After taking five games in a row from New Britain, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats fell victim to two stellar Rock Cat pitching performances in yesterday's doubleheader at Merchantsauto.com Stadium.
In the first of two seven-inning games before 5,637 fans, New Britain lefthander Kyle Aselton pitched six innings of shutout ball as New Britain prevailed, 1-0. And in the nightcap, Rock Cat right-hander Jeff Manship held the Fisher Cats hitless over his final four innings of work as New Britain won, 3-2, thanks to a two-run sixth-inning homer by Erik Lis.
The Fisher Cats, who had won eight of 10 coming into the twin-bill, dropped to 32-48.
In Game 1, Aselton scattered five hits and allowed only one runner past second base. He didn't walk a batter and struck out three in notching his fourth victory of the season. In his previous outing last Monday, he took the loss in the Fisher Cats' 4-2 victory in New Britain.
"I was just getting ahead of the hitters and working in and out, fastball and slider," Aselton said. "I threw some change-ups for strikes. Just going in and out and changing speeds, letting them put it in play and letting my defense do the work."
Aselton outdueled New Hampshire's Robert Ray, who took his first loss in a Fisher Cat uniform after winning his first three starts following promotion from Class-A Dunedin. Ray surrendered eight hits in 6? 1/3 innings, striking out six.
"I was able to throw strikes with more than one pitch," said Ray, 24. "I was able to get the change-up over and the breaking ball. I didn't feel like the fastball was quite as good as it has been, but I was able to go to the off-speed stuff earlier in the game, and it allowed me to make my fastball better when I needed it.
"I felt good, I just ended up on the short end of the stick."
"He didn't have the command that he's had the last three starts, but he made a lot of quality pitches when he had to today," said New Hampshire manager Gary Cathcart.
New Britain scored the game's only run in the fourth. After Brock Peterson walked and advanced to second on a groundout, Felix Molina hit a hard grounder that diving second baseman Scott Campbell deflected but could not stop. The single scored Peterson.
New Hampshire threatened but fell short in the bottom of the seventh. After New Britain closer Ben Julianel hit Eric Nielsen with a pitch, Brian Jerolomon stroked a one-out single up the middle, advancing pinch runner Andrew Pinckney to third. After a bunt single by Ryan Klosterman loaded the bases, Julianel struck out Campbell and got Chris Gutierrez to foul out to first to end the game.
In Game 2, the Fisher Cats took a 2-1 lead in the second. Kyle Phillips led with a double to the gap in right center. After a pair of strikeouts, Klosterman singled to left, scoring Phillips and taking second on the throw home. Campbell followed with a single to left, scoring Klosterman.
Campbell's hit would be the last for the Fisher Cats until the seventh as Manship held them hitless until yielding to Julianel for the final frame. The Rock Cat starter, who took the loss against New Hampshire last Tuesday, notched his first Eastern League victory, giving up four hits and striking out eight.
"I was able to throw everything for a strike today, and I felt I had pretty good movement on my two-seam fastball, which is always key for me," Manship said. "And just getting ahead of guys, it was a little better than my last start."
New Hampshire starter Julio Pinto gave up only three hits in five innings and left with a 2-1 lead. He was replaced by Daryl Harang, who gave up the game's big blow, Lis' two-run shot to right whose landing was greeted by the whistle of a passing freight train.
Lis had grounded into a double play against Harang in Game 1 but got the best of the left-hander in their second meeting of the afternoon.
"I've had trouble against (Harang), so I was just trying to go up there and get a good pitch to hit," Lis said. "He threw a curveball that hung up there a little bit, and I was fortunate enough to put a good swing on it."
"He got the best of me today," Harang said.
Notes: Former Portland Sea Dog third baseman Pinckney, who was signed by the Blue Jays and assigned to the Fisher Cats on Saturday, said he is happy to be with the team following his release by the Red Sox organization.
"It was kind of a shock what happened the other day," Pinckney said yesterday after going 0-for-3 in Game 2, his first start in a New Hampshire uniform. "But everyone always says it's a business, and that was a prime example of it."
According to a report in yesterday's Portland Press Herald, Sea Dogs manager Arnie Beyeler notified Pinckney of his release in the wee hours of Friday morning after the team returned from a road trip to Connecticut. Pinckney was let go to make room for Jorge Jimenez, a third baseman promoted to Portland from Class A Lancaster, the newspaper reported.
"It's really insulting," Pinckney was quoted as saying in the article. "I've never been more (ticked) off in my life. (To be replaced) by a kid who was in Lowell last year, and spent a heartbeat in A-ball, I'm appalled."
In 56 games with Portland this year, 26-year-old Pinckney batted .269 with five home runs and a .299 on-base percentage. Jimenez, 23, was batting .352 at Lancaster.
Slated to start Game 1, catcher J.P. Arencibia was a late scratch due to ankle pain. Brian Jeroloman, originally penciled in as the DH, replaced Arencibia behind the plate, and Kyle Phillips was inserted as DH. Phillips caught Game 2.
Travis Snider went 0-for-3 in the first game, ending his streak of consecutive games reaching base at 21. Scott Campbell's streak of 20 consecutive games reaching base ended as well, as he went 0-for-4 in the opener. He rebounded with two hits and an RBI in Game 2.
