NEW BRITAIN -- The numbers just didn't add up for the Rock Cats in their home opener Thursday. Three pitchers held the Harrisburg Senators to four hits and combined for 13 strikeouts, but New Britain never got untracked offensively.

 

Lefthander Rich Rundles pitched eight innings and Melvin Nieves hit a three-run homer in the third inning to lead the Senators to a 4-0 victory.

 

It was the fifth consecutive loss for the Rock Cats (2-5), who had four hits before 7,322, the largest regular season crowd in New Britain Stadium history. The previous high was Opening Day last year, when the Rock Cats drew 7,211.

 

The school kids who helped pack the stands for a game that started in the morning watched as Rundles (1-0) limited the Rock Cats to three hits and three walks through eight innings.

 

After the Rock Cats' first two batters in the ninth reached base, Rundles was relieved by Danny Rueckel. Luis Maza then singled to load the bases with no outs, but Rueckel struck out the next three - the heart of the order - for his third save.

 

The Rock Cats also blew a big chance to score in the eighth. Doug Deeds doubled off the right field wall and moved to third on Alex Romero's grounder to first. But Tommy Watkins hit into a double play.

 

"This has been pretty much the story of our first seven games," Rock Cats manager Stan Cliburn said. "The games we've won we've had clutch hits in situations to win by one. In the games we've lost, we haven't been able to deliver the knockout punch."

 

The Rock Cats face the Senators again tonight at 6:05, hoping the postgame fireworks aren't the only sparks generated by the home team.

 

Cliburn said the absence of first baseman Luis Jimenez, who has eight games left on a 15-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, has hurt the offense.

 

"This is a chance for other guys to pick each other up, but we haven't done that in the last five games," Cliburn said. "Today was another example."

 

Justin Olson (0-1) cruised through the first two innings for the Rock Cats, hitting 93 to 95 mph on the radar gun. He struck out the side in order in the second but was roughed up with two outs in the third.

 

Cristian Guerrero hit a leadoff single to right. Shawn Norris walked with two outs, and Rich Lane drove in Guerrero with a single to right.

 

Next up was the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Nieves, who crushed a 1-and-1 pitch more than 400 feet over the center field wall.

 

His first homer of the season might have gone higher than the rocket launched by a "scientist" who was entertaining the school children between innings.

 

Cliburn said Olson made a mistake and threw Nieves a changeup.

 

"We blew him away with a fastball in his first at-bat," Cliburn said. "Why we are throwing a changeup to him when he hadn't established nothing as far as getting the bat around, I don't know. It was just a mistake. We have been giving up the long ball, and it's been on mistake pitches."

 

Olson, who struck out seven, gave way to lefthander Ricky Barrett with two on and one out in the fifth.

 

Barrett pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out four with no walks. Pat Neshek worked the ninth, striking out two and walking one.
 
April 15, 2005