Sea Dogs Score Early, Often, Win 11-4 #portlandseadogs #redsox

Trenton starter Alan Horne toed the rubber for the first time since 2009 due to injury. The Sea Dogs did not greet him nicely, scoring 4 runs before Horne could record an out, and Portland didn't look back, winning 11-4.

Horne's first recorded out since '09 will have to wait for another day, as the Sea Dogs watched the righty fail to locate the strike zone. Horne walked 5 of the first 6 batters and gave up a single to Alex Hassan. After facing 6 batters and throwing only 14 of his 37 pitches for strikes, the Alan Horne experiment was over. Craig Heyer came on in relief to get the first 3 outs and end the inning. The damage was already done, however, as the Sea Dogs scored 4 runs in what turned out to be a blowout.

With a comfortable cushion, Portland starter Alex Wilson went to work. In 5 2/3 innings, he scattered 4 hits without giving up a run. He struck out a season-high 8 batters, while only walking 3. He threw 61 of his 100 pitches for strikes.

The Sea Dogs would score again in the fifth inning, as Ryan Khoury singled to lead off the inning. It was Khoury's first hit since being reacquired by the Red Sox organization earlier in the week. Khoury went 0 for 5 in his debut last night. The Sea Dogs second baseman would later score on a sacrifice fly by Tim Federowicz, making it 5-0 Dogs.

Khoury would pick up his first (and second) RBIs of the season the very next inning, as he would belt a double off of the Monster, plating Jon Hee and Jeremy Hazelbaker.

The Sea Dogs would completely blow the game open in the seventh inning, as Heyer showed signs of fatigue. After Federowicz flew out to center to lead-off, the Sea Dogs would get 4 straight hits to knock out Heyer. The righty reliever pitched 6 1/3 valiant innings, giving up 7 runs on 8 hits, walking 3 and striking out 3. He threw 101 pitches, 61 for strikes. Heyer held the Sea Dogs in check for 4 innings, not allowing a run, while only giving up 1 hit before he started to fall apart in the fifth.

The Thunder scored all 4 of their runs in the final 3 innings as the game was out of reach. Corban Joseph, Cody Johnson, and DeAngelo Mack all picked up RBI hits for Trenton. Joseph had a productive night, going 3 for 4, with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI.

The whole Sea Dogs line-up 1 through 9 produced in the game. Hazelbaker and Chih-Hsien Chiang were the only starters held hitless. Federowicz was the lone Dog not to score, and Hee the only batter who failed to drive home a run. Khoury finished 2 for 3 with 2 RBI, 2 runs, and 2 walks. Hassan went 3 for 4, with a run and an RBI, showing that his early season surge was no fluke.

The Sea Dogs improved to 25-43 on the season, and picked up their first series win at home since late April.

Chris Balcom-Miller takes the mound for Portland tomorrow, as he will face off against Yankees prospect Manny Banuelos. Game time is at 6:00pm for the series finale.

Sea Dogs: Dogs walk to runs in 13-5 romp

The Sea Dogs series opener against the Trenton Thunder featured a dominant pitcher. It just wasn't the starting pitcher everyone thought it would be. Dellin Betances came into the contest with a 1.76 ERA and only 27 walks in 56 1/3 innings pitched. So naturally he only lasted 2 1/3 innings while walking 4 batters. It was Portland starter Brock Huntzinger who pitched effectively, striking out a season-high 9 batters in 5 solid innings.

CLICK FOR POST GAME AUDIO

Betances had a rough first inning, setting the stage for a forgettable outing. Jeremy Hazelbaker led off the bottom of the inning with a single, and then promptly stole second. Old friend Ryan Khoury, newly signed from an independent league team, then walked. Alex Hassan would ground out, scoring Hazelbaker for the games first run. Chih-Hsien Chiang walked to put runners at the corners. Khoury would score on a wild pitch with Tim Federowicz batting. After Federowicz flew out to center, Reynaldo Rodriguez would single to bring home Chiang, and it was the Sea Dogs with an early 3-0 lead.

The run support energized Huntzinger, as he struck out the side in the second, the first of three times he would strike out 3 batters in an inning. He would give up a lead-off Home Run to Jose Gil in the third, then strike out #9 hitter Jason Place, giving him 3 strikeouts in a span of 4 batters. Huntzinger then looked a little shaky, giving up a single to Ray Kruml, then walking Corban Joseph. Rob Lyerly then hit an RBI double for his first Double-A hit, closing the gap to 3-2. Huntzinger then got Cody Johnson and Bradley Suttle to strike out to end the inning. Huntzinger would also strike out 3 batters in the the fifth, ending his outing on a high note.

The Sea Dogs would pull away for good in the bottom of the third. Hassan led off with walk, as the Sea Dogs took advantage of Betances' wildness. Chiang hit a bomb to deep left-center, only to have it come up up short at the warning track for a long out. Federowicz was then hit by a pitch, putting two men on for Rodriguez. Just as he did in the first inning, the Sea Dog 1st baseman hit an RBI single, scoring Hassan. Oscar Tejeda would then hit a bloop single to shallow right field, scoring Federowicz and ending Betances short outing. Naoya Okamoto would come on in relief, and would be anything but, as Jorge Padron and Jon Hee would both pick up RBI hits. Okamoto would then get Hazelbaker to ground out, and Khoury to fly out to end the inning.

The Sea Dogs would put 2 more runs across in the fourth inning, as Federowicz lined a 2 RBI double down the left-field line with no outs.

Portland would extend the lead even further in the sixth inning, as Rodriguez and Tejeda hit Home Runs on back-to-back pitches to the same part of the park. Rodriguez's was a 3-run homer, giving him 5 RBIs on the night.

Trenton would score single runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings with the game out of reach. to finalize the 13-5 score.

Huntzinger improved to 4-5 with one of his best outings of the season. In 5 innings he scattered 2 runs on 7 hits, striking out 9 while walking only 1. He threw 63 of his 97 pitches for strikes, and used all 3 of his pitches effectively.

Khoury was the only Sea Dogs batter to not record a hit, yet he might have been the happiest player after the game. After spending parts of 2008-10 in Portland, the infielder was let go by the Red Sox. He landed in the Frontier League playing for the Gateway Grizzlies, hoping to someday make it back onto a big league club's radar. It was the Red Sox that never let him out of their sight, as he is back in their possession. Khoury is grateful to be back here in Portland, where he said the post-game spread is a little better. Listen to the post-game audio below:

POST GAME AUDIO
Ryan Khoury


Brock Huntzinger

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.

COELLO Ks 11 IN 1-0 LOSS TO TRENTON

OFFICIAL PORTLAND SEA DOGS WRAP UP
Robert Coello put together one of the best pitching performances of his career, allowing three hits and striking out eleven in five and two-thirds innings. Unfortunately, the Portland Sea Dogs were unable to get him the win, as Daniel Brewer's fielder's choice in the bottom of the ninth was the difference. The Trenton Thunder won for the second night in a row, blanking Portland 1-0 at Waterfront Park.

Both starting pitchers were absolutely magnificent. Robert Coello got the nod for the Sea Dogs, and went five and two-thirds innings, allowing just three hits, while striking out eleven. The eleven strikeouts are a career high for Coello, and the most by a Portland pitcher since Felix Doubront's ten on July 22, 2009 at New Britain. On the other side, David Phelps tossed seven innings for the Thunder, allowing four hits and one walk, while tying his season high with seven strikeouts.

Portland's Mitch Herold and Trenton's Eric Wordekemper kept the pitcher's duel going, as the game remained scoreless into the ninth. Wordekemper kept the Sea Dogs off of the scoreboard in the top half of the ninth, but Bryce Cox wasn't as fortunate in the bottom half. Brandon Laird and Jorge Vazquez both picked up one-out singles, and Daniel Brewer drove in the game's only run with a fielder's choice to short. The play scored Edwar Gonzalez, who ran for Laird at third base.

Wordekemper (3-0) recorded the win, while Cox (0-4) took the loss.

The Sea Dogs and Thunder will conclude their three-game series on Thursday night at 7:05. Ryne Miller (2-3, 4.53) will make the start for Portland, going up against Trenton's Cory Arbiso (0-1, 3.60).

GAME HIGHLIGHTS COURTESY US CELLULAR SEA DOGS RADIO NETWORK

SEA DOGS DROP SERIES OPENER AGAINST THUNDER 6 - 2

OFFICIAL PORTLAND SEA DOGS GAME WRAP
Jeremy Kehrt allowed just one run on two hits in five innings, but the Portland Sea Dogs were unable to hang on for a win. The Trenton Thunder scored five runs off of reliever Eammon Portice, including three driven in by Austin Krum. Trenton opened this three-game series with a 6-2 win at Waterfront Park.

The Thunder wasted little time in scoring off of Jeremy Kehrt, who was making his second career start in Double-A. Justin Christian led off the game with a walk, and quickly stole second base on the next pitch. Austin Krum moved his teammate over to third base with a groundout, before Austin Romine's RBI single to left, which put the home team on top.

GAME DAY - SEA DOGS COME BACK TO BEAT THE THUNDER 11 - 8

Red Sox Nation, please take a deep breath. A real big deep breath. Fans need to remember, this kid is just 20 years old and is learning a whole new game and a whole new culture.

When I say kid, I mean kid, because like 4000 other "kids" who waited after the Sea Dogs 11-8 comeback win over the Trenton Thunder, Jose Iglesias ignored the spread rehabbing Mike Cameron purchased for the team, went just outside the clubhouse door to the field, and watched fireworks.

Stars might have been in his eyes watching the post game ritual at Hadlock, but they sure aren't when he is on the field. While all fans had been introduced to his defense in spring training, what continues to impress people that watch him every night, is his performance at the plate. Tonight, Iglesias went 4-5 with 3 singles and a triple that helped set up the huge 8th inning.