The Result
Sea Dogs - 7 to 1

Sea Dogs - Year-to-Date
15 wins - 24 losses

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing leftfield
Batting #3

At the end of the Game
2 hits from 5 at-bats - single, double, 1 x RBI, 1 x run scored

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Ball - fast ball - outside
Ball - high and away
"That is lined into rightfield and is picked up on the first bounce by the fielder"
Single
Went to second base on a wild pitch
Left stranded at the end of the innings
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - one down
Ball - fast ball - high and away
"Boy, that pitch was blistered in rightfield"
"A frozen-rope from Roneberg than travelled not more than twelve feet off the ground all the way to the warning track"
"The ball just rocketed over the head of the fielder"
Double
......and 1 x RBI
Went to third base on a tag-up on a fly ball
Scored on a hit
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - one down
Called strike - curve ball
Ball - fast ball - outside
Ball - pitch out but the runner didn't go
Called strike - and the runner was out 'caught stealing' at second base - bases now empty
Broken bat - "hit high and deep but caught in the rightfield corner"
Out F9
And the commentator said "that was a 300 foot fly ball and who knows where it would have landed if Brett didn't break his bat"
Fourth at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Called strike - slider - on the outside corner
Swing&miss - "the pitch was outside and Roneberg tried to check his swing but it looked like he went around - and he did as the home plate umpire rang him up"
A high fly ball into shallow rightfield
Out F9
Fifth at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - none down
Ball - fast ball - low
Line drive straight back up the middle but right at the centrefielder
Out F8

Heard during the game
(1) As Brett was coming in for his first at-bat, the commentator said that "Brett has 30 x RBI's so far this season and that is the best for the Sea Dogs"

(2) After driving in a run in his second at-bat, he then mentioned "that gives Roneberg 31 x RBI's which is third best in the Eastern League"

(3) Following Brett's fifth at-bat, the commentator said "even when Roneberg has got out tonight he has hit the ball hard"

Email from Brett
Damn!
I had a good day - but only got two hits.
Oh well!
See ya.

Game Reports
Sea Dogs continue to rise up

The Portland Sea Dogs found an antidote to the poison that has sent them to the bottom of the Northern Division standings on Wednesday night.

The Sea Dogs have the highest ERA in the division, but the combination of potent pitching from Abe Alvarez and unreliable hitting by New Britain resulted in a 7-1 win for the resurgent Sea Dogs before 3,107 at New Britain Stadium.

Alvarez (3-3), a sidearm-pitching lefty, scattered seven hits and a walk over 6+ innings.
He was charged with one run, which came across in the seventh inning after he was replaced by Juan Perez.

"I was confident and threw strikes with three of my pitches," Alvarez said.
"I was able to throw any pitch in any count I wanted. I was able to throw 2-0 change-ups and 3-1 change-ups and curveballs."

The Sea Dogs (15-24) have won two of three since a six-game losing streak dropped them to the Northern Division basement.

The Rock Cats (18-20) have been a mess offensively since routing Portland knuckleball pitcher Charlie Zink in the series opener.
In the 25 innings since Zink left the mound Monday night, New Britain has scored just three runs.

"Hitting is timing. As our pitching coach has told me numerous times, pitching is disrupting timing," Portland Manager Ron Johnson said.
"When you've got a guy who's throwing three different speeds - fastball, breaking ball and change - and his command of his fastball is above average, I don't think it brings out the negative side of the Rock Cats."

The Sea Dogs' offensive production matched the effort of Alvarez as Portland pounded out 12 hits, six for extra bases.
Kenny Perez had two doubles, a single and two RBI.
Eric Johnson slammed a solo homer and a run-scoring double.
Brett Roneberg and John Hattig each contributed a double, single and an RBI.

The Rock Cats collected nine hits but stranded eight runners.
They were 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

After stranding runners on second and third in the second inning, Portland took a 2-0 lead against Rock Cats starter Jim Abbott (0-4) in the third.
With Sheldon Fulse on first, Roneberg drilled an RBI double and Hattig followed with a run-scoring single.

Johnson crushed his third homer of the year in the fourth.

"I was just glad to see us bounce back and swing the bat a little better," Johnson said.
"It was nice to see us get double-digit hits after almost getting no-hit (by Scott Baker on Tuesday)."

The Rock Cats averted the shutout when Jake Mauer singled off Alvarez, went to third on a hit-and-run single by Tommy Watkins and scored on a wild pitch by Perez.

Abbott has allowed 24 hits and 15 earned runs in the 10+ innings of his last three outings.

PORTLAND WINS AT NEW BRITAIN
Alvarez Fires 6 1/3 Strong Innings in 7-1 Win

Abe Alvarez fired 6-1/3 innings of one-run ball and Kenny Perez and Eric Johnson drove in two runs apiece as the Sea Dogs won at New Britain Wednesday night, 7-1.

Alvarez allowed seven hits and a walk while fanning four in improving to 3-3.

Juan Perez picked up the final eight outs for the Sea Dogs.

Kenny Perez was 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI.

Johnson homered, doubled and drove in a pair for the winners.

Portland looks for the series win tonight at New Britain Stadium.

Eastern League Game Summary - Portland at New Britain

Kenny Perez had three hits, including two doubles, and Abe Alvarez tossed 6-1/3rd strong innings to lead the Portland Sea Dogs to a 7-1 win over the New Britain Rock Cats.

Perez knocked in two runs and scored twice, while Eric Johnson belted his third home run of the year as the Sea Dogs pounded out 12 hits in the win.

Brett Roneberg and John Hattig got in on the hit parade, each going 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.

Alvarez allowed a run on seven hits and picked up the win to even his record at 3-3.
The southpaw fanned four and walked one.

Jim Abbott suffered the loss and remains winless this season.
Abbott (0-4) surrendered four runs, three earned, on nine Portland hits in six innings.

Kevin West went 2-for-4 with a double for the Rock Cats.

New Britain (18-20) will host Portland (15-24) in the rubber match of the series Thursday in a scheduled 6:35 PM (ET) contest.

CATS STRANDED ON BASE

The Rock Cats had nine hits but failed to drive in runs in a 7-1 loss to Portland on Wednesday night.

The Cats stranded 10 men on base on the night.

Starter Jim Abbott (0-4) lasted six innings, allowing nine hits and four runs (3 earned).

Portland's Abe Alvarez (3-3) gave up one run on seven hits in 6-1/3 to pick up the win.

Jake Mauer (1-for-3) scored the lone Rock Cats run on a wild pitch in the seventh inning.

Kevin West and Tommy Watkins had two hits apiece for the 'Cats.
West had his team-best 15th double of the year.

Rock Cats are still struggling offensively

The highest ERA in the Eastern League was the poison that had the Portland Sea Dogs at the bottom of the Northern Division standings.
The antidote?
Facing New Britain Rock Cats hitters.

The sidearm breaking pitches from southpaw Abe Alvarez were toxic to New Britain bats Wednesday night as the resurgent Sea Dogs scored a 7-1 win over the Rock Cats before 3,107 at New Britain Stadium.

The Sea Dogs (15-24) have won two of three since a six-game losing streak dumped them into the basement.

The Rock Cats (18-20) have been a mess offensively since routing knuckleball pitcher Charlie Zink in the series opener.
In the 25 innings since Zink left the mound Monday night, New Britain has scored just three runs.

"We weren’t aggressive in our zone," Rock Cats manager Stan Cliburn said.
"A lot of pitches we swung at were down in the zone. Very poor pitch selection.
We weren’t aggressive in counts where we could have been aggressive to the fastball.
We were very flat, one of the worst games we played all year."

Alvarez (3-3) scattered seven hits and a walk over 6 1/3 innings.
He was charged with one run, which scored in the seventh inning after Juan Perez replaced him.

"I was confident and threw strikes with three of my pitches," said Alvarez, a second-round pick by the Red Sox last June out of Long Beach State.
"I was able to throw any pitch in any count I wanted. I was able to throw 2-0 changeups and 3-1 changeups and curveballs."

The Sea Dogs were equally productive at the plate by pounding out 12 hits, six for extra bases.
Kenny Perez had two doubles, a single and two RBI.
Eric Johnson slammed a solo homer and a run-scoring double.
Brett Roneberg and John Hattig each contributed a double, single and an RBI.
The bottom two hitters in the Portland order - Perez and Johnson - went 5-for-8 with four RBI.

The Rock Cats collected nine hits but stranded eight runners.
They were hitless in seven trips with runners in scoring position.

"I don’t mind taking a loss but it’s how you take the loss," Cliburn said.
"Hopefully this was just a Mulligan because I didn’t like the way any of the guys approached their hitting."

After stranding runners on second and third in the second inning, Portland took a 2-0 lead against Rock Cats starter Jim Abbott (0-4) in the third.
With Sheldon Fulse on first, Roneberg drilled an RBI double.
Hattig followed with a run-scoring single.

Johnson crushed his third homer of the year in the fourth.

The Rock Cats averted the shutout when Jake Mauer singled off Alvarez and went to third on a hit-and-run single by Tommy Watkins.
A wild pitch by Juan Perez brought Mauer home.

Abbott has allowed 24 hits and 15 earned runs in the 10-2/3 innings of his last three outings.

Jannio Gutierrez allowed Portland three insurance runs in 1-2/3 innings of relief.

"The pitching was thin," Cliburn said.
Abbott had no rhythm and pitched at a very slow pace. You have to work quick. You work quick you keep your fielders ready.
The pace of the game is very important. It was just a game you want to forget about."

CATS TALES
Plenty of scouts are expected at tonight’s game (6:35 p.m.) to watch former major-league pitcher Rick Helling work.
With the Twins major-league staff at capacity and Helling, 33, not about to spend much more time in the minors, one of the big-league clubs is likely to bring him aboard.
Helling, 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA for New Britain, faces Portland’s Chris Smith (3-1, 4.42), the EL pitcher of the week two weeks ago.
Abbott hasn’t won a game since last July 29.