the road for a seven game road trip, starting tomorrow night in Trenton.

Rise and Shine Baseball Heads

Today's Matchups

Trenton Thunder (David Phelps 1-0, 1.59)
vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Randy Boone 1-0, 0.00) @ 11:05am
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

Binghamton Mets (Mike Antonini 1-1, 7.27)
vs. Portland Sea Dogs (Kyle Weiland 0-1, 5.40) @ 12:00pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

Pawtucket Red Sox (Daisuke Matsuzaka 1-0, 0.00)
vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Joe Saverey 0-0, 5.40) @ 7:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

New Britain Rock Cats (Mike McCardell 0-1, 4.66)
vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels (David Mixon 1-1, 4.09) @ 7:05pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

Four Straight for Fisher Cats; Sea Dogs Bing'd Up; PawSox Strand Chance; Rock Cats Swarmed

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats collected their second straight win over the Trenton Thunder and fourth straight victory overall. Cats pitcher Marty McLeary threw six shutout innings in leading New Hampshire to the 2-1 victory, which only took 2 hours and 5 minutes to complete. Al Quintana and Adam Loewen produced back-to-back RBI singles, which accounted for the New Hampshire run support. Tim Collins tidied things up with a perfect ninth inning, picking up his first save of the season. The two teams are back at it bright and early tomorrow morning, closing out their three game series at 11:05pm.

In Portland, the Sea Dogs were at the will of the Binghamton bats who scored in 6 different innings on the way to a 15-3 blowout victory. Ryne Miller took the loss for Portland, allowing 6 earned runs on 5 hits in only 3 innings of work. Nick Evans, Jose Coronado and Kirk Nieuwenhuis all had a home run a piece for the Mets and combined for 11 RBIs. Binghamton finished their three game set in Portland tomorrow starting at noon.

The Paw Sox squandered a near flawless effort by starter Adam Mills, as they lost to Rochester 4-3. Mills (5.0 inn, 2H, 2BB, 4K, 0ER) left the game after the fifth inning with a 3-0 lead. Reliever Ramon Ramirez was tagged with the loss after throwing an inning and a third, allowing 5 walks. With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning, Jorge Jimenez flied out to deep right field to end the game and the Paw Sox bid at a comeback. Pawtucket moves on to Lehigh Valley to face the IronPigs in a two game series starting tomorrow at 7:05pm

Richmond starter Daryl Maday shut down the New Britain Rock Cats, tossing 8 shutout innings, extending his scoreless inning streak to 16 2/3. The Rock Cats plated a run in the ninth but it was too little, too late as the Flying Squirrels picked up their second straight win over New Britain, this time by a final of 4-1. New Britain looks to stop the sweep of the three game series tomorrow at 7:05pm.

SIDE NOTE - Darnell McDonald, who started the season swinging a hot bat in Pawtucket, was called up to the Boston Red Sox who had placed outfielders Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury on the disabled list. In his first at-bat with the team he hit a game tying, pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. If that wasn't enough of a premiere with the big club, McDonald drove in the game winning RBI with a single in the ninth. Talk about making a HUGE impression. He impressed me when I got to see him on opening day at McCoy and now the Fenway Faithful get a taste.

Lance Reddick was also called up from Pawtucket and he also contributed in the Red Sox victory over the Rangers on Tuesday night. Starting in left field, he collected two RBIs on a double in the sixth that put the Sox within striking distance at 6-4. Here's wishing these two all the best with their opportunity. So far, so good.

Last Night's Results

Binghamton 3 Sea Dogs 7
W: Felix Doubront (2-0)
L: Dylan Owen (1-1)

PawSox 9 Rochester 8
W: Randor Bierd (2-0)
L: Glen Perkins (0-1)
S: Robert Manuel (1)

Trenton 4 Fisher Cats 5
W: Kyle Drabek (2-1)
L: Ryan Pope (0-1)
S: Danny Farquhar (4)

Rock Cats 3 Richmond 4
W: Tony Pena Jr. (1-0)
L: Santos Arias (0-2)
S: Rafael Cova (3)


Today's Matchups

Binghamton Mets (Scott Shaw 1-0, 12.27)
vs. Portland Sea Dogs (Ryne Miller 0-0, 3.60) @ 6:00pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

Pawtucket Red Sox (Adam Mills 0-1, 4.00)
vs. Rochester Red Wings (Jeff Manship 0-2, 5.19) @ 6:35pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

Trenton Thunder (Jeremy Bleich 1-0, 1.46)
vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Zach Stewart 1-1, 7.11) @ 6:35pm
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

New Britain Rock Cats (Tyler Robertson 0-0, 5.40)
vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels (Daryl Maday 1-0, 1.69) @ 7:05pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

Tonight's Matchups

Binghamton Mets (Dylan Owen 1-0, 0.82)
vs. Portland Sea Dogs (Felix Doubront 1-0, 2.00) @ 6:00pm
WBAE AM 1490 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

Trenton Thunder (Ryan Pope 0-0, 1.80)
vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Kyle Drabek 1-1, 5.06) @ 6:35pm
WGIR 610 AM (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

Pawtucket Red Sox (Randor Bierd 1-0, 3.00)
vs. Rochester Red Wings (Glen Perkins 0-0, 6.00) @ 6:35pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

New Britain Rock Cats (Carlos Gutierrez 0-0, 5.00)
vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels (Clayton Tanner 1-1, 2.61) @ 7:00pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

Eastern League (AA) - Eastern Division Standings
TEAMS W-L PCT GB
Trenton 7-3 .700 -
New Hampshire 6-4 .600 1
Binghamton 6-5 .545 1 1/2
Reading 6-5 .545 1 1/2
Portland 5-5 .500 2
New Britain 3-7 .300 4

International League (AAA) - North Division Standings
TEAMS W-L PCT GB
Syracuse 7-3 .700 -
Buffalo 6-4 .600 1
Scranton-WB 5-5 .500 2
Lehigh Valley 4-6 .400 3
Pawtucket 4-6 .400 3
Rocheser 4-6 .400 3

Rock Cats Roll, Perez is Sensational, PawSox Halt Skid, Sea Dogs Split

The New Britain Rock Cats seem to be enjoying life on the road. Yesterday they picked up their third win in a row over the Harrisburg Senators by a score of 4-3. Starter David Bromberg went six strong innings to pick up the victory, allowing only one run and 2 hits while striking out 6. Chris Provence came on in the 7th and earned his second save of the season, despite a shaky ninth inning where the Senators pulled within one run of the Cats. Provence struck out Leonard Davis to end the game with the tying run on first base. New Britain takes their red hot road show to Richmond, starting a three game series against the Flying Squirrels (formerly the Connecticut Defenders) tonight.

In Manchester, Fisher Cats starter Luis Perez was once again in full command, paving the way to a 3-1 New Hampshire victory. Last time he pitched, Perez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning; yesterday he took one into the sixth. Binghamton Mets infielder Luis Hernandez hit a solo home run to right field, which was his team's only hit on the day. Perez left after the seventh, Trystan Magnuson pitched a perfect eighth and Danny Farquhar picked up his third save of the season after coming on in the ninth. New Hampshire hosts the Trenton Thunder for three games beginning tonight at 6:35pm.

In Rochester, the PawSox halted their four game slide with a 6-3 victory over the Red Wings. Pawtucket took advantage of four Red Wing errors in the game, which led to a Josh Reddick two run home run in the third inning and a Tug Hulett two run double in the fourth. The win is the first on the road for Pawtucket this season. Red Sox starter Michael Bowden was on a strict 65 pitch limit, so he left the game after 3 1/3 innings in which he gave up two runs. The bullpen chipped in the rest of the way with Robert Manuel picking up the win and Fernando Cabrera picking up his second save of the season.

Portland and Trenton tried to make up for some lost time with a double header in Maine yesterday. They split the day with Trenton taking game 1 by a score of 3-1 and Portland take the second game 2-1. In game 1, Thunder starter D. J. Mitchell went five innings and allowed one hit on the way to his first win of the year. Portland's Casey Kelly threw only 39 pitches in the first three innings of game 2; 29 of those pitches were strikes. Kelly, the top pitching prospect in the Boston Red Sox farm system, was on a strict pitch count and exceeded expectations, striking out two and allowing only two early hits. Eammon Portice pitched a solid 2 2/3 innings to pick up the win in relief for the Sea Dogs. Portland stays at home to face off against the Binghamton Mets in a three game series that begins tonight.

NOTES ... New Hampshire's hot hitting Brad Emaus (.375 avg, 8 RBIs) injured his knee sliding into home on Thursday night and is on the DL, expected to miss 1-2 weeks ... Portland transferred starting pitcher Kyle Weiland to Lowell to make room for pitcher Santo Luis ... New Britain relief pitcher Spencer Steedley has yet to give up a run in 9 innings of work ... Fisher Cats' outfielder Darin Mastroianni leads the Eastern League with five stolen bases, he is also second in the league with 10 runs scored ... Daisuke Matsuzaka is expected to pitch one more game with Pawtucket, this Wednesday against Lehigh Valley, before returning to the Boston Red Sox rotation ... Fisher Cats' Luis Perez amazing stats after 3 starts - 17 IP, 0.53 ERA, 0.47 WHIP, .039 BA against, 2-0 record ...

"Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing." - Warren Spahn

The Portland Sea Dogs were the only team completely washed out by the weather yesterday, forcing them into a doubleheader today against Trenton. That should go off without a hitch as temps are expected to hit the mid-40s with no rain in sight.

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats endured a 40 minute delay before starting their game yesterday. It didn't slow down either team's bats as 21 runs were scored on 22 hits. The highlight of the day was a 10 run, 4th inning assault by the Fisher Cats; a franchise record for most runs in one inning. New Hampshire got RBIs from seven batters on their way to a 13-8 victory; their first home win of the season.

Pawtucket helped the Rochester Red Wings open up their home ballpark for the season, and the Red Wings were thankful for that as they took out the PawSox 6-5. The Red Wings put up three runs on Fabio Castro in the first two innings, but the Sox chipped back to pull within a run. After Rochester went up 5-2, the PawSox again came back, tying things up in the top of the eighth on an Aaron Bates double. Rochester struck right back in the bottom of the eighth and that was enough to seal the deal. Pawtucket has now dropped their last 4 games.

Again we save our friends the Rock Cats for last, because I feel it adds to the suspense. New Britain did it again and they have now, officially, put together a winning streak. The 5-3 win over Harrisburg made it two in a row for the Rock Cats. After an early 2-0 Senators lead, the Cats scratched back in the fifth to the tune of four runs and it was smooth sailing from there.

Yesterday's Recap

Binghamton 8 Fisher Cats 13
W: Bobby Bell (1-1)
L: Eddie Kunz (1-1)

PawSox 5 Rochester 6
W: Rob Delaney (1-1)
L: Fernando Cabrera (0-1)
S: Anthony Slama (3)

Rock Cats 5 Harrisburg 3
W: Deolis Guerra (1-1)
L: Matt Chico (0-2)

Today's Matchups

GAME 1
Trenton Thunder (Lance Pendleton 1-1)
vs. Portland Sea Dogs (Stephen Fife 0-0) @ 1:00pm
WBAE AM 1490 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

GAME 2
Trenton Thunder (N/A)
vs. Portland Sea Dogs (Casey Kelly 0-0) @ Approx 30-45 minutes following conclusion of first game

Pawtucket Red Sox (Michael Bowden 0-0)
vs. Rochester Red Wings (Mike Maroth 1-0) @ 1:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

Binghamton Mets (Eric Niesen 0-1)
vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Luis Perez 1-0) @ 1:35pm
WGIR 610 AM (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

New Britain Rock Cats (David Bromberg 0-0)
vs. Harrisburg Senators (Jeff Mandel 0-2) @ 2:00pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

2 PPDs, A Loss & 1 BIG Win!

The Pawtucket Red Sox and the Portland Sea Dogs were both at the mercy of the weather last night and their games were cancelled due to rain...although it was probably pretty close to being a snow out in Portland if the temp dropped a few more degrees. Portland is still being harassed by the rain and chilly temps and before I could even complete this post, their game today was postponed. Pawtucket has moved on from Buffalo to Rochester, New York where things look a little better as early showers are expected to taper off by noon and the temperature is expected to hit 45 degrees...bust out the shorts!

Up in New Hampshire, the Fisher Cats dropped their second straight game to the Binghamton Mets. The Mets attacked early, putting up 5 runs in the 1st inning, including a 3 RBI double by Lucas "Zippity" Duda. Randy Boone pitched admirably for the Cats, tossing 5 shutout innings in relief and giving New Hampshire a chance to make a comeback. Unfortunately their efforts fell short as the bats were unable to make up the initial nine run deficit. "Zippity" also added a three run homer to the mix, giving him 6 RBIs on the night, leading Binghamton to a 9-5 victory. It is currently raining in Manchester and is expected to persist throughout the day, but the teams are hopeful that the 1:35pm start will allow them to wait out the weather.

Last, but certainly not least, the moment you have been waiting for since opening day...ladies and gentleman, the ROCK CATS WIN! The terrible start to the season has been salvaged with their first victory of 2010. Not saying I had anything to do with it, but I did predict yesterday that they would get in the "W" column! Despite 3+ hours of delays, the Cats took down the Harrisburg Senators by a score of 2-1, in front of the largest crowd in Harrisburg history. Steve Singleton doubled, tripled and scored the winning run for New Britain and Spencer Steedley earned pitcher's bragging rights as he became the first Rock Cats to pick up a win. In a check of today's weather (since we're now in that business it seems), things look to be just fine in Harrisburg with temps expected to be in the low 50s and no chance of rain.

Today's Matchups

Trenton Thunder
vs. Portland Sea Dogs PPD

Binghamton Mets (Eddie Kunz 1-0)
vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Bobby Bell 0-1) @ 1:35pm
WGIR 610 AM (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

Pawtucket Red Sox (Michael Bowden 0-0)
vs. Rochester Red Wings (Yoslan Herrera 1-0) @ 4:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

New Britain Rock Cats (Deolis Guerra 0-1)
vs. Harrisburg Senators (Matt Chico 0-1) @ 7:00pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

The Big O-fer

It was a tough night all around as all four New England MiLB teams lost. We've been over the Fisher Cats game already; the Rock Cats lost their 7th straight, and both the Sea Dogs and PawSox went extra innings before faltering.

Dice-K looked great again for Pawtucket, going 6 strong innings, giving up only 3 hits with no walks and two strikeouts. He left with a 2-0 lead, but once he handed things over to the bullpen the Bisons came right back to tie it up. Buffalo went on to win in the 10th inning on a walk off RBI single by Fernando Martinez.

The Sea Dogs opened the home portion of their schedule in 40 degree weather. Perfect weather for a couple extra frames of baseball, right?! Unfortunately it didn't end well for Portland as Trenton's Damon Sublett hit a two run homer in the top of the 11th. The Dogs were unable to counter and lost 4-2.

The start to the road trip for the New Britain Rock Cats picked up where their home stand ended...with yet another loss. The Cats have dropped 7 straight to start the season and things aren't looking any better for them tonight as they face the most hyped pitching prospect in the universe, Stephen Strasburg. I guess things can't much worse after the 6-5 loss last night, so I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that they win tonight...heck, they got nothing to lose...except another game.

Today's Matchups

Trenton Thunder (David Phelps 1-0)
vs. Portland Sea Dogs (Stephen Fife 0-0) @ 6:00pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

Pawtucket Red Sox (Fabio Castro 0-0)
vs. Buffalo Bisons (Dillon Gee 1-0) @ 6:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

Binghamton Mets (Mike Antonini 0-1)
vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Marty McLeary 0-0) @ 6:35pm
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

New Britain Rock Cats (Tyler Robertson 0-0)
vs. Harrisburg Senators (Stephen Strasburg 1-0) @ 7:00pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

Musings from the Box

So last night Beyond Fenway got their first taste of the press box, making us (semi)official now! It was a great experience all around and first and foremost our thanks go out to the Fisher Cats organization for their hospitality and to Mike Murphy for allowing us the privilege of covering opening day in Manchester. The box was filled with a great mix of characters who were baseball hardliners that seemed happy to see the familiar faces back once again. There was a friendly camaraderie that kept things upbeat all night, highlighted by Chick and Frank, the official scorers of the game. These two gentlemen were like a baseball version of Statler and Waldorf, only not grumpy and much more hilarious. From now on Mets outfielder Lucas Duda will always be "Zippity" to me because of those two.

Opening Day ceremonies featured more "first pitches" than I have ever seen before any baseball game. New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, Miss New Hampshire Nicole Houde, Citizen of the Year Dick Anagnost and at least five others. Thankfully I wasn't called on for duty because I haven't warmed up in a year. The crowd was scattered and probably a bit scarcer than the announced attendance of 6,145. However, those in attendance were lively and vocal and seemed to get louder as the game went on. I think New Hampshire blood needs to cool before the locals start to warm up, because it was 45 degrees near the end of the game.

Despite the tough loss, there were a lot of positive signs for the Fisher Cats on opening night. The bats were red hot and all of the 10 hits that they collected were sharply hit balls to the right places. They were also bold on the base paths, a change from previous year’s philosophies. It looks as if Manager Luis Rivera has things headed in the right direction, due in large part to the high number of returning players, who are just as happy to see the familiar faces around the ballpark.

Last thing; I just wanted to link up to a couple of the Fisher Cats writers for the Manchester Union Leader who were kind enough to allow me into their world last night. Click on their names for coverage of last night's events and continue to follow them throughout the season:

Kevin Gray
Allen Lessels

Here are some great photos from last night's opener by Union Leader photographer David Lane.

It's a Wrap

Danny Farquhar came on in the top of the 9th and only allowed one walk while putting away the Mets hitters to keep the Fisher Cats with one run heading into their final at-bat. The Mets also made a pitching change to start the 9th, bringing in John Lujan to try to close the door. Brian Jeroloman went down looking to lead off. Dario Mastroianni grounded to short for the second out of the inning. Callix Crabbe came to the plate as the last hope for New Hampshire, worked the count full, then proceded to be called out looking on an outside fastball by Lajun. The home opener is in the books for the Fisher Cats with a final score in favor of the Binghamton Mets, 7-6.

W: Shaw (1-0)
L: Stewart (1-1)
S Lujan (2)

The Back and Forth of it All

The Fisher Cats are clawing their way back into the game with the score now 7-6 in the top of the 8th inning. New Hampshire put up 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th after Mets reliever Clint Everts was all over the place. Brad Emaus scored on a wild pitch that moved Eric Thames up to third. Adam Loewen ripped a double past the diving Marshall Hubbard at first to score Thames and Everts gave way to Roy Merritt. The Cats put up another run on an RBI single by Emaus in the bottom of the 7th. The announced crowd of 6,145 seems to be dwindling with each degree droppage. We were just told that it is a balmy 45 degrees at this time.

Brian Jeroloman jacked a solo home run to right-center in the bottom of the 2nd, just over the 353ft. marker. The shot put the Fisher Cats up 3-1 after 2 innings. Following a scoreless 3rd, the Mets bats came to life in the top of the 4th, sparked by a Nick Evans three-run jack into to Sam Adams Bar & Grill in left field. The Mets added another 3 runs in the top of the 5th to chase Zach Stewart from the game. Stewart was responsible for all 7 of the runs scored against New Hampshire. We're heading to the bottom of the 5th with Binghamton leading 7-3.

One in the books

Darin Mastroianni led things off for the Fisher Cats and ripped a double down the line past the dive of the third baseman. Mastroianni was just in ahead of the throw at second. Callix Crabbe follows that up with a shot to right for a double on the first pitch he saw. Mastroianni scored to tie it up on the play. David Cooper lifted a fly ball to left field and Crabbe boldly tagged up, testing the arm of the left fielder, and beating the throw to third. Brad Emaus pops a shot back up the box past the diving shortstop who was in on the play. Crabbe scores and the Fisher Cats go up 2-1 on the single by Emaus. Eric Thames ripped a single between the first and second baseman. Adam Calderone works the count full before grounding into a fielders choice to the third baseman who took the out at second base. Adam Loewen, with runners on the corners, strikes out looking to end the inning.

Fisher Cats 2 Mets 1 after one full inning of play.

OK, I just wanted to give you the blow-by-blow here in the first...I'm going to relax a bit on giving you every play and take it all in, maybe run around and snag a few photos for you...by the way, the big hit of the night so far is Ollie the bat dog; I'd tell you more, but I think you should come see it for yourself sometime!

First pitch...

...comes at 6:38pm from Zach Stewart to Kirk Nieuwenhuis for a ball. Niewenhuis grounded back to Stewart for the first out of the game followed by a Nick Evans rope for a double into the left-center gap. Marshall Hubbard lined out to Fisher Cat second baseman Callix Crabbe for the second out. Lucas Duda draws a walk, putting men on first and second. A Zach Lutz single brings in Evans in from second and moves Hubbard to third. Carlos Guzman sizzled his bat in half on a grounder to short to end the inning. After the first half inning of play the Binghamton Mets lead 1-0.

Live and direct...

...from Merchantsauto.com Stadium in Manchester New Hampshire. The Fisher Cats are taking some fielding practice on the pristine field, the gates are open and there is a buzz all around the stadium. It's Opening Day for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and this place is 100% ready for baseball. Here are a few early shots from the booth...hopefully we can get you some more cool shots throughout the night. In the meantime sit back, tune to WGIR 610 AM and keep an eye on us here at Beyond Fenway for our live coverage all night long.

It's a quick hit-and-run recap today. However, we will be making up for it with tons of live updates from the New Hampshire Fisher Cats home opener tonight! It's actually a great day of baseball all around; The Fisher Cats and the Portland Sea Dogs have their home openers and I cannot implore you enough to get out and support these teams...tickets are still available for both games (NHFisherCats.com & PortlandSeaDogs.com). The Cats have highly touted prospect Zach Stewart on the mound to open Merchantsauto.com Stadium, while the Dogs open Hadlock Field with Kyle Weiland getting the starting nod.

Also, the PawSox send Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound for his second rehab start of the season. Dice-K looked great in his first stint and hopes to continue the trend versus Buffalo this afternoon. Pawtucket is hoping that a roll of the Dice can halt their current two game losing streak.

The New Britain Rock Cats leave their (un)friendly confines for their first road trip. This may be a good thing, seeing as they've lost the first six games of the season, all of which were home games. First stop on their trip is in Harrisburg where they will play a four game series against the Senators starting tonight at 7:00pm. Here's to hoping they get off the schneid.

Last Night's Results

Sea Dogs 3 Rock Cats 1
W: Robert Coello (1-1)
L: Cole DeVries (0-2)
S: Jason Rice (1)

Buffalo 8 PawSox 2
W: R.A. Dickey (1-0)
L: Adam Mills (0-1)

Reading 7 Fisher Cats 3
W: Matt German (1-0)
L: Kyle Drabek (1-1)

Today's Matchups

Pawtucket Red Sox (Daisuke Matsuzaka 1-0)
vs. Buffalo Bisons (Pat Misch 0-0) @ 4:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

Trenton Thunder (Jeremy Bleich 1-0)
vs. Portland Sea Dogs (Kyle Weiland 0-1) @ 6:00pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

Binghamton Mets (Scott Shaw 0-0)
vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Zach Stewart 1-0) @ 6:35pm
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

New Britain Rock Cats (N/A)
vs. Harrisburg Senators (N/A) @ 7:00pm
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

From Dusk 'Til Dawn

We have games running all day long, including a 10:35am affair in New Britain, so grab your coffee and hunker down for a full day of action. The game of the day will actually be the night game. Fisher Cats starter Kyle Drabek returns to Reading, Pennsylvania, where he spent the second half of last year, prior to being dealt to Toronto in the offseason. Now he'll be wearing the visitors uniform which will be tough on Phillies fans who got to watch him deal last season. He faces off against Phillippe Aumont, a 6'7" power pitcher from Canada, who is a top prospect that the Phillies acquired in a trade with Seattle.

Portland Sea Dogs (Ryne Miller 0-0)
vs. New Britain Rock Cats (Carlos Gutierrez 0-0) @ 10:35am
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

Pawtucket Red Sox (Adam Mills 0-0)

vs. Buffalo Bisons (R.A. Dickey 0-0) @ 3:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Kyle Drabek 1-0)
vs. Reading Phillies (Phillippe Aumont 0-0) @ 6:35pm
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

Boof Beaten; Perez Dazzles for NH; Rock Cats Struggles Continue

If Boof Bonser (0-1) and Ramon Ramirez were hopeful about making the jump up to Boston anytime soon, they did not help their causes today. Bonser got pounded to the tune of 9 earned runs over 2 innings. Ramirez, in relief, allowed another 3 runs in just one inning and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs cruised to a 12-0 victory in the afternoon tilt in Pawtucket. The teams split the two game series and now the PawSox hit the road for the first time this season, starting with a three game series against the Buffalo Bisons. First game of the series is tomorrow at 3:05pm. The PawSox are now 3-3 following a six game home stand to start the season.

Luis Perez (1-0) was the story of the evening as he was dealing down in Pennsylvania. The Fisher Cats starter did not allow a hit until Domonic Brown singled off of him in the seventh inning. The Fisher Cats picked up the 5-2 victory and Perez went seven innings, giving up one hit and two walks while striking out three batters. Jonathan Diaz and David Cooper led the balanced New Hampshire offense with two hits apiece. The Fisher Cats wrap up their road trip in Reading tomorrow night before coming home to Manchester for the home opener on Thursday.

The New Britain Rock Cats dropped their fifth straight game at home to start the season. The Portland Sea Dogs put up an 8 spot for the second straight night, while the Cats where held scoreless for the first time this year. The New Britain bullpen failed starter David Bromberg who scattered three hits over the first five innings of the game. Joe Testa (0-1) picked up the loss after getting shelled for 5 runs in the sixth. Chih-Hsien Chiang and Ray Chang had two RBIs each for the Sea Dogs and Tommy Hottovy (1-0) picked up the victory after hurling 3 solid innings in relief. The two teams will finish their series off bright and early tomorrow morning starting at 10:35am.

No Time For Love...

Since we have an early game rolling off today, we don't have much time to recap last night's matchups for you. So instead we're just going to run down the scores and follow those up with today's matchups.

Last Night's Results

PawSox 6 IronPigs 5
W: Randor Bierd (1-0)
L: Drew Carpenter (0-1)
S: Fernando Cabrera (1)

Sea Dogs 8 Rock Cats 2
W: Eammon Portice (1-0)
L: Deolis Guerra (0-1)

Phillies 4 Fisher Cats 3
W: Drew Naylor (1-0)
L: Bobby Bell (0-1)
S: Sergio Escalona (2)

Today's Matchups

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Brian Mazone 0-0)
vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (Boof Bonser 0-0) @ 12:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

Portland Sea Dogs (Felix Doubront 1-0)
vs. New Britain Rock Cats (Carlos Gutierrez 0-0) @ 6:35pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Luis Perez 0-0)
vs. Reading Phillies (Vance Worley 0-1) @ 6:35pm
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

Tonight's Action

The game of the night takes place in Connecticut with all eyes on the Portland/New Britain matchup, as top Red Sox pitching prospect Casey Kelly takes the hill for the Sea Dogs. But don't sleep on Deoils Guerra, who is a pretty darn good pitching prospect himself. The last remaining piece of the Johan Santana trade, Guerra projects to be a late-season callup for the Twins. Here are tonight's matchups.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Drew Carpenter)
vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (Michael Bowden) @ 6:15pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

Portland Sea Dogs (Casey Kelly)
vs. New Britain Rock Cats (Deolis Guerra) @ 6:35pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Bobby Bell)
vs. Reading Phillies (Drew Naylor) @ 6:35pm
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

The Weekend Wrap

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats improved to 3-0 on the season and completed a sweep of the New Britain Rock Cats today with a 7-4 victory. Adam Calderone took advantage of a fielding error by the Rock Cats when he launched a 3-run homer to deep right to break a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning. Randy Boone (1-0) picked up the victory in relief while Santos Arias (0-1) was on the losing end. Adrian Martin picked up the save in his first outing of the year for New Hampshire. The Rock Cats look to get their season on the right track when they welcome the Portland Sea Dogs to town for a three game series beginning on Monday. The Fisher Cats move on to Reading, Pennsylvania to play a three game set against the Phillies before returning to Manchester on Thursday for their home opener against the Binghamton Mets. Beyond Fenway will be on hand for the Fisher Cats opener so stayed tuned for another round of live blogs and great action!

The PawSox lost a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning off the bat of Eric Lis who hit a two-run home run to put the Rochester Red Wings up 4-3, which is where the game would end. The win allowed the Red Wings to salvage a split with the PawSox, in what was a highly entertaining four game series to start the season. The winning pitcher on Opening Night, Joe Nelson (1-1), picked up the loss for Pawtucket. Worcester, Massachusetts native Tim Lahey (1-0) notched the victory in relief for Rochester. The PawSox welcome the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to Pawtucket for a two game series starting on Monday, when Michael Bowden will take to the mound for the first time this season.

Reading Phillies starter Yohan Flande kept the Sea Dogs bats at bay through six innings, allowing one hit and no runs. The bats of both teams came to life in the seventh inning as the Sea Dogs put up 4 runs while the Rock Cats came right back with 3 runs of their own. The final score was 6-4 in favor of the Phillies. The loss puts Portland at 1-3 on the young season. They have lost their last three games after starting the year with a victory. The Sea Dogs move on to New Britain before opening up the gates of Hadlock Field for the season on Thursday. Red Sox top pitching prospect, Casey Kelly, gets the nod for Portland on Monday, his first start of the season.

NOTES … Great seats are still available for the Fisher Cats home opener on Thursday, April 15th. Visit www.NHFisherCats.com for more information … The Sea Dogs also have tix remaining for their home opener on Thursday. You can get your Sea Dogs tickets by visiting www.PortlandSeaDogs.com … PawSox reliever Alan Embree has a stipulation in his contract that allows him to look for a spot with another Major League team if the Boston Red Sox do not call him up by April 15th … The Rock Cats have been swept by the Fisher Cats to start the year for the second season in a row … Fisher Cats reliever Danny Farquhar is tied for the Eastern League lead in saves with 2 … Sea Dogs starting pitcher Ryne Miller and Fisher Cats starting pitcher Kyle Drabek are tied for the Eastern League lead in strikeouts, along with Harrisburg Senators phenom Steven Strasburg, with 8 …

"It ain't like football. You can't make up no trick plays." - Yogi Berra

Yesterday's Re-cap:

In yesterday's action the PawSox split their double header, taking Game 1 by a score of 1-0 behind the arm of Daisuke Matsuzaka. On a rehab start Dice-K threw 5 strong innings, tossing 73 pitches and only giving up 2 hits and 1 walk. An Aaron Bates RBI single accounted for the only run of the game. In Game 2, the PawSox could only muster two hits and the Red Wings capitalized for a 4-2 victory. Pawtucket starter Adam Mills pitched four solid innings, keeping Rochester at bay with no runs and 3 hits. Kris Johnson (0-1) picked up the loss for the Paw Sox while Matt Fox (1-0) picked up the "W" for Rochester.

In New Britain, Brad Emaus remained hot as he homered and drove in three, leading the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to a 5-3 victory over the Rock Cats. Zach Stewart (1-0) dazzled, working 5 innings, allowing one run on four hits and picking up his first win with the Fisher Cats. Danny Farquhar notched up his second save in as many games. New Britain starter Mike McCardell (0-1) picked up the loss after a shaky first inning.

The Portland Sea Dogs dropped their second straight game to the Reading Phillies. Reading starter Mike Cisco (1-0) stifled the Sea Dogs hitters with six innings of solid work, leading the Phillies to a 4-1 victory. Michale Spidale carried his hot hand from Friday into Saturday's game, going 2 for 4 and driving in two runs on a single in the third. Kyle Weiland (0-1) picked up the loss for the Sea Dogs.

Todays Matchups:

Portland Sea Dogs (Stephen Fife)
vs. Reading Phillies (Yohan Flande) @ 1:05pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)

Rochester Red Wings (Yoslan Herrera) vs.
Pawtucket Red Sox (Fabio Castro) @ 1:05pm
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Marty McLeary)
vs. New Britain Rock Cats (Tyler Robertson) @ 1:35pm
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)

MiLB Gameday Audio

"It's a beautiful day for a ballgame...let's play two!" - Ernie Banks

Ernie will get his wish today in Pawtucket as the Red Sox and Red Wings make up for last night's rain out with a single admission double header starting at 1:05pm. That's two games for the price of one, and Dice-K is starting the first game!

The Fisher Cats and Rock Cats were also rained out yesterday, but have not announced a make up date.

In a game that was actually played last night, the Portland Sea Dogs and Reading Phillies battled back-and-forth all evening before Reading took the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth. The final score was 7-5 with Mike Stutes picking up the victory after blowing a save opportunity in the top half of the eighth. Sea Dog reliever Bryson Cox was strapped with the loss.

Here's what is on the slate for today:




GAME 1
Rochester Red Wings (Jeff Manship) vs.
Pawtucket Red Sox (Daisuke Matsuzaka) @ 1:05pm
GAME 2
Rochester Red Wings (Glen Perkins) vs.
Pawtucket Red Sox (Adam Mills)
WHJJ AM 920 (Paw Sox Radio Network)


Portland Sea Dogs (Kyle Weiland) vs.
Reading Phillies (N/A) @ 6:05pm
AM 1490 & 1400 (Sea Dogs Radio Network)


New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Zach Stewart)
vs. New Britain Rock Cats (Tyler Robertson) @ 6:35pm
WGIR AM 610 (Fisher Cats Radio Network)
WTIC FM 96.4 (Rock Cats Radio Network)



SIDE NOTE: Check out this MiLB Gameday Audio link! It provides direct access to FREE audio broadcasts for over 90 Minor League Baseball teams, including all four local teams that have started their seasons.

Opening Day Wrap-Up

What an Opening Day of baseball for the Minor League teams of New England! With three wins and one loss on the night for the locals, there is much to rejoice. And of course the one loss HAD to happen since New Hampshire and New Britain were facing each other.

The Fisher Cats beat the Rock Cats in New Britain last night by a score of 5-4. Starting pitcher Kyle Drabek, who landed in New Hampshire via the Roy Halliday trade, immediately lived up to his hype and the rest of the pitching staff that came in behind him did as well. Drabek and relievers Luis Perez and Danny Farquhar combined for 14 strikeouts and only gave up four Rock Cat hits. Brad Emaus went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs on the evening for the Fisher Cats, including the tie-breaking RBI on a two-out infield single in the sixth inning. Drabek picked up his first win on the season while Rock Cats reliever Cole DeVries picked up the loss. Farquhar pitched in for the save.

Down in Pennsylvania, the Portland Sea Dogs homered their way to a 10-5 victory over the Reading Phillies. A five run fifth inning, capped by a Luis Exposito three run dinger, helped put Portland up for good. Ryan Kalish, Che-Hsuan Lin and Nate Spears also left the yard for the Sea Dogs. Felix Doubront pitched well enough to win, lasting 5 innings, giving up 2 earned runs, while scattering 3 hits and striking out 2. Reading starter Vance Worley was the losing pitcher after his slow start which included a lead-off home run to Kalish on the fifth pitch of the ballgame.

In Pawtucket, the Red Sox put on an offense show lead by Tug Hulett and Darnell McDonald. I was lucky enough to take this one in with Pops40. There is nothing like an Opening Day with your dad; cracking some peanuts, walking around the park, sharing stories and seeing a great game. The PawSox didn’t disappoint, putting together a grand show for the announced sellout crowd of 11,306 fans. From the opening ceremonies to the big 4 run 6th inning that put Sox in the driver's seat, the whole organization showed that they were ready to play ball. McDonald went 4-5 with a two singles, a double, a home run and 5 RBIs. Hulett went 3-5 with a single, double, home run and 3 RBIs. Both men were playing in their first game at Pawtucket and certainly impressed the faithful. The PawSox won the game 11-3 with reliever Joe Nelson picking up the victory.

I'm going to end the post with some of the better pictures I took from last night's game. I apologize for the quality of the live update pics during the game. I took those with my phone, so I need to work on that aspect of things a bit. In the meantime, enjoy these photos which were taken by an actual camera...albeit by a terrible photographer!

NOTE: Today's 12:05pm game between New Hampshire and New Britain was postponed due to rain. No make-up date has been announced.
The Pawtucket Red Sox game set for 7:05pm this evening has also been cancelled due to rain. It will be made up tomorrow as part of a single-admission double header starting at 1:00pm

OTHER NIGHT: Any Sox fans with a free day tomorrow should head down to Pawtucket to catch Dice-K in action. Game time is 1:05pm.