Defenders struggle to pick up where they left off, lose 9-4
Published on July 13, 2006 under Eastern League (EL1)
Connecticut Defenders News Release
Eighteen times this year the Defenders have allowed their opponents to score first when playing on the road, and in all eighteen games they have lost, including Thursday night's 9-4 loss at Hadlock Field to the Portland Sea Dogs.
After winning eight of their last ten games heading into the All Star break, the Defenders came out flat, with a big defensive mistake and base running errors. In the bottom of the 1st inning Portland got on the board with back-to-back doubles by Chris Durbin and Jeremy West. Portland made it 2-0 on a Brandon Moss RBI single. Three more Portland hits in the 2nd inning put James Garcia and the Defenders in a 3-0 hole.
Connecticut would put up a fight early on with a Jake Wald towering solo home run in the top of the 3rd inning to make it a 3-1 game. In the top of the 5th inning, it was Wald again, this time with an RBI single to make the deficit just a run, but he was thrown out at second base trying to stretch a double for the third out of the inning. That was when things began to go bad for the Defenders. With two outs and a runner on second in the bottom of the 5th, Quincy Foster dropped a ball in the outfield that allowed a run, and led to another to make the score 5-2.
The Sea Dogs added three runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to put the game out of reach for the Defenders. Nate Schierholtz hit a solo home run in the 7th inning to make it 8-3 with his sixth, but it was too little, too late. The Sea Dogs added an insurance run in bottom of the 8th inning on their way to the 9-4 win
On Friday the Defenders have two games to try and make up for the loss with a double header at Portland. In game one, the Defenders will send righty Chris Begg (7-9) to the mound against righty Jose Vaquedano (6-3). In game two, it will be lefty Jason Waddell (1-1) for Connecticut against right hander Scott Shoemaker (0-0). Game one is scheduled to begin at 6:00.
Eastern League Stories from July 13, 2006
- Curve sunk in second-half opener, fall to SeaWolves, 5-2 - Altoona Curve
- Thunder rally falls short in Akron - Trenton Thunder
- 'Dogs pound the Defenders, 9-4 - Connecticut Defenders
- Fisher Cats fall 6-3 in New Britain in first game after all-star break - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- B-Mets begin second half on a winning note - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Defenders struggle to pick up where they left off, lose 9-4 - Connecticut Defenders
- Sea Dogs and Pirates to Host Ameriprise Celebrity Softball Challenge - Portland Sea Dogs
- Thunder RHP Hughes added from Temporarily Inactive List - Trenton Thunder
- Aeros To Place 2006 Playoff Tickets On-Sale - Akron RubberDucks
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