The Result
Fisher Cats - 3 to 1

Sea Dogs - Year-to-Date
35 wins - 39 losses

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

At the end of the Game
0 hit from 3 at-bats - 1 x walk, 2 x strike outs

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - one down
Ball - low
Popped-up to shallow centrefield and the fielder came in to make the catch
F8
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - one down
Ball - high and away
Ball - "a little bit low"
Foul ball - straight back
Ball - breaking ball - down and in
Ball - high
Walk
Left stranded at the end of the inning
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Ball - low
Ball - in the dirt
Foul ball - back
Called strike - at the knees
Ball - change-up - in the dirt
Swing&miss - "and Brett chased a high fast ball which was up and out of the zone"
Strike out
Fourth at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Called strike - fast ball
Called strike - fast ball - on the outside corner
Foul ball - back
Either a "swing&miss" or a "foul tip in to the catcher's glove"
Strike out

Heard during the game
(1) The start of the game was delayed by rain, and during the wait the commentator was discussing the Eastern League All Star Team for the Northern Division - as well as the team selected, he mentioned that each team in the Division is entitled to nominate two players by "Fan Voting" - later he said that "Brett Roneberg would be the leading contender for the Sea Dogs on the offensive side"
The team is to be announced on Monday 28th June (USA time)

(2) As he was giving out the starting line-ups, the commentator said "Roneberg is batting third and is in rightfield and Brett has an on-base-percentage of 0.500 over his last twelve games"

(3) As Brett came in for his first at-bat, the commentator said "Brett has fourty-seven runs-driven-in and that is tied for sixth in the Eastern League"

(4) During the bottom of the first and second innings, the Fisher Cats batters hit two fly balls in to rightfield - one was blown around by the wind and on the other Brett had to cover a lot of territory to make a running catch - the commentator said "Brett has made a couple of very nice plays in right"

Email from Brett
N/A

Game Reports
Great start, but Dogs fail to finish

Before the game, Portland Sea Dogs Manager Ron Johnson said don't put a whole lot of stock in the fact his team owned the New Hampshire Fisher Cats the first time the teams played here.
He was right.

The Sea Dogs swept four games at Gill Stadium in late May.

Friday night, after an hour's delay at the start because of rain, the Fisher Cats got one back with an efficient 3-1 victory over the Sea Dogs in front of 3,718.

New Hampshire survived a strong start by Sea Dogs left-hander Abe Alvarez to improve to 39-33 on the season.

The Sea Dogs had their two-game winning streak snapped and fell to 35-39.

Those four May wins?
"That's like yesterday's news," Johnson said after the game.

Friday night's news included the Sea Dogs outhitting the Fisher Cats 6-5 but allowing a scratch run in the seventh that broke a 1-1 tie and an insurance run in the eighth.

Alvarez had given way to lefty James Johnson, who joined the team from Triple-A Pawtucket, for the seventh.
With one out, John-Ford Griffin reached when first baseman Mike O'Keefe threw wildly to Johnson covering first.
A Johnson balk sent Griffin to second, and Maikel Jova doubled just inside the third-base bag to score Griffin.

"In a close game like that, all of a sudden we get an error and a balk," Johnson said, with emphasis on the balk.
"You're almost over there going, 'It's coming, it's coming.' You could feel it.
The ball's hit down the line and it finds the way to go."

Alvarez gave up a home run in the second inning and an infield hit in the sixth.
And that was it.
He set down 18 of the 20 batters he faced, walking none and striking out six in six innings.
That almost matched his last start here.
In that one, on May 30, he had a perfect game through 5-1/3 innings.
It turned into his longest start of the year, and he gave up three hits and two runs in seven innings.
Friday night, he was not involved in the decision.

"He got a lot of front-foot swings," Johnson said. "He locked up hitters on his fastball.
It's a great outing for him."

New Hampshire Manager Mike Basso didn't mind seeing Alvarez depart.
"Abe Alvarez has done a good job against us," Basso said. "We knew it was going to be tough."

The Sea Dogs just missed a chance to jump on top in the second inning.
O'Keefe hit a ball off the fence in right-center to lead off and when the ball bounced away toward right, it appeared he might try for home.
Instead, Johnson held O'Keefe at third and he was stranded there.

Griffin left nothing to chance in the bottom of the inning.
He led off with a shot over the fence in right-center and it was 1-0, Fisher Cats.

The Sea Dogs tied it with back-to-back, two-out doubles by Kenny Perez and Raul Nieves in the bottom of the fourth.

Justin Singleton's catch of Jeff Bailey's liner in the fifth and a sharp double play by the Fisher Cats in the eighth kept the Sea Dogs from getting any more.

NOTES
Right-hander Chris Smith, who missed his last start with soreness high on his right side, is set to start tonight at 5:05 for the Sea Dogs against Ryan Houston.
"We were being a little precautionary," Johnson said.
"He'll have a 65-pitch outing.
He had a great side session the other day. I expect he'll step right in where he left off."
Smith is 5-2 with a 3.97 ERA.
He was tied for the Eastern League lead in strikeouts with 78 and has walked 20 in 70-1/3 innings.
Houston is 3-1 with a 4.08 earned-run average.

SEA DOGS FALL AT HEW HAMPSHIRE, 3-1
After Rain Delay, Portland Bats Fall Silent

Maikel Jova drilled a tie-breaking RBI double in the seventh inning and Justin Singleton added a run-scoring double in the eighth frame as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats topped the Portland Sea Dogs, 3-1 on Friday night.

Abe Alvarez retired 18 of the 20 batters he faced in the start - allowing only a second inning home run to John-Ford Griffin and an infield hit in the fifth inning - to earn the Allied Big Dog of the Game.

Kenny Perez and Raul Nieves hit back-to-back doubles in the fourth inning to account for Portland's only run.

The Sea Dogs stranded eight runners, including five in scoring position in the first four innings.
Portland did not put a runner past first base after the fifth inning.

James Johnson (0-1), sent down from AAA-Pawtucket earlier in the day, allowed a go-ahead unearned run in the seventh inning.
Griffin led off by reaching on a throwing error, advanced to second on a balk and scored on Jova's ground double down the left field line.

Johnson also allowed the run in the eighth inning.

The lefty was sent down after Mark Malaska was sent from Boston to the PawSox.

Chris Smith (5-2) starts for the Sea Dogs tomorrow against Fisher Cat righty Ryan Houston at 5:05 in Manchester.

Eastern League Game Summary - Portland at New Hampshire

Cameron Reimers, Brandon League and Jamie Vermilyea combined to give up one run and six hits as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats clawed passed the Portland Sea, Dogs, 3-1, in an Eastern League Northern Division game Friday night.

With the win, New Hampshire improved to 39-33, while Portland fell to 35-39 with the loss.

Starting pitcher Reimers was touched for one run on five hits in five innings before giving way to League.
He pitched three scoreless innings and got the win, while Vermilyea worked a scoreless ninth to nail down his second save.

New Hampshire got a solo home run from John-Ford Griffin in the second inning, plated another run in the seventh on Maikel Jova's double and set the final score with an RBI double from Justin Singleton.

Losing pitcher James Johnson (0-1) gave up two runs on three hits in two innings for Portland.

The Sea Dogs scored its run in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI double from Raul Nieves.

New Hampshire and Portland are scheduled to play again Saturday.

Fisher Cats reward patient crowd

After a threat of rain delayed the contest an hour, the Fisher Cats rewarded a patient crowd of 3,718 with a 3-1 victory last night.

Portland starter Abe Alvarez dealt six innings of two-hit ball, highlighting a pitchers duel, but New Hampshire roughed up the Sea Dog reliever James Johnson and made a winner out of their own Brandon League (2-3).

Maikel Jova notched the go-ahead RBI in the seventh, and the Fisher Cats added another run with consecutive doubles by Victor Valencia and Justin Singleton in the eighth.

Jamie Vermilyea, a leading candidate for New Hampshire’s closer position, notched his second save with a perfect ninth inning.

“Abe Alvarez has done a good job against us. We knew it was going to be tough tonight,” New Hampshire manager Mike Basso said.
“We were fortunate enough to score a couple runs once he got out of the game.”

New Hampshire starter Cameron Reimers (five hits, two walks) was touched for just one run despite dealing with baserunner issues in each of his five innings.

Portland’s Kenny Perez and Raul Nieves poked back-to-back doubles in the fifth, knotting the contest at 1-apiece.

Reimers reduced his ERA to 2.69 but was denied his eighth victory for the third straight start.
The starter has received a combined three runs of support in his past three outings.

Only John-Ford Griffin, who crushed a solo homer in the second, and Dominic Rich (single) reached base against Portland’s show-stopping lefty.

Alvarez fanned six in the no-decision.

“Changeup, breaking ball, the fastball - he commanded it all,” Portland manager Ron Johnson said.
“He got a lot of front-foot swings and locked up hitters on the fastball.
That’s a good outing for him.”

Singleton, once again, turned in the defensive play of the night with a run-saving, diving catch in the fifth.
That kept the game tied - League pitched the next three innings, all scoreless, to garner the win.
“Justin’s been doing that all year. He has a real high skill level in center field,” Basso said.

Portland newcomer Johnson, who joined the team yesterday, entered in the seventh inning and allowed a pair of runs.

Slumping Fisher Cats shortstop Aaron Hill went 0-for-4 and remains hitless in his past 27 at bats.

Portland owns a 6-2 record against its geographic rival in Manchester.

Only standing-room only tickets are available for today’s 5:05 p.m. game vs. Portland.
About 200 seats are available for tomorrow’s 1:05 p.m. matchup with the Sea Dogs.