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| The Bluefish rallied to defeat the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, and share the Liberty Division lead with the Somerset Patriots. (Photo by Bill Harper) |
BRIDGEPORT—Before the start of the season, Bridgeport Bluefish manager Luis Rodriguez said it was imperative that his team get off to a fast start if it was going to have a successful season. Apparently, his team has heeded his advice well. After winning their first series of the year—a seven-game road trip unto itself to the Lone Star State where they defeated the defending Atlantic League champion Sugar Land Skeeters four games to three, the ’Fish returned home to Connecticut where they entertained the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs for three games.
After splitting the first two games—a 2-0 white washing of
the B-Crabs in Friday’s home opener followed by a 6-4 loss on Saturday, Bridgeport
outslugged Southern Maryland, 10-8, before 2,780 fans on a gorgeous, sunny
80-degree day at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Sunday afternoon. But it sure
didn’t come easy.
The Blue Crabs jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but the ’Fish
responded with two runs in the bottom of the second on a two-run single by
Yefry Reyes off Southern Maryland starter Austin Fleet. After the Crabs scored
another run, an RBI double by Sean Burroughs cut the Crabs’ advantage to 6-3.
Then, in the bottom of the fifth, the Bluefish batted
around, scoring four runs and taking a 7-6 lead—a lead they would not
relinquish. Reyes once again keyed the rally with an RBI single that plated
Daniel Fields.
After Bridgeport increased its lead to 9-6 in the bottom of
the sixth thanks to a two-run single by Reyes, it was Southern Maryland’s time
to claw back into the game with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh,
cutting the Bridgeport advantage to one run, 9-8. But the Bluefish put the game
away when they loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth, and Fields was
plunked by Southern Maryland’s Robert Carson—a former member of the ’Fish—which
scored Jose Cuevas (great name, right?), giving Bridgeport a 10-8 lead, and
that’s how it ended. Bridgeport’s bullpen duo of Manny Delcarmen and David
Carpenter did the rest, retiring all six batters they faced—striking out three—with
Carpenter slamming the door in the ninth for his fifth save in as many
opportunities.Alex Burgos (1-0) earned the victory for the ‘Fish with an inning 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball. Cody Hebner (0-1) suffered the loss in relief, surrendering four runs (only one earned) in 2.1 innings out of the Southern Maryland pen. Burroughs, Reyes, Fields, Alberto Callaspo, and Ozney Guillen (who now has a 10-game hitting streak) led the way for Bridgeport with a pair of hits each.
With the victory, the Bluefish improve to 6-4 and are in a first-place tie with the Somerset Patriots in the Atlantic League Liberty Division. The ’Fish are now off to Lancaster, Pa., for four games against the Lancaster Barnstormers before returning to the Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Friday for a three-game weekend series with the Barnstormers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:12 p.m. Friday’s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta includes $5 tickets as a part of Nacho Appreciation Night, and the first 500 fans in attendance will receive a 20th Anniversary Crest Pin. Tickets are available at the Bluefish box office, or by CLICKING HERE.
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