The Result
Thunder - 7 to 6

Sea Dogs - Year-to-Date
4 wins - 7 losses

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing rightfield
Batting #4

At the end of the Game
2 hits from 5 at-bats - 2 x singles, 1 x error

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - two down
Ball - outside
Called strike - on the outside corner
Ball - change-up - outside
Drove the ball back up the middle into right-centrefield
Single
......and the runner advanced to third base
Left stranded at the end of the innings
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Led off the innings
Called strike - on the outside corner
Ball - low and away
Foul ball - back to the screen
"Smartly struck" hit through the right side
Single
Out at second base on a double play hit by the next Sea Dogs batter
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runners at first and second base - two down - and the game tied at 2!!!
(Did not hear this at bat - radio disconnected!!!)
Out 6-to-3
Fourth at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runners at first and second base - two down - and the game tied at 2!!!
Swing&miss - high
Ball - down and away
Called strike - "and Roneberg was not happy with that call"
Ball
Ball
Solidly struck ground ball but straight at second base
Out 4-to-3
Fifth at-bat
Righthanded batter
Bases empty - one down
......top of the ninth and the Sea Dogs were trailing by one run!!!
Ball - down and in
Ball - high and away
Ball - outside
Called strike - "a very generous strike on the outside corner"
Called strike - on the outside corner - the commentator said that it appeared to be "a couple of inches off the plate and Roneberg is beside himself with that call" - "Brett had taken a couple of steps to first base thinking that it was ball-four"
Hit a ground ball towards shortstop
Out 6-to-3

Error
During the top of the fourth innings and with a runner on second base, a Thunder batter drove the ball to Brett in rightfield - the runner was heading home and Brett's throw "squeezed" through the legs of the catcher - the run scored and the batter advanced to second base on the throwing error
Describing the play afterwards, the commentator said that "Brett had the ball while the runner was still a step away from third base and an accurate throw would have had him, but his throw took three skips before reaching home, plus it was wide of the mark and down the first base line - it got passed and went to the screen"

Heard during the game
(1) After his hit in his first at-bat, the commentator mentioned that "Brett has now reached base safely at least once in every game he has played (ten games) and he is the only Sea Dogs batter to do so"

(2) As Brett came in for his fourth at bat, the commentator mentioned that "Roneberg is 4-from-11 with runners in scoring position for an average of 0.364" - as he didn't get a hit he is now 4-from-12 - average 0.333

(3) During the top of the ninth innings, the Thunder had a runner at second base - the next batter hit the ball to Brett in rightfield - Brett fielded cleanly but his throw was over the cut-off player's head and the runner went to second base on the throw - the runner had been held up at third base and even though Brett's throw reached home on the fly, there was no chance to stop the runner from advancing
The commentator mentioned that "Brett is in rightfield with his hands on his knees and looking at the ground"
He described it as a "mental error"
At this point the score was tied - the next Thunder batter hit a single which scored both both runners, including the runner that had advanced to second base - this gave them a lead of 7 runs to 5 going into the bottom of the ninth innings (......and they won the game by one run!!!)

Email from Brett
Today was an ok day.
But I did make two "shitty" throws.
And even though I hit the ball hard four times I got just two hits,
but I did feel great at the plate
and hopefully tomorrow will lead to more good things.
Bye.

Game Reports
Sea Dogs squander late rally, fall 7-6

The Sea Dogs eliminated one deficit with a three-run, pinch-hit home run by Mike O'Keefe in the eighth inning.
But the Portland bullpen created another hole and, this time, the Sea Dogs could not find a way out.

Robinson Cano, one of the New York Yankees' brightest prospects, stroked a two-run single in the top of the ninth inning, as the Trenton Thunder topped the Sea Dogs 7-6 on Tuesday night, before an announced crowd of 5,674.

This game started as a pitchers' duel between Trenton's Chien-Ming Wang and Portland's Charlie Zink.

Wang, the Yankees' fourth-highest rated pitching prospect, held Portland to two runs (one earned) through six innings, striking out six.
He mixed a 95 mph fastball with a slider and change-up.

Zink, the seventh-highest rated pitcher in the Red Sox chain, fluttered his knuckleball with a stiff wind behind him.
He also allowed two runs (one earned), striking out five.

Zink gave way to reliever Jeremy Lambert in the eighth.
Lambert, a free-agent signing from the Cardinals' organization, gave up three runs on two consecutive pitches.
After a walk, Andy Phillips hit a two-run homer and, on the next pitch, Aaron Rifkin teed off for a home run down the right-field line, for a 5-2 lead.

That led to Mike O'Keefe's rapid recovery from the sick bed.
A bug is spreading throughout the Sea Dogs' clubhouse, as players (and Manager Ron Johnson) are dropping with flu-like symptoms.
O'Keefe was sent home Monday, and did not look well before Tuesday's game.
"When I came (to the ballpark), I was still a little queasy," O'Keefe said. Johnson was "going to give me another day off.
"But you've got to be ready. I stayed by the heater, stayed warm."
With John Hattig and Jeff Bailey already on base, via singles, and with two outs, Johnson called on O'Keefe to pinch-hit for catcher Edgar Martinez.
"I was looking fastball and he left one over the middle of the plate," said O'Keefe, who drilled the offering from reliever David Shepard into the right-field bullpen, tying the game 5-5.

Portland reliever Eric Glaser (0-2) arrived in the ninth.
Glaser, fresh from three scoreless innings of relief five days ago, gave up three consecutive singles.
Ferdin Tejeda lined to center, and then stole second.
Kevin Reese lined to right, and advanced to second on the throw.
Up came Cano, a left-handed hitter with a smooth stroke.
He ripped his single to right, scoring two.

Portland tried to rally again.
Mike Campo (3 for 5) led off with a double and advanced on a wild pitch.
Campo scored on Joe Kilburg's fly ball that dropped in short right field.
But Kilburg tried for a double and was thrown out.

"I love aggressiveness," said Johnson.
"I will not fault a man for making an aggressive mistake. But, in that situation, we have to be absolutely sure, because we only have three outs left."

NOTES
Portland committed four errors, but it led to only one unearned run.
The Sea Dogs have made 21 errors in 10 games.
Kilburg (1 for 3, two walks) is batting .412, with an on-base percentage of .565.
Today's noon game ends the first homestand.

PORTLAND SUFFERS 9TH INNING LOSS FOR A CHANGE
Sea Dogs Allow 2 in 9th, Spoiling O'Keefe's Heroics

Robinson Cano hit a two-run single in the top of the ninth to break a 5-5 tie, as the Trenton Thunder held on to win a wild one, 7-6 over the Portland Sea Dogs.

Entering the eighth inning tied 2-2, Andy Phillips hit a two-run home run to give Trenton a 4-2 lead.
Aaron Rifkin then stepped in and homered down the right field line, to put Trenton up 5-2.
Phillips and Rifkin both had two RBI on the night, as did Cano.

Portland answered in the bottom of the eighth, when Mike O'Keefe hit a three- run pinch hit home run to tie the game for the Sea Dogs.

After Trenton put up two in the top of the ninth, Portland made things interesting when Joe Kilburg singled home Mike Campo to cut the lead to one at 7-6.
However, Kilburg was thrown out trying to stretch the single to a double and the final two Sea Dogs were retired by David Shepard to end the game.

Shepard picked up the win in relief, improving to 2-0.
He allowed two runs on three hits in two innings, and struck out three.

Eric Glaser suffered the loss, giving up two runs on four hits in the ninth inning. Glaser fell to 0-2.