7 Run 2nd All Sea Dogs Need in Win

The Sea Dogs decided to be efficient in game 2 of a doubleheader against the Trenton Thunder. Portland scored all 7 of its runs in the 2nd inning, holding on to split the twin-bill 7-5. A Home Run by Will Middlebrooks, his 7th of the year, led the Portland attack in the inning.

After a tough loss in the first game, the Sea Dogs didn't look much better to start of the second game. Reliever turned Starter Jeremy Kehrt got the first two men of the game out. The third out would prove to be not so easy. Bradley Suttle walked on a full count, then Cody Johnson doubled to put two men in scoring position. Jose Gil singled to bring home Suttle, then Addison Maruszak hit a bloop just over the glove of 2B Oscar Tejeda to score Johnson. Jose Pirela would reach base on an error by Jon Hee to load the bases, but DeAngelo Mack would ground out to end the inning.

Portland looked to score a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, as Ryan Lavarnway singled with two outs. However, The DH would get gunned down at the plate trying to score from 1st on Chih-Hsien Chiang's double.

The Sea Dogs made up for lost time getting that first run, as Middlebrooks led off the 2nd inning with a solo Home Run off the bottom of the video board in left center. Trenton starter Cody Arbiso then would get the next two batters out before Mitch Dening stepped to the plate. Dening walked, and #9 hitter Will Vazquez followed by getting hit by a pitch. Lead-off hitter Jeremy Hazelbaker then walked to load the bases. Hee would make up for his earlier error, doubling down the 3rd-base line to score 3 runs and give Portland the lead. After Lavarnway walked, Chiang doubled to score Hee. Middlebrooks then doubled to bring 2 more runs home, giving him 3 RBIs in the inning on 2 hits. That knocked Arbiso out of the game without getting out of the 2nd inning. Switch pitcher Pat Venditte came on in relief and got Jorge Padron to strike out swinging.

Trenton would get 2 runs back in the 3rd inning. Suttle led off with a single, then Johnson hit a deep fly ball to center that Hazelbaker badly misplayed. Suttle would score on the play, and Johnson would make it all the way to 3rd. Gil then grounded out to bring home Johnson, making it 7-4 Sea Dogs.

The Thunder would score another run in the 5th, making it interesting for Sea Dogs fans. Gil hit a one-out double off the Monster, then scored one out later on a single through the infield by Pirela. Those two hits were the only dents in the relief outing by Eammon Portice, who picked up his first win of the year.

Kehrt's final line was 3 2/3 innings pitched, with 5 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), with 2 walks and no strikeouts. It was Kehrt's first start of the year, due to it being a doubleheader.

Arbiso's record fell to 3-2 with the outing today. He went 1 2/3 innings, giving up 7 runs on 6 hits, with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts. His ERA now sits at a robust 5.87.

Venditte pitched solid in relief, confusing batters from both sides of the mound. In 4 1/3 innings, he only gave up 2 hits, and struck out 4. The Sea Dogs were lucky to get runs early, as Venditte was dominant over the last 4 innings.

Portice also pitched well in relief. He went 3 1/3 innings, giving up just 1 run on 2 hits, with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. He evened his record to 1-1, and his ERA sits at an even 4.00.

Middlebrooks went 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs and a run scored. Lavarnway and Chiang also had 2-hit games for the Sea Dogs. In the two games combined, Lavarnway went 4 for 6 with 4 RBIs, 4 runs scored, and 2 walks.

Thunder Strike in 5th Inning, Win 8-7 in game 1

Portland's firepower from the plate wasn't enough as the Trenton Thunder slugged 15 hits to win game 1 of a doubleheader, 8-7. The game featured 4 Home Runs, 3 by the Sea Dogs, but it was the 4-run 5th inning for the Thunder that proved to be the difference.

The Sea Dogs took an early lead in the 1st inning, as Ryan Lavarnway blasted his team-leading 9th Home Run over the monster. Thunder starter Kei Igawa (a former Yankee big-leaguer) had given up 3 runs without getting an out. Naturally Igawa got out of the inning without another hiccup, sandwiching a ground-out with two strikeouts.

The Thunder would cut the lead to 3-2 in the 3rd inning. Cody Johnson hit a 2-run Homer to deep center after Austin Romine drew a lead-off walk against Portland starter Stephen Fife.

The Sea Dogs would answer with 2 runs of their own in the bottom of the 3rd. Lavarnway led off with a walk on 4 pitches. 2 batters later Chih-Hsien Chiang cranked a 2-run Homer into the Pavilion in right field, making it 5-2 Portland.

Trenton would score 2 more runs in the 4th inning, as the pitchers were getting the short end of the stick. A single, a walk, and another single loaded the bases with no outs. Corban Joseph would then ground into a double-play, but Addison Maruszak would score on the play. Austin Romine would then hit an infield single to score another run, again cutting the Sea Dog lead to one run.

Trenton took the lead in the 5th inning, and wouldn't look back. Jose Pirela led off with a triple that went just over the glove of Alex Hassan in left field and bounced off the scoreboard on the Maine Monster. After Damon Sublett struck out, Maruszak hit a sacrifice fly to score Pirela and tie the game at 5-5. Yadil Mujica would then single on a grounder to 3rd, ending Fife's outing. Seth Garrison would come on in relief, but with no different result. Garrison gave up 3 straight hits, including a 2-run double by Joseph and an RBI single by Romine to make it 8-5 Trenton.

The Sea Dogs would score 2 runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit. Lavarnway hit another Monster shot to give him 10 homers on the season, and Will Middlebrooks hit an RBI double to score Tim Federowicz.

Lavarnway had a chance to end the game with a 3rd Home Run in the 7th, but struck out swinging, which was the first time the Thunder got the Sea Dog DH out. Federowicz would then pop out, and Middlebrooks grounded out to end the game.

Fife took the loss, his 3rd of the season. in 4 2/3 innings, he gave up 6 runs on 11 hits, with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts.

Wilkins Arias picked up his 2nd win in relief. The lefty pitched 2 innings, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits, with 1 walk and no strikeouts.

Josh Schmidt picked up his 5th save of the season, allowing only Alex Hassan's lead-off single in the seventh before retiring the next 3 batters to end the game.

Every Thunder batter recorded a hit, as Maruszak finished 3 for 3 with an RBI, a run, and a walk.

Lavarnway went 2 for 3 with 4 RBIs, 3 runs, and a walk.

The Sea Dogs fall to 13-32 on the season, and the Thunder improve to 29-18.

Cats' Bats Erupt in 13-7 Win

Ryan Lavarnway (Photo Jason Gendron/MESN)

Not much seemed to go right for the Sea Dogs in the series finale against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Although the Dogs did manage to score 7 runs on 10 hits, they gave up 13 runs on 16 hits, struck out 13 times, and committed 5 errors.

The Sea Dogs actually got of to the better start in the game, scoring the game's first run on some misfortune by the Fisher Cats. Jeremy Hazelbaker would walk to lead off the bottom of the 1st, then promptly steal 2nd, then move to 3rd on a throwing error by the catcher. He would then score on a wild pitch with one out. It was all downhill from there for the Sea Dogs.

After setting down the Fisher Cats in order in the 1st, Miguel Gonzalez ran into trouble in the 2nd. He hit Mike McDade to lead off the inning, then gave up a hit, walked Travis d'Arnaud, then gave up an RBI single to catcher Yan Gomes to tie the game. Mark Sobolewski then hit a sacrifice fly to give the Fisher Cats the lead for good.

They would score 3 more runs in the 4th inning, knocking Gonzalez out of the game. He walked d'Arnaud to lead off the inning, then gave up a double to Gomes, putting men at 2nd and 3rd. After Sobolewski struck out, Crabbe would reach on an error by first baseman Jorge Padron, allowing 2 runs to score. Crabbe would move to 3rd on an error by right fielder Chih-Hsien Chiang. Crabbe would score on a sacrifice fly by Darin Mastroianni. Gonzalez would get caught in jam by giving up a double and a walk, bringing in Kyle Fernandes. The lefty reliever would then get McDade to strike out swinging to prevent any more damage.

The Sea Dogs would answer with 2 runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Alex Hassan led off with a double, his 15th of the season. A single by Ryan Lavarnway and a walk by Tim Federowicz would load the bases. Will Middlebrooks then walked to bring home a run. Chiang then hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Lavarnway, cutting the deficit to 2 runs. However, Oscar Tejeda would strikeout, and Vladimir Frias flew out to get New Hampshire starter B.J. LaMura out of a jam.

The Fisher Cats broke the game open in the 5th inning. Fernandes gave up 3 straight hits to start off the inning, as d'Arnaud scored New Hampshire's 6th run. Gomes would score on Mastroianni's force out, then Adeiny Hechavarria unloaded on a pitch, jacking a 2-run homer to dead center.

The Sea Dogs would score 2 runs each in the 8th and 9th innings, as the game was out of reach. Lavarnway blasted a Monster shot in the 8th, and Hassan and Lavarnway hit RBI singles in the 9th to please the remaining crowd.

McDade's 6th homer of the year highlighted a 4-run 9th for the Fisher Cats, as they scored in 4 innings to Portland's 5 run-scoring innings.

LaMura evened his record at 3-3, going 5 innings, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits (2 runs earned), walking 3 and striking out 7.

Gonzalez picked up his 2nd loss in his only 2 outings for Portland this year. The righty lasted 3 2/3 innings, giving up 5 runs (3 earned) on only 4 hits, with 4 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 2 hit batsmen.

Every New Hampshire batter scored a run, and Anthony Gose was the only one not to record a hit. Every other Fisher Cat had multiple hits except Crabbe, and Gose did walk twice, too boot.

Lavarnway had a good night at the plate, going 2 for 5 with 2 runs and an RBI. Hassan, Federowicz, and Frias all had 2 hits as well.

The Sea Dogs begin a 4-day, 5-game series with the Trenton Thunder tomorrow night at Hadlock. Saturday features a doubleheader in the afternoon.
-WIL KRAMLICH-

Fisher Cats claw Sea Dogs 8-3

Michael Lee (Photo Jason Gendron/Maine Sports Network)

A day after roughing up a top pitching prospect, the Sea Dogs were the ones roughed up, as Rey Gonzalez fooled Portland hitters for 7 innings in an 8-3 Fisher Cat win. Travis d'Arnaud led a New Hampshire attack that roughed up Sea Dogs pitching for 16 hits. Gonzalez didn't allow a run until the 8th inning, when the Sea Dogs finally got to him.

The Fisher Cats got on the board early, scoring single runs in the first two innings. Darin Mastroianni led off the game with a single, then moved to 3rd on Adeiny Hechavarria's ground-rule double. Anthony Gose then drove home Mastroianni with a sacrifice fly to left, giving New Hampshire and early 1-0 lead. They would make it 2-0 in the 2nd on d'Arnaud's solo Home Run to right center.

The Sea Dogs didn't get a man on base until the 3rd inning, when they would strand 2 men on after singles by Jon Hee and Jeremy Hazelbaker.

The Fisher Cats broke open the game in the middle innings, starting with a Mike McDade RBI double in the 5th to make it 3-0. An RBI double by Craig Stansberry followed by a 2-run Home Run by Callix Crabbe in the 6th made it 6-0 New Hampshire. They would add two more runs in the 7th inning, as d'Arnaud's RBI double scored Moises Sierra, and Stansberry's sacrifice fly scored d'Arnaud.

The Sea Dogs finally managed to crack the scoreboard in the 8th inning, and in the process put a dent in a good outing by Gonzalez. Hazelbaker and Alex Hassan hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Chih-Hsien Chiang then tripled to deep center to drive in 2 runs, ending the outing for the Fisher Cats starter. A one-out sacrifice fly off of reliever Ronald Uviedo from Will Middlebrooks would score Chiang.

Gonzalez' final line was 7+ innings pitched, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits, with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. He improved his record to 6-1 on the season, and his ERA sits at a slim and trim 1.72. Uviedo and Evan Crawford each pitched a scoreless, hitless inning of relief.

Michael Lee falls to 1-4 after going 5 1/3 innings, giving up 5 runs on 9 hits, with no walks and 5 strikeouts. That's now back-to-back outings for Sea Dog starters not giving up a walk and getting at least 5 strikeouts.

Caleb Clay got roughed up in relief of Lee, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits, with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. His ERA ballooned to 10.43 after the appearance.

Eammon Portice threw 2 innings of 2-hit ball in the 8th and 9th, as the outcome of the game had all but been decided.

Hazelbaker had another strong day at the plate, going 2 for 3, with a run and 2 walks. The young outfielder did prove to be an adventure in center, showing questionable positioning and approach on more than one occasion.

With the loss the Sea Dogs are now 13-28 on the season. They will look for their 14th win of the season, and their 11th at home tomorrow night as they play the 3rd game of a 4-game series against New Hampshire.

Fife Just Fine as Sea Dogs Win, 7-3

Stephen Fife (PHOTO JASON GENDRON/Maine Sports Network)

A little home-cooking was all Stephen Fife and the Sea Dogs needed, as they downed the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 7-3 in the opener of a 4-game series. Fife went 6 strong innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, with no walks. The righthander is now 5-2 on the season, with a 2.41 ERA.

The Sea Dogs have only managed 3 wins away from Hadlock Field this season, so beginning a 9-game homestand was a relief for the team. For Jeremy Hazelbaker, it was his first taste of Hadlock and the city. He looked right at home, singling to lead off the bottom of the first. The Sea Dogs would score the first run of the game in the 1st, as Tim Federowicz doubled with 2 outs to drive in Chih-Hsien Chiang.

The Sea Dogs would extend the lead in the 3rd inning. Hazelbaker and Alex Hassan would draw back-to-back walks to lead off the inning. Chiang then singled to drive in Hazelbaker and advance Hassan to third. Federowicz would then ground into a force out, scoring Hassan. Will Middlebrooks then broke the game open, blasting a Home Run to left center to make it 5-0 Dogs.

Portland piled on more 2 more runs in the 4th inning, turning the game into a rout. Mitch Dening singled with one out, then moved to second on a stolen base. Hazelbaker then lined a double to left, scoring Dening. Hassan then doubled to bring home Hazelbaker, making it 7-0 Sea Dogs. The top two hitters combined to go 4 for 7, with 3 runs, 2 RBIs, and 3 walks.

The Fisher Cats would finally get on the board in the 5th inning off Fife. Back-to-back doubles by Darin Mastroianni and Anthony Gose broke the shutout. Fife would get out of a jam, getting Mike McDade to ground out with 2 men on.

The Fisher Cats would add another run in the 6th, with some help from the Sea Dogs defense. With one out, Ricardo Nanita reached base on an error by Jon Hee. Criag Stansberry would make Hee pay two batters later, doubling to right-center to score Nanita. Fife would end the inning, and his outing by striking out Adeiny Hechavarria. It was Fife's sixth strikeout of the game.

The Fisher Cats would add a run in the top of the ninth, as McDade singled off Santo Luis to drive in Anthony Gose. Luis and Kyle Fernandes combined to pitch 3 solid innings to preserve the win for Fife.

Every Sea Dogs hitter recorded a hit, and the top 5 hitters each picked up an RBI. Hazelbaker, Hassan, and Dening each had a stolen base.

New Hampshire starter Zach Stewart was torched for 7 runs on 8 hits, with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts. In only 4 innings of work he threw 89 pitches, with 53 for strikes. The Portland bats went dead against the Fisher Cats relievers, as they only mustered 4 hits and 1 walk over the final 5 innings, albeit with a big lead in hand.

The two teams will be back at it tomorrow for game 2 of this 4-game series.

POST GAME AUDIO

Late Inning Surge Pushes Phillies to 13-4 Win

The Phillies must have taken some offensive notes from the Sea Dogs last night, because they put a beating on the Dogs pitchers, cranking out 13 runs on 14 hits in a 13-4 win. The Phillies scored 10 of those runs in the final three innings, as there was no relief for Portland's relievers. Matt Rizzotti hit two Home Runs late to pace the Reading attack.

Like last night the Phillies scored a run in the top of the first. Freddy Galvis led off the the game with a stand-up triple down the first base line. He would later score on a sacrifice fly by Stephen Susdorf.

The Sea Dogs would answer in the bottom of the inning, as Tim Federowicz singled home Che-Hsuan Lin to tie the game at 1-1.

The second and third innings belonged to the pitchers, as Reading starter Ryan Edell recorded two 1-2-3 innings, and Sea Dog starter Michael Lee allowed only a single by Rizzotti.

The teams would trade runs again in the fourth inning. Susdorf led off the inning with a double, and would score on a sac fly by Derrick Mitchell, as the Phillies executed some small ball. Ryan Lavarnway would tie it up in the bottom of the inning, lining a solo Home Run off the left-field foul pole atop the Maine Monster.

The Sea Dogs would take their first lead of the game in the fifth inning, taking advantage of some Reading defensive blunders. Oscar Tejeda led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error by Rizzotti. Jon Hee then singled, to put two men on. Chih-Hsien Chiang smashed a double to right that just stayed inside the park to score Tejeda. Hee would later score on a sacrifice liner by Alex Hassan. That made it 4-2 Sea Dogs after 5 innings.

Cesar Cabral would come on in relief of Lee in the sixth, making his Hadlock Field debut. It was not the debut Cabral or the Sea Dogs had in mind, as he gave up 5 runs (4 earned) on 5 hits in an inning and a third. In the sixth inning, Susdorf would reach on an error by Cabral, and then score on a single by Carlos Rivero to make it 4-3.

The Sea Dogs had a chance to get some breathing room in the bottom of the sixth, as Federowicz led off with a single to center. He would move to third on a one-out double by Jorge Padron. It looked as though he would score the 5th run of the game for Portland on Tejeda's line-out to left, but the Phillies tagged 3rd base, and Federowicz was called out for leaving too early to end the inning.

The wheels came off for Cabral in the seventh inning. Fidel Hernandez led off with a single to short that Hee couldn't handle. A double from Galvis would bring home Hernandez to tie the game. After Matt Miller walked, Rizzotti broke the tie with a 3-run Home Run into the Portland bullpen in right field. Santo Luis would come on in relief of Cabral and get the next two batters to strike out to end the inning.

The Phillies would bring in 2 more runs in the eighth, thanks in no part to some ugly Portland defense. Rivero led off the inning with a single. Mitchell then grounded to third baseman Will Middlebrooks, but would reach when no one was covering first. Rivero would then make it to third when no one backed up Middlebrooks. So a potential double-play turned into men at the corners with no outs. After Hernandez popped out in foul ground, Rivero scored on a Tuffy Gosewisch single, followed by Mitchell scoring on a Galvis sacrifice grounder.

The Phillies would hit double-digits in runs in the ninth, nearly equaling the 14 runs the Sea Dogs put up the night before. Rizzotti led off the inning with his 2nd Home Run of the night. Cody Overbeck then singled off the monster, and Susdorf walked on 4 pitches, ending Luis's night. Caleb Clay came on in relief, but even he couldn't stop the bleeding. He allowed the first batter he faced, Rivero to smash a 2-run double over Lin's head in center. Back to back ground outs would score Rivero, and Reading was finally done doing damage, as Gosewisch popped out to end the inning.

Rizzotti and Rivero each had 3 hits for Reading, combining for 7 RBIs and 4 runs. Miller was the only Phillie batter without a hit, but did walk twice and score a run.

Lavarnway's fourth inning Home Run was his team-leading 7th of the season. He was one of three Sea Dogs to collect 2 hits, as Federowicz and Hee also did so.

Michael Lee did not factor into the decision, but pitched 5 strong innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits, with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. He threw 53 strikes on 83 pitches. Cabral took his first Double-A loss, and in a short time has seen his ERA balloon to a robust 27.00. Tyson Brummett picked up his second win of the year, pitching 2 2/3 innings of relief, giving up no runs on 2 hits, no walks, and 2 strikeouts. That lowered his ERA to 1.35.

The two teams face off again tomorrow in the rubber game of the three-game series, as it will be a noon start on get-away day.
-WIL KRAMLICH-

4th Inning Key as Sea Dogs Win, 14-4

It was a sloppy day at Hadlock Field, as it was rainy, cold, and windy. The play on the field matched the conditions as the teams combined for 8 errors to go along with 18 runs in a 14-4 Sea Dogs win over the Reading Phillies.

The first half-inning was a sign of things to come, as the Phillies scored the first run of the game without getting a hit. Freddy Galvis led off the game with a walk, and would score on Cody Overbeck's sacrifice fly. Galvis made his way to third when Michael Spidale's reached on an error.

The Phillies would add 2 more runs in the fourth innings, as Carlos Rivero and Derrick Mitchell would score in an inning that included another error and a hit batsman. All 3 of those runs were unearned, but hurt the Sea Dogs nonetheless.

The pain would go away rather quickly, as the Sea Dogs answered in a big way in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Lavarnway led off the inning with a single to left. Tim Federowicz then walked to put two men on. After Will Middlebrooks struck out, Jorge Padron singled to score Lavarnway. Oscar Tejeda then walked to load the bases. Hee made up for his earlier error, singling to left to score 2 runs to tie the game. #9 hitter Mitch Dening then lined a triple past the diving first baseman to score 2 more runs. That was it for Reading starter Austin Hyatt, who would be replaced by Jake Diekman. New pitcher, no problem for Portland, as Che-Hsuan Lin grounded an infield single to score Dening. Alex Hassan walked, and Lavarnway was hit by a pitch to load the bases again. Federowicz singled to plate another run, and the eighth and final run of the inning scored when Middlebrooks reached on an error. 13 Sea Dogs batters stepped to the plate in the inning, as momentum swung in the biggest way possible.

The Sea Dogs would add single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, and plate 3 more in the eighth. Alex Hassan continued his season-long hitting clinic with a solo home run over the Maine Monster in the seventh inning.

Reading added a run in the seventh, as back to back groundouts plated Matt Rizzotti for the 4th Phillie run.

Middlebrooks was the only Portland batter not to record a hit, although he did reach twice on errors. The Sea Dogs drew 7 walks, and countless times faced full counts. It all added up to 204 pitches by Reading hurlers.

The only Reading pitcher to not allow a run was not really even a pitcher. Backup catcher Tim Kennelly came on with 2 outs in the eighth and got Lavarnway to fly out on the only pitch he threw.

Lin led the Sea Dogs offense from the lead-off spot, going 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs, a run, and a walk. Hee and Dening each drove in 2 RBIs from the 8th and 9th spots, respectively.

Stephen Fife picked up his 4th win of the season, going 5 innings, giving up 3 unearned runs on 4 hits, with 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, and a hit batsman.

Hyatt took the loss after lasting only 3 1/3 innings, giving up 6 runs on 5 hits, with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts.

The two teams face off again tomorrow for game 2 of a three-game series, weather permitting.
-WIL KRAMLICH-

Stephen Fife and the Sea Dogs shut out Fisher Cats 3 - 0

After finishing on the wrong end of a shutout last night, the Portland Sea Dogs blanked the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 3-0 Tuesday night.  Stephen Fife (3-2) worked out of a first inning jam and recorded his second quality start of the year to earn the win.  Ryan Lavarnway drove in two runs and threw out a couple of New Hampshire base runners to secure the victory.

While the final line for Fife looked solid, it had a rocky start.  Anthony Gose led off by reaching on a catcher's interference call in the first inning.  He stole second and moved to third on Adeiny Hechavarria's single.  Then, Fife caught a break when Gose was nailed trying to score on a ground ball by Darin Mastroianni.  The righty responded by getting the next two batters to ground out and end the inning.

Lavarnway helped shut down the next best Fisher Cats scoring threat in the third inning.  The Yale product threw out both Gose and Hechavarria trying to steal second base.  He then turned around and gave the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead in the fourth with a sacrifice fly to score Che-Hsuan Lin.  After Tim Federowicz added an RBI single to make it 2-0, Lavarnway added some more insurance with his team-leading sixth home run of the year leading off the ninth inning.

B.J. LaMura (2-2) went a season-high eight innings, allowing just seven hits and two runs, but it wasn't enough to top the efforts of Fife, along with Kyle Fernandes and Tommy Hottovy out of Portland's bullpen.  Fernandes, threw two scoreless innings, benefiting from a base-running blunder by Moises Sierra to help end the seventh.  Hottovy struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning, to earn his first career save.

The Sea Dogs finish up their series with the Fisher Cats tomorrow with a special 10:35 AM start time.  Thursday, the Sea Dogs head to New Britain for a five-game series over four days with the Rock Cats.  The team returns to Hadlock Field Tuesday for a three-game series with the Reading Phillies.  That night will be the 4th annual "All the Hair You Can Spare" event, allowing fans to donate their hair.  For tickets, log on to www.seadogs.com or call 207-879-9500.

Fisher Cats get walk of 1-0 win over Sea Dogs

Moises Sierra lined a bases loaded single up the middle to give the New Hampshire Fisher Cats a 1-0 walk-off win over the Portland Sea Dogs Monday night.  It marked the end of what had been a fantastic outing by both pitching staffs through the first eight and a half innings.  Eammon Portice (0-1) allowed the winning run after surrendering back-to-back singles to start the ninth.  Then, he intentionally walked Darin Mastroianni.  Portice battled back to strike out Mike McDade, but Sierra jumped on the first pitch he saw for the game's only RBI.

New Hampshire starter Chad Beck tossed another terrific outing.  He came in with a 3-0 record and didn't allow a run over seven innings.  Portland's Stolmy Pimentel looked even better.  The 21-year old gave up just three hits and a walk in six scoreless innings.  He also struck out seven batters, the most of any Sea Dogs pitcher in one outing this season.  His last one was also his biggest.

With two outs in the sixth inning, Pimentel allowed a single to Anthony Gose.  The Fisher Cats leadoff man quickly stole second base and moved to third on a wild pitch.  Then, Pimentel walked Adeiny Hechavarria, who also stole second to put two men in scoring position.  However, Pimentel managed to get Mastroianni to wave at a pitch down that Tim Federowicz threw to first, completing the strikeout.

The Sea Dogs had a couple of chances to get to Beck, but couldn't manage to squeeze a run across.  The first chance came in the second inning when Beck walked both Chih-Hsien Chiang and Oscar Tejeda with one out.  Jorge Padron then hit his first of two singles on the night to load the bases.  Beck would then get Jon Hee to strike out and Che-Hsuan Lin to ground out, ending the threat.

The best chance for Portland to score was the top of the sixth inning.  With one out, Ryan Lavarnway singled.  Then, Will Middlebrooks smacked a double deep to the outfield.  Lavarnway rounded third and ran over New Hampshire catcher Travis D'Arnaud in an attempt to jar the ball loose, but was called out.  Chiang then lined out to end the inning.

The Sea Dogs continue their series with the Fisher Cats tomorrow night at 6:35 PM.  Stephen Fife will make the start for Portland opposite B.J. LaMura of New Hampshire.  Thursday, the Sea Dogs head to New Britain for a five-game series over four days with the Rock Cats.  The team returns to Hadlock Field Tuesday for a three-game series with the Reading Phillies.  That night will be the 4th annual "All the Hair You Can Spare" event, allowing fans to donate their hair.  For tickets, log on to www.seadogs.com or call 207-879-9500.

Sixth Inning Sinks Sea Dogs, Lose 4-1

A day after the Sea Dogs offense scored 15 runs on 17 hit, they could only manage 1 run, as they grounded into 4 double plays en route to a loss. New Britain scored 3 runs in the top of the 6th to take the lead for good, winning the rubber game of the series, 4-1.

In a Mother's Day matinee at Hadlock field, the fans on hand were in for a pitchers duel early on. Portland starter Alex Wilson struck out 4 of the first 6 batters he faced, as the Rock Cat hitters couldn't figure him out. Bobby Lanigan similarly mastered the Sea Dogs, stranding runners at 3rd in the first and third innings.

The Sea Dogs got on the board first, finally solving Lanigan in the fifth. Oscar Tejeda singled up the middle to lead off the inning. Jorge Padron then walked on 4 pitches to move Tejeda to 2nd. Jon Hee's sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base with one out. Che-Hsuan Lin then grounded to short to score Tejeda and move Padron to 3rd. Tim Federowicz then struck out swinging to end the inning.

The lead didn't last long for the Sea Dogs, and neither did Wilson in the sixth. Michael Hollimon doubled to deep right to lead off the inning. Wilson got Chris Herrmann to pop out to 2nd, and that was it for the Portland starter. Manager Kevin Boles lifted Wilson after throwing 85 pitches, replacing him with Caleb Clay. Clay hit the first batter he faced, Joe Benson. Chris Parmalee then singled to center, scoring Hollimon, to tie the game. Benson moved to 3rd on a fielding error by Lin, and Parmalee moved to 2nd. Clay then hit Evan Bigley for his 2nd hit batsmen of the inning, loading the bases. With Yangervis Solarte batting, Clay threw a wild pitch, scoring Benson, and moving the runners up. Solarte then grounded out to score Parmalee. With two outs, Clay got Deibinson Romero to pop out to Padron in foul territory to finally end the inning.

The Rock Cats would add an insurance run in the seventh, as Dan Rohlfing scored on Herrmann's 2-out RBI single. The Rock Cats had a chance to score more runs, but Lin made a sliding catch with runners at 2nd and 3rd to end the inning.

The Sea Dogs would go 3 up, 3 down in the final four innings, hitting into inning-ending double plays in the 7th and 8th. Another double play would kill any chance of a rally in the 9th. It was a drastic change from yesterday for the Sea Dogs, who had every bounce go their way in a Saturday win.

Lanigan picked up his 3rd win of the season, going 6 innings, giving up 1 run on 6 hits, with 5 strikeouts and a walk. Tyler Robertson picked up his 4th save, pitching 3 innings of 2-hit ball, with no walks and a strikeout.

Clay picked up a blown save and his first loss of the season. In 1 2/3 innings pitched, the righty reliever gave up 3 runs on 4 hits, with 2 hit batsmen and a wild pitch. Tommy Hottovy gave up only 1 hit while striking out 2 men while pitching the 8th and 9th innings.

Wilson's line was 5 1/3 innings pitched, giving up 1 run on 3 hits, with 5 K's and 4 walks. he threw 49 strikes on 85 pitches.

Che-Hsuan Lin went 2 for 4 from the lead-off spot, driving in the only run of the game. Tejeda went 2 for 3, scoring the lone run for the Sea Dogs. A day after hitting 2 Home Runs and driving in 4 run, Chih-Hsien Chiang went 0 for 3 with strikeouts.

The Sea Dogs now head to Manchester for a 3-game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Portland is now 10-17 on the season.
-WIL KRAMLICH-

Sea Dogs Bats Explode, Down Rock Cats 15-7

Oscar Tejada rips a single off the Maine Monster (Photo Jeff Schools/MESN)

While the weather was nice for most of Saturday's game, the play on the field was downright offensive. The Sea Dogs and Rock Cats combined for 22 runs on 26 hits, as every Portland batter collected a hit, as the Sea Dogs coasted to a 15-7 win.

The Rock Cats got on the board first, as Joe Benson hit a 2-out solo Home Run in the first inning off Portland starter Brock Huntzinger. The Sea Dogs quickly responded as Ryan Lavarnway hit a 3-run homer and Chih-Hsien Chiang hit a 2-run dinger to put the home team on top 5-1 after 1 inning.

Jon Hee hit a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning, and Oscar Tejeda hit an RBI double to chase New Britain starter Deolis Guerra after 1 2/3 innings pitched. Reliever Santos Aria than gave up a 2-RBI single to Mitch Dening to give Guerra 10 earned runs on the day.

Neither team reached base in the third to give the pitchers a break, because the bats were not done yet.

Huntzinger ran into trouble in the fourth giving up a leadoff single to Chris Parmalee, then walking Evan Bigley. Deibinson Romero would walk with one out to load the bases. Mark Dolenc then hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Parmalee. Huntzinger would get Chris Cates to fly out to get out of the jam with only one run allowed.

Chiang hit another 2-run homer in the fourth to give him 3 hits in 3 at-bats in four innings, as the Rock Cat pitchers couldn't find a way to get him out.

New Britain would put up a fight in the top of the fifth, as Chris Hermann and Bigley collected Home Runs off of Huntzinger to chase him out of the game. The righty pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and a strikeout. he threw 54 of his 87 pitches for strikes.

Portland's offense would keep it going in the bottom of the inning. Vladimir Frias led off with a double for his first hit of the game. Che-Hsuan Lin would double to bring home Frias. Hee then drew a walk with a full count to put two men on. Tim Federowicz then hit a deep fly ball to right that bounced off Bigley's glove to load the bases. Lavarnway hit a grounder up the left side of the infield to bring home Lin, and Hee would also score on an error by Dolenc. Aria was lifted from the game without recording an out in the inning. His replacement, Michael Tarsi then got the next three batters out in order to end the inning, and close the books on the Sea Dogs scoring in this game.

Luis' only hiccup was in the eighth when Yangervis Solarte led off with a triple, and Romero drove him home with an infield single to 3rd.

Luis picked up his first win of the season after pitching 3 1/3 innings of relief, giving up only 1 run on 2 hits, with a walk and 2 strikeouts.

Deolis Guerra took the loss, his fourth of the season. In 1 2/3 innings pitched, he gave up 10 runs on 10 hits with 3 walks and no strikeouts, and giving up 3 Home Runs.

Chiang went 3 for 5 to lead the Sea Dogs offense, with 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored.

Every Sea Dogs batter reached base at least twice, and Dening was the only one to not score a run. The 15 runs was a season high for Portland.

The two teams meet again tomorrow at 1pm for the rubber game of the series. Alex Wilson will be on the mound for the Sea Dogs, looking to pick up his team-leading 5th win of the year.
-WIL KRAMLICH-

Chris Mellen from Sox Prospects in-studio

Chris Mellen from SoxProspects.com joined Jeff and Matty in-studio to talk about the Sox Farm System.

Home doesn't treat the Sea Dogs much better,

Pardon blasted a Grand Slam in the 1st inning (Photo Jason Gendron/MESN)

After a 1-6 road trip, the friendly confines of Hadlock Field did not treat the Portland Sea Dogs any better.  Portland led 7-2 at one point but the Rock Cats scored five runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Sea Dogs 10-7 Friday night before a crowd of 5,015.

Chris Parmelee singled off Seth Garrison in the ninth inning to score Michael Hollimon to tie the game at seven.  Evan Bigley followed with a two run double as New Britain completed the comeback scoring seven runs in the final two innings.

It was a big night for Parmelee who was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI, including a two run homer in the eighth to bring the Rock Cats within two, setting up the dramatic ninth inning comeback.

Garrison (0-1) suffered the loss for Portland surrendering five runs on five hits in two innings of work.

After the Sea Dogs fell behind 2-0 in the top half of the first, Portland responded in a big way when Jorge Padron blasted a grand slam into the U.S. Cellular Pavilion, his first home run of the year, giving the Sea Dogs a 4-2 lead.

The Portland offense spoiled the Double-A debut of New Britain starting pitcher Daniel Osterbrock (0-0) knocking him out of the game after 3.1 innings surrendering five runs on eight hits but did not factor into the decision.

Portland starter Michael Lee would settle down after the rough first inning retiring 10 of 11 batters until the fifth inning when Chris Herrmann would deliver his second RBI double of the game for New Britain.

Will Middlebrooks was 3-for-4 with two RBI's.  He collected RBI singles in both the second and third innings and the Sea Dogs looked like they were well on their way to a fourth straight win at Hadlock Field with a 7-3 lead entering the eighth inning.

Michael Tarsi (1-0) earned his first win of the season tossing one inning, allowing only two walks.  Cole Devries picked-up his seventh save of the season, shutting down the Sea Dogs in the ninth yielding one hit.

The Sea Dogs will continue the series Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM at Hadlock Field.  Sea Dogs' right-handed pitcher Brock Huntzinger (2-3, 6.30) will get the start for Portland.  He will be opposed by New Britain righty Deolis Guerra (2-3, 8.31).
-PORTLAND SEA DOGS-

Trenton comes back to beat Sea Dogs 8-7

The Trenton Thunder were down, but not out on Thursday night, as they played host to the Portland Sea Dogs. Trenton entered the bottom of the eighth inning trailing 7-3, but scored two in the eighth, two in the ninth, and one in the eleventh, coming back to defeat Portland, 8-7 at Waterfront Park.

The Sea Dogs opened the scoring in the second inning, using a four-single attack, including a pair of RBI hits from Che-Hsuan Lin and Alex Hassan. Trenton got one run back in their half of the second on a solo home run from Melky Mesa, before a sacrafice fly from Oscar Tejeda put Portland back on top by two.

After going scoreless through the middle three innings, both clubs regained their offensive touches in the seventh. In the top half of the frame, Portland received consecutive run-scoring extra base hits, as Jorge Padron tripled, and Chih-Hsien Chiang doubled.

The Thunder crossed the plate twice in their half of the seventh, but the Sea Dogs quickly got those two runs back in the eighth, as Alex Hassan walked, setting the table for a two-run bomb to left field by Ryan Lavarnway.

Trenton came back to tie the game with two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth, forcing extra innings. In the eighth, Bradley Suttle tripled home Austin Romine, before being driven in on an RBI single by Melky Mesa. Then, in the ninth Corban Joseph singled in Austin Krum, before Cody Johnson's sacrifice fly plated Joseph.

The game remained tied until the eleventh, when the Thunder pushed across the game winning run on Dan Brewer's bases loaded walk.

Fernando Hernandez (2-2) tossed a scoreless inning for the win, defeating Kyle Fernandes (0-1), who allowed one run in one and one-third innings in the loss.

The Sea Dogs begins a three-game series against the New Britain Rock Cats on Friday night at Hadlock Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:00.  Michael Lee (1-2, 4.67) will make the start for Portland, while Daniel Osterbrock (first start) will get the call for New Britain.  Following the game, make sure to stick for fireworks, which are made possible by U.S Cellular.  Sunday, May 8th will be Portland's annual Mother's Day 5K Road Race.  For tickets or road race registration information, log on to www.seadogs.com or call 207-879-9500.
-PORTLAND SEA DOGS-

Sea Dogs drop 5th straight in 5-3 loss to Trenton

For the fourth straight the Portland Sea Dogs brought the tying run to the plate late in the game.  For the fourth straight game, the Sea Dogs wound up on the wrong end of the scoreboard.  Portland came up just shy once again, this time in a 5-3 loss to the Trenton Thunder.  Chih-Hsien Chiang hit his first home run of the year, but it wasn't enough as Che-Hsuan Lin was robbed of a base hit by Ray Kruml with two runners on base to end the game.

The Thunder jumped out to a 4-1 lead against Sea Dogs starting pitcher Brock Huntzinger (2-3).  Addison Maruszak had a pair of RBI singles.  Corban Joseph drove in another run and scored two for Trenton.  Three of the Thunder runs ended up as unearned runs.  Both runs scored off Huntzinger in the fourth and a run off Jeremy Kehrt in the fifth were not credited to the pitchers.

After that Portland's bullpen shut down the Trenton offense.  Kehrt and Eammon Portice combined for perfect innings in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.  However, the Thunder relievers were just as solid.  Tim Norton and Brian Anderson combined to allow one baserunner over three innings, before yielding to Fernando Hernandez.  The Trenton closer got the first two hitters out before running into trouble.  Jorge Padron reached on an infield single, his third hit of the night, and Chiang walked before Kruml's spectacular diving catch on Lin.

Portland has now lost four straight, a season-long run for the Sea Dogs.  The team has been close in every game, with no loss coming by more than three runs.  On the season, 11 of Portland's 13 losses have come by three runs or less.  Also, seven of their eight road losses have been by a margin of three or less.

The Sea Dogs and Thunder will meet in the second of the four-game series tomorrow morning.  It's a special 10:35 AM first pitch from Trenton.  Alex Wilson gets the start for Portland opposite Steve Garrison of Trenton.  The Sea Dogs return home for a three-game series with the New Britain Rock Cats starting May 6.  That night will be a Fireworks night sponsored by U.S Cellular.  Sunday, May 8th will be Portland's annual Mother's Day 5K Road Race.  For tickets or road race registration information, log on to www.seadogs.com or call 207-879-9500.
-PORTLAND SEA DOGS-

Reading beats Sea Dogs 3-2

Photo Ralph Trout/RPhils.com

Once again, the Portland Sea Dogs rallied back late in a game.  Once again, the opposition, this time the Reading Phillies, barely managed to hang on for the win.  Michael Spidale threw out Che-Hsuan Lin at home in the eighth.  Then, Justin De Fratus got Lin to ground out with the bases loaded to end the game, as Reading earned a sweep of Portland 3-2 Sunday afternoon.

The Sea Dogs trailed 3-0 after a pair of solo home runs by Cody Overbeck and bases loaded walk to Derrick Mitchell.  However, the gap did not deter Portland's will to win.  Lin tripled with one out in the sixth inning and scored on Jon Hee's bloop single.  The next batter, Alex Hassan, doubled in Hee to instantly cut the lead to one.  Hassan advanced to second on a walk to Tim Federowicz before Jorge Padron grounded into an inning-ending double play.

That would be a familiar theme for the Sea Dogs as they managed to bring the tying run in scoring position three times, but never could get it across the plate.  Federowicz singled with runners on first and second with two outs in the eighth.  However, catcher Tim Kennelly sold Lin on the fact that there was no throw home, and tagged out the speedy centerfielder to end the frame.  Lin got another chance to tie the game in the ninth, but De Fratus got him to ground back to the mound.

The loss drops Portland to just 1-7 away from Hadlock Field to start the season.  Reading also has been an unkind destination.  The Sea Dogs haven't won at First Energy Stadium since Opening Day last year, and have lost ten straight there.  The Phillies picked up the series sweep despite being out-hit 23 to 17 in the three games combined.

The Sea Dogs continue their road trip in Trenton tomorrow night against the Thunder.  Brock Huntzinger will aim for his third straight win against Craig Heyer.  The Sea Dogs return home for a three-game series with the New Britain Rock Cats starting May 6.  That night will be a Fireworks night sponsored by U.S Cellular.  Sunday, May 8th will be Portland's annual Mother's Day 5K Road Race.  For tickets or road race registration information, log on to www.seadogs.com or call 207-879-9500.

Sea Dogs get 13 hits, but score only 2 in 5-2 loss to Phillies

Stephen Fife's shortest stint in reading (Photo R-Phils Team Photographer Ralph Trout)

The Reading Phillies took advantage of some minor miscues by the Portland Sea Dogs and scored a 5-2 win Saturday night.  Reading scored its runs on two sacrifice groundouts, a sacrifice fly, an RBI single, and a wild pitch.  Portland, on the other hand, rebounded from its three-hit effort last night to pound out 13 hits tonight.  However, the Sea Dogs went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

J.C Ramirez (4-0) threw his fourth quality start in as many outings this season, to earn his fourth win.  Stephen Fife (2-2) lasted just three and two-thirds innings, his shortest of the season, and was hit with the loss.  Justin De Fratus pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his second save for the Phillies.

Reading got a quick start once again as Freddy Galvis led off the first inning with a double.  He would advance on a sacrifice groundout and score on another to give his team the early lead.  The Phillies extended their lead to 3-0 on an RBI single that was set up by a pair of Portland errors, and another sacrifice groundout.

The Sea Dogs got on the board in the fifth inning.  After a leadoff double by Will Middlebrooks, Ramirez retired the next two batters.  Then, Ryan Dent beat out an infield single that scored Middlebrooks.  Portland cut the lead to one when Che-Hsuan Lin singled in Jon Hee, who came on to replace Dent in the fifth inning.  Reading put the game out of reach against Santo Luis.  The big righty allowed a run each in the seventh and eighth innings.

The Sea Dogs conclude their series with the Phillies tomorrow afternoon.  Portland heads to Trenton for a four-game series starting Monday.  The Sea Dogs return home for a three-game series with the New Britain Rock Cats starting May 6.  That night will be a Fireworks night sponsored by U.S Cellular.  Sunday, May 8th will be Portland's annual Mother's Day 5K Road Race.  For tickets or road race registration information, log on to www.seadogs.com or call 207-879-9500.
-PORTLAND SEA DOGS-