By Ken Lipshez
New Britain Herald

NEW BRITAIN - When the Portland Sea Dogs arrived in town, their playoff
destiny was in their own hands.

With one game left in the regular season, destiny has walked through the
door and is about to slam it shut on the Sea Dogs with a healthy push the
New Britain Rock Cats.

Brock Peterson hit a grand slam in the second game and drove in six runs
on the day Sunday as the Rock Cats swept a doubleheader, 3-2 and 12-3, to
increase their winning streak to a season-high six games before 5,589 at
New Britain Stadium.

The Sea Dogs (70-71) came into the five-game set against New Britain with
a 1½-game lead over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats for second place, the
final postseason slot in the Northern Division.

The teams now are in a flat-footed tie for the position, so it all comes
down to the final game of the season today. New Hampshire hosts Trenton,
while the Rock Cats and Sea Dogs wrap up their series beginning at 1:35
p.m.

The Rock Cats (68-72) continued their remarkable run in doubleheaders,
having swept eight and split five this season for a record of 21-5.

Manager Riccardo Ingram's first thought was about the Rock Cats falling
just a few breaks short of the playoffs.

"You just want to find a 10-story window, just jump and say, 'Why? Why did
it come to this,'" he said. "The Connecticut series (losing 4 of 5 at home
Aug. 23-26) was the difference. ... Seventy wins at this point would have
(put us) in the mix."

But Portland manager Arnie Beyeler, Ingram's former minor league teammate,
has cornered the market on frustration.

"They're playing loose and easy and having some fun," Beyeler said. "I
don't know what we're doing out there but it doesn't look like anyone is
having much fun."

With Portland desperately trying to stop the bleeding in game two, the
Rock Cats scored four times off Felix Diaz in the first inning on
Peterson's slam, his team-best 15th homer of the year.

"The guys in front of me (Brandon Roberts, Rashad Eldridge and Garrett
Guzman) put me in a great spot," Peterson said. "You can't ask for
anything more - first inning, bases loaded, no outs.

"He threw a first-pitch changeup for a ball. After that I knew he had to
come with his fastball. I just told myself I didn't want to be late on
it."

New Britain continued to pour it on in the second. Kyle Geiger rifled a
leadoff single, took second on a fielder's choice and scored on a single
by Eldridge (3-for-4, 3 runs). Guzman (4-for-4, 2 RBI) followed with a
hit, bringing up Peterson.

Diaz (4-4), who threw seven innings of one-hit ball against Trenton in his
last outing, glanced a fastball off Peterson's shoulder and was ejected
promptly by home plate umpire John Tumpane.

"I'm not sure if it was really on purpose but it looked really bad - hit a
grand slam and the (next) pitch you get hit," said Peterson, who has been
hit by pitches 18 times this season. "I was kind of expecting it, to tell
you the truth. I just had a feeling it was going to happen."

The Rock Cats continued to hammer away against the Portland bullpen. David
Winfree pounded a two-run double, Felix Molina slapped an RBI single and
New Britain had a 9-0 lead after two.

Rock Cats starter Jesse Floyd retired the first nine Sea Dogs. His shutout
bid went by the boards in the fifth when Jay Johnson hit his second homer
of the series and fifth of the season. Andrew Pinckney also homered for
Portland.

Roberts hit his third homer of the season, a solo shot in the fifth.

Floyd (7-9) tossed a route-going five-hitter, didn't walk a batter and
struck out eight.

In the first game, the Rock Cats took the early initiative, striking twice
in the second inning. Peterson doubled to the right field wall and scored
on a one-out triple by Winfree. Winfree scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt
Allegra.

Portland bounced back to tie the game in the fourth against Josh Hill.

Johnson singled sharply to left and scored on a gap double by Pinckney.
John Otness' single make it 2-2.

Eduardo Morlan (1-0) replaced Hill with two down in the sixth and put out
the fire. He went on to twirl 2 1/3 innings of hitless ball walking one
and striking out four.

The Rock Cats staged their game-winning rally in the sixth. Starter
Michael Bowden (8-6) had retired eight in a row when he walked Eldridge
with one out. Guzman singled to right and Eldridge slid into third ahead
of the throw.

Peterson's fly to medium right was enough to score Eldridge.

Ingram entrusted the one-run lead to Armando Gabino, who has been
outstanding since joining New Britain August 8. Gabino retired three of
the four Sea Dogs he faced to notch his fourth save.

Gabino has now logged 16 innings in Double A without giving up an earned
run.

CATS TALES: Guzman, now batting .304, has a virtual lock on a .300 season.
He would have to go 0-for-8 today to lose that distinction. ... Today's
probables: Portland RHP Chris Smith (6-8, 3.83) vs. New Britain LHP Ryan
Mullins (3-3, 3.95). ... Portland would host New Hampshire Tuesday in a
one-game playoff if the teams wind up in a second-place tie after today's
action.

Playoffs gone, but attendance battle rages on for Rock Cats

While all eyes are focused on the scoreboard today to see whether the
Portland Sea Dogs or New Hampshire Fisher Cats will gain the final
Northern Division playoff spot, Rock Cats administrators will cast a
glance at the turnstiles.

The Rock Cats, Fisher Cats and Altoona Curve have been waging a battle for
fifth place in the Eastern League. Reading, Portland, Trenton and Akron -
all with bigger ballparks - hold the top four slots.

The Rock Cats are drawing 5,331 per game. Altoona, which finishes on the
road today, is at 5,318. New Hampshire, at home against Trenton, is at
5,317.

From a total attendance standpoint, New Hampshire has drawn 366,811 in 68
openings. Altoona finished with 356,339 in 67 openings.

New Britain, at 335,831 in 63 openings, needs just 1,857 to break its
all-time total of 337,687 set in 2005. The Rock Cats will finish with
their highest per-game average, shattering last year's norm of 5,052.

09/03/2007