The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Bridgeport, CT – The Bridgeport Bluefish (9-16) scored five unanswered runs to win 7-5 against the Somerset Patriots (17-9) in seven innings in game one of the day-night doubleheader from Harbor Yard. Six of the seven Bluefish runs occurred with two outs. During the season-long four game-losing streak, the Patriots have committed seven errors, two of which were committed in a costly fifth inning today.
“In the beginning of the year everything was going right and we were clicking on all cylinders. I was just sitting on the railing with my staff and now realizing that nothing is really going right,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie, whose team is 4-9 since the record setting 13-0 start. “Other teams are capitalizing heavily on our mistakes and this is a great league and that’s what happens.”
The Bluefish scored three unearned runs in the fifth inning and broke the 5-5 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning with a pair of runs.
“There’s not a lack of effort,” remarked Jodie. “We are paying attention and people are trying. I won’t call a team meeting, but I will have individual meetings to help certain people correct mistakes so we can get back on the right track.”
The Patriots scored a run in each of the first three innings. Bryan LaHair recorded an RBI sacrifice fly, Vinny Zarrillo hit an RBI single and Eggleston drilled a home run (3). The Patriots were facing 36 year-old Dan Johnson, who spent 10 years in Major League Baseball as a position player, but is reinventing himself in the Atlantic League as a knuckle ball hurler.
Bridgeport received solo home runs by Jose Cueves (3) and Josh Vitters (2). Somerset was holding on to a 3-2 lead after four innings.
The Patriots scored a pair of runs to extend their lead to 5-2 in the top of the fifth inning. Scott Kelly and Eggleston converted a double steal. Each would cross home in the same sequence on catcher Connor David’s throwing error. The Patriots tallied a season-high five steals.
Things unraveled the next couple of innings. With two outs and men on the corners in the bottom of the fifth inning, Scott McGregor would balk in a run to cut the deficit to 5-3 for Bridgeport. On the next two plays both Darwin Perez and Kelly would commit fielding errors allowing a pair of runs to even the score at 5-5.
In the next half inning, Somerset came away empty in a bases loaded with nobody out situation. Bridgeport bottled up that momentum to plate two runs in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 7-5 which would be the final. Luis Nunez notched an RBI double and Luis Hernandez roped an RBI single.
Taylor Thompson (3-0) earned the win out of the bullpen, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings. McGregor (2-2) suffered the loss, allowing a season-high seven runs (five earned) on nine hits in 5.2 innings of work.
The 2016 Somerset Patriots season presented by Ford continues on the road until the team returns to TD Bank Ballpark on Friday, May 20th for a 7:05 p.m. game against the Long Island Ducks. For tickets, call 908-252-0700 or visit www.somersetpatriots.com. Download our Mobile App for free in the Apple or Android App store.
