Kevin Gray's On Baseball: Drought conditions

A LONG ROAD TRIP produced a franchise record the New Hampshire Fisher Cats would rather forget.

New Hampshire has gone 32 2/3 innings without scoring, dropping to fifth place after a Southern Division swing at Reading and Harrisburg. The Fisher Cats yesterday were shut out for the third straight game, dropping a 1-0 pitchers' duel against the Harrisburg Senators.

New Hampshire's team averaged dipped to .251 -- last among six teams in the Northern Division -- following the three-hit performance before 3,172 fans at Metro Bank Park in Harrisburg.

The Fisher Cats may have to open some new boxes of Louisville Sluggers before tonight's home game against Reading (7 p.m.), which plays a three-game set at Merchantsauto.com Stadium.

►Fisher Cats blanked for third straight game
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"I haven't seen anything like it," NH manager Gary Cathcart said. "There a lot of things you can't explain in this game, and this is one of those times. Guys are working hard just like they have been all season. We've got to make sure these guys don't start feeling sorry for themselves. It's a tough game, a man's game. You've got to be tough or otherwise it's going to eat you up."

Lefty starter Marc Rzepczynski pitched six scoreless innings in the loss to last-place Harrisburg yesterday. NH reliever Danny Farquhar (0-2), pitching with the bases loaded, plunked Jemel Spearman with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

WHO'S HOT: Outfielder Todd Donovan, who singled twice off John Smoltz last week, has been a rare spark on offense. The speed demon has reached safely in 19 straight games. Power-hitting Brian Dopirak went deep three times in a span of four plate appearances at Reading. He contributed one of NH's only three hits yesterday. Reliever Bubbie Buzachero recently picked up his first career save for the Fisher Cats and hasn't allowed an earned run in eight outings and 19 2/3 innings.

WHO'S NOT: Second baseman Brad Emaus, who leads NH with 17 multi-hit games, has slipped into a warm weather funk at the plate. The Aaron Hill-type player is batting .175 through his past 10 games and .272 overall. Shortstop Luis Sanchez went 1-for-20 on the road trip, dropping his average to .214.

PROSPECT WATCH: Keep your eye on Reading outfielder Michael Taylor as the one player to watch from the Phillies. Taylor, ranked by Baseball America as the Phils' No. 6 prospect, ranks among Eastern League leaders with a .339 average, 10 homers and 39 RBI. The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder was drafted in the fifth round of 2007. Taylor, who played at Stanford, is enjoying a breakout power season. He homered last week off Fisher Cats reliever Adrian Martin and went 5-for-6 during an 8-7 win.

Reading right-hander Vance Worley (4-3, 3.13 ERA) starts tonight against New Hampshire. Worley figures to move quickly through the system following an impressive 2008 campaign at High-A. The 2007 draft pick out of Long Beach State owns a career pro record of 7-5 (2.79 ERA). NH sends to the mound righty Randy Boone (4-2, 3.97 ERA) on Animal Appreciation Night at the park. The first 1,000 kids will receive a Webkinz Lil' Kinz lovable pet.

Staff writer Kevin Gray covers baseball for the New Hampshire Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News. His e-mail address is kgray@unionleader.com.