CT Tigers Rally But Fall Short at Lowell, 6-4

LOWELL, Ma. - Darwin Alvarado tallied two run-scoring singles to help the Connecticut Tigers (29-43) dig out of a 3-0 deficit but the Lowell Spinners (36-38) scored two runs late on Sunday night to earn a 6-4 victory over the Tigers at LeLacheur Park. 

Connecticut starter Kacey Murphy allowed three runs including a Brandon Howlett solo homer with two outs in the first inning and exited before the frame ended. Robbie Welhaf followed Murphy with 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief to keep the Tigers within reach.

Trailing 3-0, the Tigers slowly chipped away with one run apiece in the second, third, fifth, and sixth innings. Cam Warner and Parker Meadows each scored two runs and Alvarado took credit for the game-tying RBI single in the sixth to make it 4-4.

Xavier Javier (Loss, 0-1) made his New York-Penn League debut out of Connecticut's bullpen and pitched five innings with one earned run on four hits and four strikeouts but Lowell scored the eventual game-winning run when Howlett raced home from third base on a throwing error in the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead.

The Spinners added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI double by Tyler Esplin against Yaya Chentouf. Lowell relievers Yoan Aybar (Win, 1-0), Oddanier Mosqueda (Hold, 3), and Andrew Politi (Save, 7) combined to retire the final 11 Connecticut batters in a row as the Tigers suffered their second loss in a row at Lowell. 

On Monday, the Tigers played their final game of the 2018 NYPL season during a Labor Day matinee against the Spinners. Connecticut righty Gio Arriera (2-5, 4.38) draws the final start against Yorvin Pantoja (4-3, 3.69) with first pitch scheduled at 12:35 p.m. Coverage on the Norwich Courtyard by Marriott Connecticut Tigers Radio Network with Kevin Gehl and Elijah Gonzalez begins at 12:20 p.m. on WICH 1310 AM and online at CTTigers.com.

The Connecticut Tigers are the New York-Penn League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut. Individual tickets for 2018 home games, 2019 season memberships to "The Club," ticket mini-plans, and Tigers team merchandise are now on sale at Dodd Stadium, by phone at 860-887-7962, and online at CTTigers.com.