August 15, 2007

Cats' Gabino Gets Win In Debut

By TOM PULEO | Courant Staff Writer

NEW BRITAIN - Armando Gabino got the win in his Double A debut as the Rock Cats defeated the Fisher Cats 12-5 Tuesday.

Gabino pitched 12/3 innings in relief of starter Ryan Mullins, combining with three other relievers to pitch 42/3 shutout innings.

"We got him right in there after the starter and it was a big game for us," manager Riccardo Ingram said. "He went after them and his slider had some good bite."

Brock Peterson went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI to lead the Rock Cats, who erased a 2-0 deficit before 6,017 at New Britain Stadium. Garrett Guzman had three hits and two RBI and stole a base.

Gabino had not pitched since arriving in town last week from Class A Fort Myers, where he was 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA and four saves in 37 relief innings.

The 23-year-old righthander pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth after giving up a pair of walks and a single. He got Rob Cosby to fly out to end the threat.

"We'll give him a little bit of leeway because it was his first time out," Ingram said. "He just has to throw more strikes."

Josh Hill, Tristan Crawford and Jesse Floyd each pitched a scoreless inning for New Britain (55-61).

Jean Machi (2-3, 3.34) gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning in relief of starter Ricky Romero. Romero, Toronto's first-round pick (6th overall) in 2005 out of Cal State Fullerton, gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 42/3 innings.

Aaron Mathews had a two-run homer and three RBI for the Fisher Cats (60-61).

Peterson homered in the second and Matt Allegra had an RBI single in the fourth. Peterson also walked twice and scored three runs.

Trailing 5-2 with two outs in the fifth, the Rock Cats rallied for three runs to tie the score on an error by shortstop Ryan Klosterman. David Winfree and Rashad Eldridge had RBI hits.

The Rock Cats went up 7-5 in the sixth. Luke Hughes doubled and scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball. Trevor Plouffe, who walked on the play, eventually scored on a Guzman single.

The Rock Cats scored three more in the seventh on a Guzman RBI double and Peterson's two-run single. Felix Molina's two-run homer in the eighth completed the scoring for New Britain.

Baysox 4, Defenders 2: In Bowie, Md., Radhames Liz (11-4, 3.36) struck out 14 and walked one in eight innings, and Bob McCrory picked up his 11th save.

Defenders starter Garrett Broshuis (2-15, 3.89) gave up two RBI singles in the third and a two-run homer to Luis Antonio Jimenez in the sixth.

Connecticut's Dayton Buller hit a two-run homer off Liz in the eighth.