Sea Dogs split pair on Saturday
Published on June 2, 2007 under Eastern League (EL1)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release
Portland, ME - Chris Smith fired five scoreless innings, retiring the final 14 batters he faced, and Andrew Pinckney drove in four runs for the second time in four games as the Portland Sea Dogs earned a split of a Saturday doubleheader with a 7-0 win over the Connecticut Defenders in the nightcap before 6,829 fans at Hadlock Field. Connecticut won the opener, 1-0 despite 11 strikeouts and a complete game three-hitter from Portland's Clay Buchholz.
Smith (2-2) became just the sixth pitcher in franchise history to reach 20 career wins with his outing. The right-hander pitched around a hit and a walk in the opening frame, allowing only four balls out of the infield in his five frames. Barry Hertzler tossed two scoreless innings to complete the combined three-hit shutout.
Portland scored three times in each of the first two innings off losing pitcher Ben Cox (0-7). Jeff Natale hit a RBI double off the Maine Monster and Pinckney ripped a two-run double in the first inning. Jay Johnson delivered a two-out RBI single in the second frame and Pinckney followed with a two-run single to chase Cox, who allowed six hits, four walks and four runs in 1.2 innings.
Jed Lowrie rounded out the scoring in the sixth inning when he led off with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Johnson's grounder. Lowrie was 3 for 6 with a walk in the doubleheader as he extended his on-base streak to 33 consecutive games, the third longest streak in franchise history.
In the opener, Eugenio Velez tripled on the game's third pitch and scored on a ground out for the game's only run as the Defenders handed Portland a 1-0 loss.
Buchholz fired 97 pitches and 64 for strikes, including 26 swings-and-misses. After the triple by Velez, Carlos Sosa hit a one-out ground out to score the run. Buchholz retired 13 in a row after the leadoff hit, then pitched around jams in the sixth and seventh innings by stranding runners at third base each inning. Buchholz finished by allowing three hits and three walks.
Nick Pereira (2-5) picked up his first win since May 6 by shutting out the Sea Dogs on three hits and five walks in 5.1 innings. He avoided trouble in the fifth inning when Iggy Suarez was gunned down at home trying to score on Lowrie's two-out double. Brian Anderson recorded the final five outs in succession to pick up his 10th save.
Eastern League Stories from June 2, 2007
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