Sea Dogs Split Twinbill with Thunder
May 28, 2011 - Eastern League (EL1)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release
Portland, Maine- The Portland Sea Dogs split a doubleheader with the Trenton Thunder Saturday afternoon before a sold out crowd of 7,368 at Hadlock Field. The Thunder took game one 8-7 extending their win streak to nine games. While the Sea Dogs rebounded in game two snapping a five game slide with a 7-5 win.
The Sea Dogs hit three home runs including two by Ryan Lavarnway (4 RBI) in game one, but the Trenton Thunder rallied from a 5-2 deficit to defeat the Sea Dogs 8-7 to earn their ninth straight win.
Game one got off to a good start for the Sea Dogs, after the first two batters of the game reached on singles, Lavarnway blasted his ninth home run of the year over the Maine Monster to give Portland a quick 3-0 lead.
Cody Johnson launched a two run homer off Stephen Fife in the third inning to cut the lead to 3-2. Portland responded by putting up a two spot of their own in the bottom half of the inning when Chih-Hsien Chiang smacked his third home run of the year to give the Sea Dogs a 5-2 lead.
Trenton closed the gap in the fourth scoring two runs highlighted by an Austin Romine RBI single. The Thunder would explode for four runs in the fifth. Jose Pirela tripled to lead off the inning and scored the tying run on an Addison Maruszak sacrifice fly to center. Trenton would take the lead for good when Corban Joseph collected a two run double and Romine added his second RBI single of the game as Trenton took an 8-5 lead.
Portland was able to cut into the Trenton lead in the fifth when Lavarnway collected his second home run of the game, he leads the team with ten. Chiang picked-up his third RBI of the game on a ground out to second as the Sea Dogs pulled within one.
Josh Schmidt tossed a scoreless seventh to preserve the win for the Thunder earning his fifth save of the season.
Portland starter Fife (5-3) was unable to earn his fourth consecutive win. He surrendered six runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings of work. Wilkins Arias (2-0) earns the win in relief of starter Kei Igawa.
In game two, the Sea Dogs used a seven run second inning to propel them to a 7-5 win. Jon Hee and Will Middlebrooks both drove-in three runs to lead the Portland offensive explosion.
The Thunder plated two runs in the first inning off Sea Dogs starter Jeremy Kehrt, receiving RBI singles from Jose Gil and Maruszak; scoring Bradley Suttle and Cody Johnson.
The Sea Dogs exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the second. Middlebrooks led off the bottom of the second inning by hitting his seventh home run of the season; a shot to straight away center. After two quick outs, the Sea Dogs loaded the bases by a Mitch Dening walk, Vladimir Frias hit by pitch, and a walk to Jeremy Hazelbaker. Hee cleared the bases by hitting a double down the third baseline, scoring Dening, Frias, and Hazelbaker. Chiang kept the two-out rally going by doubling home Hee. Middlebrooks, who led off the inning, came up for his second at bat and hit a two run single to right field, scoring Lavarnway and Chiang to lift Thunder starter Cory Arbiso from the Game.
Arbiso (3-2) was unable to make it out of the second as he gave way to switch pitcher Pat Venditte to finish off the inning. Arbiso allowed seven runs, all earned, in 1.2 innings and suffered the loss. Venditte pitched the rest of the game for the Thunder going 4.1 innings. Venditte allowed only two hits while recording four strikeouts.
Trenton responded with two more runs in the top of the third after Suttle scored on an error by Hazelbaker. Johnson scored after Gil hit into a fielder's choice to Middlebrooks.
Kehrt, making the spot start for game two of the doubleheader, allowed four runs (two earned) and five hits in 3.2 innings. Eammon Portice (1-1) picked up his first win of the season tossing 3.1 innings of relief of Kehrt. Portice gave up one run on two hits while recording three strikeouts.
The series continues Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM at Hadlock Field. Right-handed pitcher Michael Lee (1-4, 4.89) will take the hill for Portland. Lefty Shaeffer Hall (3-3, 3.57) gets the start for Trenton. Sunday, the Sea Dogs will celebrate "Mustache May" day, an event to raise funds for the Maine Children's Cancer Program. The first 500 fans to enter the ballpark will receive their own fake mustache.
Eastern League Stories from May 28, 2011
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- Altoona Takes Two from B-Mets on Saturday - Altoona Curve
- Crosby Tosses Gem But 'Wolves Fall to Phils - Erie SeaWolves
- Fedroff's Streak Snapped As Aeros Fall In Extras - Akron RubberDucks
- Carreno Strikes Out 11 In Fisher Cats' 4-0 Win - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Noonan Helps Squirrels Nip Aeros In 10 Innings, 3-2 - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Senators win fifth straight with 8-3 win over Bowie - Harrisburg Senators
- Harrisburg Hits Around Baysox - Chesapeake Baysox
- Sea Dogs Split Twinbill with Thunder - Portland Sea Dogs
- Winning Streak Halted in Twin Bill Split - Trenton Thunder
- Erie SeaWolves Vs. Reading Phillies...Game Two of Four...Game Notes - Erie SeaWolves
- Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Thunder Add Mack, Mesa to D.L. - Trenton Thunder
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