Defs edge the Thunder 3-2 and take...

the rubber game of the three game series in Trenton. CT scored two runs in the first to take a quick lead. Brad Boyer lead off with a double and scored as the Thunder's catcher misplayed AR's sac bunt attempt leaving AR on second base with no outs. AR then came in on EME's triple but EME was left stranded on third as the three Defenders failed to knock him in.
Trenton would score single runs in the third and forth innings off Daryl Maday (1-1 2.35 ERA) to tie the game up at 2-2.
CT then scored the winning run in the sixth as Brett Pill lead off with a single, went to second on a balk, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Mike Mooney's sac fly.
Maday went 5 IP giving up just 4 hits. Ben Sndyer had a strong outing throwing 3 inning of no hit ball and striking out 4 batters. Dan Otero gets his fifth save throwing a scoreless ninth.
Pic is Maday.

Out at home! Mike Mooney's outfield assist

throwing out the potential tying run at home to end the game in the bottom of the 9th preserves CT's 3-2 win in Trenton tonight. Mooney also got the job done with the bat doubling home the Defs first run in the third inning.
Mooney's throw made a winner of starter Henry Sosa (1-0). Sosa threw 5 innings giving up 5 hits and two earned runs. Waldis Joaquin relieved Sosa and had his best outing of the season throwing 3 innings of no hit ball before giving way to Dan Otero (save #4) and the ninth innings heroics of Mooney.
Connecticut won the game in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs. With no outs CT loaded the bases on a walk and singles by Sharlon Schoop and a bunt single by AR. A passed ball tied the game at 2-2 and Brad Boyer's ground out put CT in the lead 3-2.
Ct managed just seven hits in the game and had three runners caught stealing along with a runner picked off.
Star of the game Mike Mooney is pictured.

When????

Do we see Madison here in CT?

Defs down 1-0 after 6.5 innings in Trenton...

as I'm pulling the plug for tonight. CT with just three hits, 2 from Brad Boyer.

Brock Bond.......

Sharlon Schoop.....

Defs with an off day today.

43 hits, 35 runs, 4 hours to play....

that is arena baseball at it's best today up in Portland as CT notches a 20-15 win and takes 3 out of 4 from the SeaDogs. Down 15-12 the Defs scored 7 times in the 8th to put the game away.
Mike Mooney was the star with the bat and the glove as Mooney went 4 for 6 with 5 RBIs including 4 on his second grand slam of the series. Mooney had two outfield assists on the day as well. Bobby Felmy went 3 for 6 with a triple and 4 RBIs and an outfield assist.
Brett Pill, Tyler LaTorre and Brock Bond all had two RBIs each with Bond hitting his first homer of the season.
Steve Edlefsen (2-0), the fifth pitcher to come on for CT in the game, gets the win and Dan Otero holds down the fort to finsh the game in a non-save situation.

Misc fan notes: Went out to my car during lunch and listened on the radio as Portland was ringing up 10 runs in the bottom of the sixth. I knew there more scoring to come!

and from my blog dated 7/29/07:

"A football game breaks out in Portland as...

the Defenders win by a touchdown 20-13 over the SeaDogs. That's 35 runs in the last two games. The big bat belonged to Julio Cordido going 3 for 4 with his first Defender homer, a three run shot, and knocking in 7 runs on the day.
TVS had a pair of homers, his 8th and 9th in just 28 games with the Defs and had 3 RBIs. Simon Klink, Trey Webb, and Pat Dobson (4th HR) all had 2 RBIs each.
Dave McKae got lit up for 11 runs, 10 earned in just two innings of work. Osiris Matos (5-0) got the win. Shane Turner gets his first ejection in the sixth.
Arena Baseball...catch the fever!!!"

Bobby Felmy knocks in 4 runs.....

as the Defenders beat Portland 7-4 this afternoon after trailing 4-0 after the first inning. Felmy hit a 3 run homer, his first of the season, in the top of the fifth to put CT ahead 6-4, and knocked in an insurance run with a two out RBI double to account for his 4 RBIs. Andy D'Alessio hit his first homer of the season in the third, a solo shot and catcher Tyler LaTorre started the comeback in the second inning singling in two runs in his first at bat of the season.
Dan Griffin (1-1) throws two innings to get the victory in relief of Brooks McNiven. Matt Yourkin and Joe Paterson finished the game pitching two innings each with Paterson getting his first save of the year.
Pic is Bobby Felmy.

Mike Musgrave......

game today is at 1PM up in Maine. I'll be a work and will recap when I get home. You get listen on line by following the links on the Defs homepage. You can also sent AOL messages to Brian while he's on air.

Defs fall 3-1 to the SeaDogs tonight as...

Bubba Bell's 2 run homer in the bottom of the second off Daryl Maday (0-1) was the game winning hit. Defs managed just three hits, all singles, in the game. The lone run came in the first on a Andy D'Alessio sac fly. Def batters struck out 11 times in all with everyone in the CT lineup except Bobby Felmy striking out at least once.
Pic is Daryl Maday.

Open invitation.......

In past seasons I've been contacted by various family members for player pictures. It's something I'm happy to do free of charge, so don't be shy. Your son, brother, husband, etc. is putting a smile on our faces here in the wilds of New England and we see them often enough in the next four months or so. My email is:
gfogg@ct.metrocast.net
Pic is of Brett Pill.

Jackson Williams and Daryl Maday...

from Sunday's game.
Got an email asking me about the blog once the Defs go dark. Really had not thought much about that. Clearly the number of visits are up so far this year and the number of new posters are picking up. Any thoughts? My initial thought is to go the picture of the day route thru in the off season like this past year until Opening Day 2010 and then waiting for the Richmond team to visit New Britain for "fresh" pictures. But since Richmond will be a Southern Division team they only come into NB once who knows when that will be scheduled. Don't know about doing 2010 game recaps. If there is a new team in Dodd in 2010 I'll start a new blog for that team.

Mooney slams SeaDogs as Defs....

end their 5 game losing streak in Portland tonight. Mooney's second homer of the season, a grand slam in the third, was the difference in the ball game breaking a 1-1 tie. Mooney now has 7 RBI's in two days counting yeaterday's three run double in Game 1.
Henry Sosa started and went three plus innings, leaving with a pair of runners on base in the fourth and no outs. Ben Snyder (1-1) came on and closed the door on Portland logging 4 innings and giving up just one hit and striking out three.
Connecticut's offense, that was next to non-existent during the just concluded the 1-5 home stand, pounded out ten hits with Bobby Felmy and EME getting two hits apiece. Brad Boyer got his first hit of the season after a 0-30 start.
Old friend Justin Hendrick pitched a scoreless ninth against his old team.

Misc player notes: Adam Witter was called up to Triple A Fresno and catcher Tyler LaTorre was taken off the DL to replace Witter. Witter's promotion hopefully takes the danger out of going up to Lou's Lounge for at least two Defs fans. Good Luck Adam!!
The Defs get ten hits tonight after Decker torn into them after the double dip loss yesterday and all around lackluster offense--coincidence or the sight of Hadlock Field where they usually hit well?
Pic is Mike Mooney.

Dan Griffin strikes out all 6 batters he faces...

in Game 2 of today's double dip.
Can't say I didn't lead off with good news. New Hampshire takes both ends of the DH 4-2 in Game 1 and 5-1 in the second game. FisherCats had four home runs on the day--who says you can't hit the long ball at Dodd?
Neither CT starter had much Nick Pereria in Gm1 and a spot start by Jesse English in Gm2--which was played in the rain for the full 7 innings. I retreated to the warmth of Lou's Lounge for the "nightcap."
In Game 1 Mike Mooney's bases loaded clearing double accounted for all of Connecticut's runs and EME had a RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to spoil a complete game shutout win for NH's starter Randy Boone. Mooney's double was the only extra base hit on the day for CT which produced 4 hits in game 1 and seven singles in game 2.
Waldis Joaquin and Steve Edlefsen both pitched for Connecticut today getting their first action in a week.
Pics: (Before it started raining it was a pretty nice day) from top to bottom : Waldis Joaquin, Sharlon Schoop, AR and Brock Bond.

Defs rained out tonight.....

let's play two on Wednesday starting @ 11:05AM! Love it!!!

FisherCats/Defs suspended after 5 innings...

with a 0-0 tie. Game to resume May 16th. I had to work tonight--can't believe they got that far along in the game, as I work a half hour from Dodd and it was pouring where I was.
Steve Denker has to be going nuts as the FisherCats starter struck out 10 Defenders (7 of them in a row) out of a possible 15 outs. Brett Pill has the only hit for CT. Pill has been hands down the best hitter on the team.
Brook McNiven went all 5 innings and gave up just three hits.

Misc fan notes: I see Sharlon Schoop and AR are back in the lineup off the "taxi squad."

Player pictures 4-19-09...

Pics from top to bottom: Graham on first, Graham out at second, Witter, Paterson, Boyer w/sac bunt, Boyer and Williams

Thunder take third straight 2-1 at Dodd.....

this afternoon to drop CT under .500 (5-6) for the first time this season. A Marus Vechionacci sole homer (the only HR of the 4 game series) off Matt Yourkin (1-1) leading off the seventh was the difference breaking a 1-1 tie. The ball was out in a hurry over the right field fence.
Connecticut wasted a good pitching performanace by starter Daryl Maday (his ERA is now 0.66). Maday went 5.2 IP allowing 3 hits striking out three and giving up a earned run.
Connecticut had a chance to break the game against a very effective Ryan Pope in the first inning as Brock Bond and EME singled to put runners on first and third with one out. Brett Pill then hit a grounder to third that scored Brock and Vechionacci's throw was wild putting EME on third and Pill on second with just one out. A base hit could have broke it open but Witter hit a soft liner to short and Mike Mooney gave the ball a ride to right but it was caught for the third out.
CT's offense produced just 7 singles in the game with Bond, EME and Jackson Williams all getting two hits each.
Much like last night's game CT hit into a bunch of DPs; three in all to kill any chances for a rally and pinch runner Tyler Graham was caught stealing.

Misc fan notes: Team worn their alternate jerseys for the first time this season. They only worn them once last season--on a Sunday, a game I missed. I took a ton of pics about 400 in all. The uniforms are the same as the '06 and '07 version but the number is in white instead of black. They worn their home caps with them. I'll be posting more pics later tonight. Jackson williams is pictured here.

Thunders drop Defs 5-2 at Dodd...

tonight. That's the bad news. Good news that CT starter Henry Sosa is pretty good. A fast ball on the ballpark radar that was hitting 88-89 MPH and off speed stuff that was hitting 78-83 MPH. Challenges the hitters and works fast. He went 5 IP giving up a run. 2 hits , 2 BB and 5 Ks. The run he gave up in the third were solid singles sandwiched around a sac bunt. He has a nice presence to him out there; I'm looking forward to seeing him some more.
CT tied the game up in the fourth thanks the EME who doubled solidly up the left center gap and then screened the Thunder shortshop on a grounder as he went from second to third forcing an E6. EME then came home on a throwing error by the Thunder's third baseman.
Prior to the fourth inning CT had grounded into three DPs in the game. One was a 5-3-5 DP I had never seen before as Mike Mooney walked and then tried to go from first to third on a infield grounder. He almost made it. No reaction from Decker.
Poor Dan Griffin (0-1) relieved Sosa and the wheels came off the wagon. A hard grounder to first baseman Brett Pill, who dived fielding the the ball toward second and was unable to get the ball over to Griffin gave Trenton a leadoff single. Next batter hits a long fly in the left center gap that Bobby Felmy chased down only to have the ball tick off his glove for a double and put runners on second and third. A walk loads the bases with no outs. Trenton then went ahead on a RBI ground out and would push across two more runs on back to back fielding errors by Brian Bocock and Brock Bond to make the score 4-1.
CT got back a run on Mike Mooney's triple into the right field corner and then came across on a wild pitch.
Trenton came back to score a run off reliever Geivy Garcia to finish the scoring at 5-2.
CT managed just six hits in the game; two each from EME and Bond. Brad Boyer is now 0-30 to start the season.
Pics top to bottom: Griffin, Thunder starter Ivan Nova, Bocock, and Sosa

Trenton wins in 10 innings 5-4 as....

a Jesse English (0-1) wild pitch brought in the winning run for the Thunder. Jesse Foppert started for Connecticut and loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth with CT ahead 2-1. Ben Snyder came in and almost got out of the jam getting a force out at home for the first out and a strike out for the second out but gave up two straight singles to give Trenton a 4-2 lead. Snyder would go 5 innings pitched striking out 6 and those were the only two hits he gave up.
Connecticut's only offense came from Brett Pill who went 3 for 3 including a double with a pair of walks and two runs scored. Connecticut RBIs came from Tyler Graham, Jackson Williams, Mike Mooney and Brian Bocock as the team only had seven hits.
Misc fan notes: Good news! Jared Allen is back as batboy! Pics top to bottom are Jackson Williams and Brock Bond.

Opening Day pics Part 2...

From top to bottom: Geivy Garcia, Andy D'Alessio, Matt Yourkin and Brock Bond

More Opening Day pics.....

More top to bottom: Joe Paterson, Brett Pill, Dave Maroul and Bobby Felmy

Defs win Home Opener 3-1 over the Thunder...

tonight before 3100+ fans. Connecticut wasted no time scoring pushing across two runs in the first inning. Two Defenders making their Double A debuts got it going as Brock Bond got on with an infield single. Tyler Graham looked to bunt Bond over and his sac bunt died on the first base line for another infield hit. Bobby Felmy hit a roller to Thunder starting pitcher George Kontos who threw high loading up the bases. With EME at bat, Kontos uncorked a wild pitch to score Bond. EME (2 for 3) then brought home Graham with a sac fly for a 2-0 lead.
CT starter Nick Periera cruished thru the first three innings but got into trouble in the fourth. Periera walked a pair of batters then gave up his first hit of the game to right field but EME threw out the runner at home to maintain the 2-0 lead. Pereria would walk another batter before getting out of the inning and giving way to reliever Matt Yourkin (1-0).
CT would add a run in the fifth as EME doubled for the game's only extra base hit and came home on Adam Witter's single to make it 3-0.
Yourkin pitched two strong innings getting 4 Ks to earn the win. Geivy Garcia, Joe Paterson (I think he'll be a bullpen workhorse this season) and Dan Otero pitched the last three innings with Otero getting his third save.

Misc fan notes: The roster handed out by the team didn't have AR, Sharlon Schoop, Waldis Joaquin on it.Foppert was back on the roster as was Dan Grifin. I think I saw Schoop wrapped up like a mummy in the dugout. I guess the taxi squad concept is in full force.
Great seeing Hondo, Joe P., Bob, Tom the gatekeeper (off the DL and looks great) and a bunch of other familar faces at the park. Hondo--sumo wreastling is back
I know EME has had a few outfield assists already but a note to Mr. Decker he's going to be an adventure out there in RF.
Pics top to bttom--Graham, EME fielding, and Pereira.

Defs drop last game of the 7 game road trip...

2-0 in NH. The FisherCats scored both runs in the 8th after two without the benefit of a hit. Five walks and a wild pitch from CT relievers Waldis Joaquin (0-2) and Steve Edelsfsen enabled the FisherCats to salvage one game of the three game series. The Defenders managed just four hits in the game, all singles. Brooks McNiven became the first CT starter to go 5 innings this season.
CT finishes the road trip 4 and 3.
Home Opener Thursday!

Travis Denker was signed by the Red Sox....

and is playing for Triple A Pawtucket tonight in Rochester, NY. Wonder what the temperature there is tonight? Denker is 1 for 3 as of this writing.
Defs and FisherCats are 0-0 in the sixth.
Got a nice email from Johnny Gill last night who recently found the blog. Johnny was the long time on field host of the Navigators/Defenders and is now working in the front office for the NHL Carolina Hurricanes. Thanks for the kind words Johnny!

Defs shut out FisherCats 2-0 tonight....

as five CT pitchers combine on a five hitter. Joe Paterson gets the win and Dan Otero survives a pair of two out singles in the bottom of the 9th to get his second save of the year. Matt Yourkin made his Defs debut throwing 1.1 innings. Daryl Maday started and went 4 innings.
Mike Mooney was the hitting star as he knocked in both Connecticut runs in the top of the ninth. With two outs Adam Witter and Brett Pill both singled, Mooney then doubled home the runs.
Misc player notes: Don't know what's exactly up with the roster is as Yourkin and Garcia are now piching and Griffin and Foppert and have "reassigned" status.

Defs beat FisherCats 8-1 last night in NH....

sorry folks, I worked last night and our 7 seven year old grand daughter (fav player Trey Webb) was asleep in the spare bedroom where the computer is.
Anyway, CT wraps out 13 hits with AR, Bobby Felmy, Mike Mooney and Sharlon Schoop all getting two hits each. AR had a double, triple and a RBI. EME knocked home three runs and Schoop knocked in two. Ct runners stole four bases in five attempts.
Jesse English picks up the win in relief of Henry Sosa who went four innings in his Double A debut. So far this season not a single CT starter has gone further than four innings. Pitcher Geivy Garcia also made his Defs debut throwing 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Connecticut is now 3-2 on the season. Will be working again tonight but will be able to post.

Defs lose 6-1 split 4 game series in Portland...

as Ben Snyder takes the loss by giving up a pair of unerarned runs in relief of Jesse Foppert. Foppert went just 2.1 innings with 3 hits, 4 Ws and 3 Ks along with an earned run.
EME had a RBI groundout and Dave Maroul was the only Defender with two hits both singles as CT managed just 5 hits in the game.
AR started in CF and leadoff as Brad Boyer who was in the one hole for the first three games dropped to the 8 hole.
CT opens a three game series in NH starting Monday before the Home Opener Thursday.

Defs win 10-4 in Portland as...

the offense was led by a 4 RBI performance from Andy D'Alessio (2 run bloop single and 2 run double--both hits with two outs) along with back to back homers by EME (a two run job) followed by a solo shot by Adam Witter (3 for 5 with a double 2 RBIs). Witter's double should have been scored a homer but the ump missed/blew the call.
Brett Pill goes 2 for 5 including his fourth double so far this season. Bobby Felmy goes 3 for 5 in the game.
Nick Periera goes 3 innings, followed by the Double A debut of Steve Edlefsen (1-0), with Mike Musgrave and Joe Paterson finishing the game.

Ugly.....3-2 loss tonight...

as three infield hits followed by a two out bases loaded walk after a 0-2 count off CT reliever Waldis Joaquin was the difference tonight.
Mike Mooney had a RBI ground out and EME had a RBI double for the CT runs. EME also had an OF assist but was also picked off second after his RBI double.
Dan Griffin gave up a solo homer in the bottom of the eight inning as Portland tied the game at 2-2.

Misc notes: via AOL IM I asked Defs announcer Brian Irizarry during tonight's game how Mike Musgrave recieved credit for last night's win instead of Ben Snyder who followed starter Daryl Maday after Maday went just 4 inning with a 1-0 lead. Ben threw 1.2 innings and then Musgrave threw 1.1 innings with 3 Ks. Brian found out that since Maday didn't go the required five innings it was up to the game scorekeeper to determine the winning pitcher who felt Musgrave had the bigger impact on CT's win than Snyder did. Something you don't see that often as usually the nod would go to Snyder. Thanks Brian!

Milb.com has tonight's lineup up and....

Witter is DHing tonight. Adam Cowart throws two inning of relief to get the win in San Jose's 5-1 season opener win.
More later.....

Defs win 3-0!!

as five pitchers combine for a 4 hitter. Daryl Maday goes 4 innings giving up just two hits. Mike Musgrave gets the win in reliek striking out 3 of the 4 batters her faced. Joe Paterson threw into the ninth and Daniel Otero gets the last two batters for his first save.
Mike Mooney hasd a triple and a solo homer. Brett Pill had a RBI double (one of two doubles for Pill) for the first CT run and Brain Bocock had a RBI single. Defs finished with 6 extra base hits.
Always nice to win that first one.
Brooks McNiven goes Friday and will be followed by Nick Pereira and Jesse Foppert in the rotation (thanks Brian)

At last....Opening Day is here!!

but my joy of this is overshadowed by the death of rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart of the Angels just hours after he had pitched last night. He was killed by a hit and run driver who ran a red light and struck the car he was a passenger in. Two other people in Adenhart's car were also killed. The driver was arrested after fleeing the scene.

Listening to the game on the computer. Defs take a 1-0 lead in the 4th as EME walked, went to second on a ground out and scored on Brett Pill's double.
Just caught Mooney's HR for a 2-0 lead and now it's up to 3-0 with Bocock's single plating Williams who had doubled.