Gutierrez Dominates in Tigers Loss

TROY- NY - The Connecticut Tigers (17-10) dropped the opening game of the series against the Tri-City ValleyCats (14-13), affiliate of the Houston Astros, 2-0. The loss is the first time that the club has been shut out in a game this season.

Alfred Gutierrez threw his best ballgame of the season for the Tigers, pitching six innings, which tied his season-high, allowing just four hits, zero walks and struck out four.

The Tigers bats were silenced tonight with Blaise Salter banging out two of the three hits for Connecticut. The best threat for the Tigers came in the seventh, Salter led off the inning with a double but the Tigers couldn't move him over and eventually Salter was caught off the bag on a fielder's choice. Alex DeGoti chased Salter down on a groundball to shortstop, to tag out the designated hitter for Connecticut.

The difference in the game was one pitch from Taylor Hicks to Ronnie Dawson. That pitch in the seventh inning was drilled over the fence in right to give the ValleyCats a 2-0 lead. It was the second home run of the season for Dawson.

The home run ended a 28 inning scoreless streak that was racked up by the Connecticut pitching staff. It was the first runs allowed since the fifth inning against State College on July 11th.

The Tigers look to even the series up tomorrow against the ValleyCats at 7:05 p.m. Locke St. John toes the rubber for Connecticut.

The Connecticut Tigers are the New York-Penn League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and play a 76 game schedule that runs from mid-June through early September. 2016 season tickets, group tickets, mini plans, individual game tickets, and team merchandise are now on sale! The front office and ticket office is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and can be accessed in person or by calling 860-887-7962.