Rock Cats Suicide Squeeze Past Flying Squirrels
New Britain, CT - The New Britain Rock Cats completed the sweep of the visiting Richmond Flying Squirrels, overcoming a four-run deficit in the seventh inning to win 8-6 on Sunday afternoon at New Britain Stadium.
The offensive heroes of the day were SS Trevor Story, who fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle and the combination of Jayson Langfels and Juan Ciriaco. Langfels had a pinch hit two-run triple to tie the game in the seventh inning and he was scored in the following at-bat on a suicide squeeze by Ciriaco. This victory not only swept the San Francisco Giants' Eastern League partners, but it was New Britain's 14th win in the last 16 games.
Richmond leapt out to a 2-0 lead on a two-run home run by LF Devin Harris, his first of the season. Following a bloop double in shallow right field from 3B Mitch Delfino, Harris sent Rock Cats starter LHP Carlos Hernandez's offering high over the wall in left-center to give the Flying Squirrels the early advantage.
The Rock Cats cut into that lead in the bottom of the third on a fielder's choice groundout by C Tom Murphy. Murphy topped Biagini's fastball to 2B Kelby Tomlinson, giving RF Mike Tauchman enough time to scamper home, making it a 2-1 contest.
1B Ricky Oropesa gave the visitors a two-run cushion once again in the top of the fourth on a solo home run off of Hernandez.
Another two runs in the fifth inning would close the book on Hernandez as he was pulled for a pinch hitter in the bottom half of the inning. The lefthander allowed five runs, all earned, on eight hits while walking one and striking out four in his first game back from Triple-A Albuquerque.
The solo home run by Story put the Cats' within three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
New Britain appeared as if they were mounting the comeback in the sixth - loading the bases with two outs and RHP Joan Gregorio coming out of the bullpen to relief RHP Tyler Mizenko who pitched himself in trouble. Gregorio worked a full count on Tauchman before getting the rightfielder to strike out on a pitch in the dirt.
Oropesa continued his one-man attack on Rock Cats pitching in the top of the seventh. The first baseman collected his third RBI of the afternoon when he laced RHP Gus Schlosser's offering down the right field line to score 3B Mitch Delfino, who singled himself earlier in the frame, to make it a 6-2 ballgame in Richmond's favor.
The Rock Cats offense responded in the seventh in a big way - picking up five runs and overtook the lead for the first time of the day. New Britain started to chip away early, picking up runs on a single by Murphy and an RBI double off the right field wall from CF David Dahl. Murphy's base hit scored Story, who doubled earlier in the inning and put him a triple shy of the cycle at the time. With the score 6-4, Richmond called in LHP Josh Osich from the bullpen, who uncorked a wild pitch to move the baserunners up to second and third. Pinch hitter Jayson Langfels then drove a ball over the head of CF Daniel Carbonell that drove in both runners, tying the game 6-6. 2B Juan Ciriaco then laid down a perfect bunt on a suicide squeeze attempt as Langfels was charging down the line, scoring the fifth run of the inning and put the Cats' up 7-6.
Story, in an attempt to hit for the cycle, drove Osich's 2-0 offering high off the wall in left to lead off the bottom of the eighth. The shortstop was chugging for three but held up at second to ensure a runner in scoring position. LF Tyler Massey laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Story to third and it was a fielder's choice grounder from Dahl that gave New Britain the always-appreciated insurance run.
Rock Cats relievers RHP Gus Schlosser and LHP Tyler Ybarra combined on four innings of one-run baseball, with Schlosser earning the win (4-2) and Ybarra closed the door on the two-inning save (3).
Monday evening marks the arrival of a new opponent. The Harrisburg Senators come into town for a three-game series. RHP Matt Flemer gets the call for the Rock Cats and Harrisburg will send RHP Austin Voth to the hill. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m.