EL1 Portland Sea Dogs

Rock Cats Win Wild Opener with Sea Dogs

May 12, 2011 - Eastern League (EL1)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release


New Britain, Connecticut- The Portland Sea Dogs committed five errors, grounded into six double plays and still had a chance to win in the ninth inning. Cole DeVries came up with his team's sixth twin killing with two on and one out, and the New Britain Rock Cats beat Portland 10-9 in a wild affair Thursday night. Che-Hsuan Lin grounded into the game ending double play with the tying run standing just ninety feet from home plate. The six double plays are the most ever turned by a Sea Dogs opponent.

The bad breaks overshadowed what had been a terrific offensive game for Portland. Will Middlebrooks hit a three-run home run and drove in two more runs in the eighth inning with a bases-loaded single. The five runs batted in are the most in the third baseman's career. Alex Hassan also excelled, going 3-for-3, reaching all five times he came to the plate. Hassan also drove in three of the Sea Dogs runs.

After a series with New Hampshire in which the Portland offense scratched out only four runs, the team matched that total in the first inning off New Britain starter Daniel Osterbrock. Lin led off with a walk and scored on a double by Hassan. Ryan Lavarnway then reached on an error and Middlebrooks blasted his fifth home run of the year to make it 4-0 in the first inning with just one out. Hassan added a two-run single in the second inning, but the Sea Dogs early burst couldn't match New Britain's.

The Rock Cats scored in each of the first five innings, chasing Portland starter Brock Huntzinger (2-4) with one out in the fourth inning. The righty allowed nine hits and eight runs, all of them earned, over three and one-third innings of work, ending up with his fourth loss of the season. New Britain took the lead for good on Deibinson Romero's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. The Rock Cats also added two insurance runs in the fifth.

They would need them as New Britain's relievers worked around trouble in seemingly every inning after. Tim Federowicz grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the sixth. Oscar Tejeda also hit into a twin killing after Portland got back-to-back singles to open the seventh, which hurt a potential rally. Middlebrooks broke through with his two-run single in the eighth, but somehow the Rock Cats escaped again with Lin's double play in the ninth.

The Sea Dogs continue their five-game series with the Rock Cats tomorrow. Alex Wilson will make the start for Portland opposite Bobby Lanigan of New Britain. 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. Wednesday night will be Teacher Appreciation Night at the ballpark. For tickets, log on to www.seadogs.com or call 207-879-9500.

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Eastern League Stories from May 12, 2011


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