BLUEFISH PITCHING STYMIES BEARS DOWN STRETCH

Bridgeport, CT – May 27^th – The Bridgeport Bluefish looked as if they were in for another long day of baseball as they took the field on Tuesday.  Starter Barry Hertzler had given up four runs through his first two innings and Newark Bears starter Mike Bumstead looked ready to keep them at bay.  However, Hertzler settled down and kept his team in the ballgame.  A timely two run inning in the seventh gave the Bluefish the lead and the eventual 5-4 win. 

Bumstead, who at one point in the game retired 11 batters in a row, came into the seventh inning with a 4-3 lead.  He was pulled in favor of Edwin Almonte after loading the bases for one of the league's leading hitters in Luis Lopez.  Almonte was unable to keep the lead intact as a wild pitch and a Lopez sacrifice fly gave Bridgeport their first lead of the day.  Bumstead (3-4) finished going 6.1 innings allowing six hits and five runs (two earned) while walking two and striking out two. 

Hertzler settled down after his first two innings of work and lasted into the eighth.  T.J. Tucker came on in relief after Hertzler allowed the tying run to reach third base with one out.  After an intentional walk Tucker struck out back-to-back hitters to work out of the jam.  Hertzler (2-2) picks up the win going 7.1 innings and allowing four runs on nine hits while striking out three and walking one.  Wes Wilkerson worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save of the season.

Lopez drove in two runs on the day on two sacrifice flies and a walk.  Branden Florence and Brian Munhall both extended their hitting streaks on the day, 12 and 9 games respectively.  Florence went 2-3 with an RBI while Munhall went 1-4 with a double.  Calvin Pickering added the only other multi-hit game for Bridgeport, going 2-4 with an RBI.

Mike Just went three-for-four in the nine spot for Newark with a run and a stolen base while each of the first four hitters in the Bears lineup had an RBI a piece.

The Bluefish improve to 15-16 on the season and will continue and will continue their four-game set with the Bears tomorrow.  Rafael Bergstrom, hot off his first career Atlantic League win, will take the mound for the Bluefish opposed by Benito Baez of Newark.

Box Score

Newark Bears 4 (19-12)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB

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Brian Burgamy 3b.........  5  1  1  1   0  1  0  1   1

Ramon Castro ss..........  4  1  1  1   0  0  2  4   1

Jose Herrera rf..........  5  0  1  1   0  0  2  0   0

Cory Aldridge lf.........  3  0  1  1   1  2  1  0   1

Keith Reed cf............  3  0  1  0   0  0  5  0   0

Val Majewski dh..........  4  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   3

Randall Simon 1b.........  3  0  0  0   1  0  9  0   0

Scott Knazek c...........  4  1  1  0   0  1  3  1   0

Mike Just 2b.............  4  1  3  0   0  1  1  3   2

Michael Bumstead p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   0

 Edwin Almonte p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0

Totals................... 35  4  9  4   2  5 24 10   8

Bridgeport Bluefish 5 (15-16)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB

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Travis Ezi cf............  4  1  0  0   0  0  4  0   0

Henry Mateo 2b...........  3  1  1  0   0  2  1  6   0

Luis Lopez 3b............  1  1  0  2   1  0  0  3   0

Ryan Bear rf.............  4  1  1  0   0  0  2  0   1

Calvin Pickering dh......  4  0  2  1   0  1  0  0   0

Branden Florence lf......  3  0  2  1   0  0  2  0   0

Brian Munhall 1b.........  4  0  1  0   0  0 12  0   4

Alex Prieto ss...........  4  0  0  0   0  0  1  3   0

Shea Harris c............  3  1  1  0   1  0  5  0   2

Barry Hertzler p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0

 TJ Tucker p.............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0

 Wes Wilkerson p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0

Totals................... 30  5  8  4   2  3 27 12   7

Score by Innings                    R  H  E

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Newark Bears........ 130 000 000 -  4  9  2

Bridgeport Bluefish. 201 000 20X -  5  8  0

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E - Burgamy(3); Herrera(2). DP - Bluefish 1. LOB - Newark 8; Bluefish 7. 2B

- Herrera(7); Mateo(8); Munhall(6). HBP - Castro; Reed; Mateo; Florence. SF

- Lopez 2(4). SB - Reed(4); Just(4). CS - Ezi(3).

Newark Bears           IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF

-----------------------------------------------

Michael Bumstead....  6.1  6  5  2  2  2 24 29

Edwin Almonte.......  1.2  2  0  0  0  1  6  7

Bridgeport Bluefish    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF

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Barry Hertzler......  7.1  9  4  4  1  3 30 33

TJ Tucker...........  0.2  0  0  0  1  2  2  3

Wes Wilkerson.......  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  3  3

Win - Hertzler (2-2).  Loss - Bumstead (3-4).  Save - Wilkerson (5).

WP - Almonte(2); Hertzler(1). HBP - by Hertzler (Castro); by Bumstead

(Florence); by Bumstead (Mateo); by Hertzler (Reed).

Umpires - HP: Edwin Ortiz  1B: Eric Diaz  3B: Kareh Valentin

Start: 10:38   Time: 2:34   Attendance: 4629

Game: BRG0527

Play-by-Play

                            The Automated ScoreBook

                Newark Bears at Bridgeport Bluefish - Play-by-Play

                  May 27, 2008 at Bridgeport, CT (Harbor Yard)

Score by Innings                    R  H  E

-------------------------------------------

Newark Bears........ 130 000 000 -  4  9  2

Bridgeport Bluefish. 201 000 20X -  5  8  0

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Newark Bears starters: 7/3b Burgamy; 19/ss Castro; 29/rf Herrera; 33/lf

Aldridge; 27/cf Reed; 23/dh Majewski; 35/1b Simon; 28/c Knazek; 20/2b Just;

34/p Bumstead;

Bridgeport Bluefish starters: 15/cf Ezi; 7/2b Mateo; 19/3b Lopez; 28/rf Bear;

45/dh Pickering; 16/lf Florence; 20/1b Munhall; 3/ss Prieto; 22/c Harris; 40/p

Hertzler;

Newark Bears 1st - Burgamy grounded out to 2b. Castro hit by pitch.

Castro advanced to second on a wild pitch. Herrera grounded out to 2b; Castro

advanced to third. Aldridge singled to left field, RBI; Castro scored. Reed

singled to right field; Aldridge advanced to second. Majewski flied out to lf.

1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Bridgeport Bluefish 1st - Ezi grounded out to ss. Mateo struck out

looking. Lopez walked. Bear singled to left field; Lopez advanced to second.

Pickering singled, RBI; Bear advanced to third; Lopez scored. Florence singled,

RBI; Pickering advanced to second; Bear scored. Munhall flied out to rf. 2

runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Newark Bears 2nd - Simon flied out to cf. Knazek singled to left field.

Just singled to right field; Knazek advanced to third. Burgamy singled to right

field, RBI; Just advanced to third; Knazek scored. Castro grounded out to 3b,

RBI; Burgamy advanced to second; Just scored. Herrera doubled to center field,

RBI; Burgamy scored. Aldridge struck out swinging. 3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors,

1 LOB.

Bridgeport Bluefish 2nd - Prieto grounded out to 2b. Harris singled to

left field. Ezi reached on a fielder's choice; Harris out at second ss to 2b.

Ezi out at second c to ss, caught stealing. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0

LOB.

Newark Bears 3rd - Reed grounded out to 3b. Majewski flied out to cf.

Simon lined out to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Bridgeport Bluefish 3rd - Mateo doubled, advanced to third on an error

by rf. Lopez flied out to cf, SAC, RBI; Mateo scored, unearned. Bear grounded

out to 2b. Pickering grounded out to ss. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 0 LOB.

Newark Bears 4th - Knazek flied out to rf. Just singled to shortstop.

Just stole second. Burgamy struck out swinging. Castro flied out to cf. 0

runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Bridgeport Bluefish 4th - Florence grounded out to ss. Munhall grounded

out to 2b. Prieto grounded out to p. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Newark Bears 5th - Herrera grounded out to 3b. Aldridge walked. Reed

flied out to rf. Majewski flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1

LOB.

Bridgeport Bluefish 5th - Harris flied out to cf. Ezi fouled out to p.

Mateo struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Newark Bears 6th - Simon grounded out to 2b. Knazek grounded out to 2b.

Just singled to left field. Burgamy grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0

errors, 1 LOB.

Bridgeport Bluefish 6th - Lopez flied out to cf. Bear grounded out to

3b. Pickering singled to left field. Florence hit by pitch; Pickering advanced

to second. Munhall flied out to rf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Newark Bears 7th - Castro singled to left field. Herrera grounded into

double play 2b to ss to 1b; Castro out on the play. Aldridge struck out

swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Bridgeport Bluefish 7th - Prieto flied out to cf. Harris walked. Ezi

reached on an error by 3b; Harris advanced to second. Mateo hit by pitch; Ezi

advanced to second; Harris advanced to third. Almonte to p for Bumstead. Mateo

advanced to second on a wild pitch; Ezi advanced to third on a wild pitch;

Harris scored on a wild pitch, unearned. Lopez flied out to cf, SAC, RBI; Mateo

advanced to third; Ezi scored, unearned. Bear lined out to ss. 2 runs, 0

hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.

Newark Bears 8th - Reed hit by pitch. Reed stole second. Majewski flied

out to lf; Reed advanced to third. Tucker to p for Hertzler. Simon

intentionally walked. Knazek struck out swinging. Just struck out looking. 0

runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Bridgeport Bluefish 8th - Pickering struck out swinging. Florence

singled to center field. Munhall doubled down the lf line; Florence advanced to

third. Prieto popped up to 1b. Harris flied out to lf. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0

errors, 2 LOB.

Newark Bears 9th - Wilkerson to p for Tucker. Burgamy grounded out to 1b

unassisted. Castro grounded out to ss. Herrera grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 0

hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.