Jones A Big Help For Rock Cats

NEW BRITAIN -- First baseman Garrett Jones began the season with Class A Fort Myers but was called up when Billy Munoz injured his foot last week. Jones is making the most of his stay.

He hit a home run and a two-run double Friday to lead the Rock Cats to a 7-5 victory over the Reading Phillies before 5,194 at New Britain Stadium.

Jones' double to right with two out in the eighth broke a 5-5 tie as the Rock Cats (10-10) won their fourth in a row.

"I'm just going to play hard and try to help this team win ballgames as much as a I can," Jones said. "Play good defense and play good offense the best way I know how."

The Rock Cats scored in the first on Kevin West's double to left field, which drove in Jason Kubel, who walked. The Phillies tied it in the second on Kevin Barker's leadoff home run to right.

The Phillies took the lead in the third on Kurt Keene's two-run homer.

Jones hit a one-out home run to right-center in the fifth.

The Phillies made it 4-2 in the sixth, but the Rock Cats took a 5-4 lead on Kubel's two-run homer and B.J. Garbe's double in the bottom of the inning.

The Phillies tied the score off reliever Beau Kemp on Ryan Howard's single in the seventh. Howard reached on a triple off starter J.D. Durbin.

Durbin gave up four earned runs on nine hits and struck out three in 6 2/3 innings.

Kemp (2-0) pitched two shutout innings, allowing one hit. Bobby Korecky faced one batter, striking out Keene to end the game for his fifth save.

Helling to join the Rock Cats

Helling, 33, earned a World Series ring with the Florida Marlins last season and has been on five major league teams in the last seven years.

Helling had been recuperating from a broken leg sustained during spring training with the Twins, who signed him as a free agent in January. He has a 90-78 record in the majors since 1994.

Helling is scheduled to start Monday against the Trenton Thunder in New Britain.

Rock Cats righthander Brian Wolfe was placed on the disabled list with a torn ligament in his elbow and could miss the rest of the season.