NEW BRITAIN -- Just when the New Britain Rock Cats were beginning to think baseball was an 11-inning game, they won one in 10 Monday night.

 

Playing only one extra inning - not two as they did Friday and Saturday - the Rock Cats opened a three-game series with the Reading Phillies with a 4-3 victory when Luis Maza lined a changeup off the base of the left field wall, scoring Gil Velazquez.

 

"Maza hit the ball hard his first three times up," Rock Cats manager Stan Cliburn said. "He was starting to get a little frustrated."

 

Velazquez, who reached on a walk, moved to third on James Tomlin's hit-and-run bloop single to left-center, then scored the winner one batter later.

 

"It was good to see Velazquez get on with the walk," Cliburn said. "You put a guy in motion, and anything can happen."

 

Four New Britain pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts. The Phillies were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Rock Cats starter Francisco Liriano struck out 11, including at least one in every inning, before leaving after six with the score tied, 2-2.

 

"That's something," Cliburn said. "It was just a dominating performance. I knew after he struck out the side in the first that he had overwhelming stuff tonight. He did his job.

 

"I was hoping to get a run in the bottom of the sixth to get him the decision, but we didn't."

 

The Rock Cats took a 3-2 lead in the seventh on Selwyn Langaigne's double to left and a wild pitch and passed ball on successive pitches. The Phillies tied it in the eighth on singles by Chris Roberson and Bristol native Jim Deschaine, and a sacrifice fly by Juan Richardson.

 

The Rock Cats took a 1-0 lead in the third on Alex Romero's double to right-center, Jake Mauer's sacrifice bunt and Velazquez's sacrifice fly. Reading scored twice in the fifth on Danny Gonzalez's single to right, Tim Gradoville's double just inside the right field line, and Gabby Torre's throwing error trying to get Gradoville at third.

 

After losing five straight, the Rock Cats have won three of five.

 

"It was a good win," Cliburn said. "The biggest thing that helped this club on this homestand was switching the lineup around after winning that 1-0, 11-inning game [against Harrisburg] Friday. We got nine hits tonight, 15 Sunday and 14 Saturday.

 

"There's a lot to be said where a kid hits in the lineup. The guys look more comfortable now. I'm excited about this club. I like what I see."

 

April 19, 2005