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07/27/2007 1:03 AM ET
Manatees' Welch flirts with perfection
Loses bid on dropped pop fly before giving up RBI double
By Zack Hample / Special to MLB.com
David Welch is 5-1 with a 2.94 ERA and one complete game in nine starts since June 1. (Brevard County Manatees)

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David Welch took a perfect game into the eighth inning Thursday before the Brevard County Manatees defeated the Vero Beach Devil Rays, 6-2.

Welch (6-3) breezed through seven innings, thanks to a little help from his defense. Third baseman Mat Gamel knocked down a wicked grounder to end the first and left fielder Cole Gillespie made an outstanding running catch on a ball hit over his head for the final out in the seventh.

"That's when I got a bit pumped up," admitted Welch, who credited pitching coach Fred Dabney for getting him back on track.

"He's helped me a lot with my breaker and especially my fastball command," said the 24-year-old Australian, who had allowed a season-high four runs on eight hits in his previous start. "[My curveball] hadn't been working for me until later in the game, but tonight I had it working right out of the bullpen."

Welch lost the perfect game when catcher Anderson De La Rosa dropped a pop-up in front of the mound. Matthew Devins followed with a run-scoring double to break up the no-hitter and Christian Lopez plated another run with a two-out single.

Welch kept his emotions in check after De La Rosa's miscue and settled down to secure the win.

"I just tapped him on the back and said, 'Don't worry about it.' He was calling great pitches. I hardly had to shake him off at all," Welch explained.

De La Rosa also contributed with his bat, stroking a pair of RBI triples as the first-place Manatees (20-14) built a 4-0 lead in the eighth.

De La Rosa, Gillespie, Yohannis Perez and Lorenzo Cain finished with two hits apiece. Ned Yost drew three walks and scored twice.

"We're having a great year and we're going to keep it going through the playoffs," said Welch, who allowed two unearned runs on two hits while striking out five without a walk over 7 2/3 innings.

Ben Stanczyk retired all four batters he faced to earn his third save.

Starter Jeff Kamrath (2-7) surrendered three runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5 2/3 frames for the Devil Rays (8-25).

Zack Hample is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.