Sea Dogs Nipped Again, Season Comes To An End

Thunder sweep Portland in the N.D.C.S.

(Portland, ME) – Miguel Asencio walked in the go-ahead run in the top of the 9th inning as Trenton scored the game’s final two runs to beat Portland, 5-4, Friday night at Hadlock Field. Trenton sweeps Portland in three games to win the Northern Division Championship series and will advance to the Eastern League Finals next Tuesday.

Trenton’s bullpen did not yield a run during the three games and received three perfect innings from Kevin Whelan and Michael Dunn. Whelan earned the win, retiring five of six batters during innings seven and eight. Dunn fanned two in the ninth to earn the save.

Asencio suffered the loss, allowing one run on three walks in 1.1 IP. In the ninth inning, Ramiro Pena ignited a rally with a 2-out single. Austin Jackson, Carlos Mendoza and Colin Curtis (go-ahead walk) all walked to force in the game-winner.

Portland had three leads, including a 2-0 advantage after the first inning. Jorge Jimenez and Aaron Bates had RBI doubles. Mickey Hall snapped a 2-2 with a solo homer in the second inning. Lars Anderson led of the bottom of the sixth inning with a towering homer off the L.L. Bean boot.

Bryce Cox gave up the tying run in the eighth inning when he hit Franciso Cervelli.

Ryne Lawson worked 4 innings on three runs and five hits to take a no-decision. Jason Jones pitched six innings on four runs and six hits to take the loss for Trenton.

For the second straight season, the Trenton Thunder beat the Sea Dogs in the Northern Division Championship Series at Hadlock Field.

Courtesy Portland Sea Dogs- Chris Cameron

Sea Dogs Fall Again

(Trenton, NJ) – Austin Jackson hit a game-tying three-run home run off Clay Buchholz in the sixth inning and P.J. Pilittere hit a tie-breaking two-out RBI single in the eighth inning, lifting the Trenton Thunder to a 4-3 win over the Portland Sea Dogs in Game 2 of the Eastern League Northern Division Championship Series.

Portland threatened in the ninth inning after Jorge Jimenez singled and Ryan Khoury walked with one out. However, Jose Valdez induced Zach Daeges to hit into a game-ending double play.

Portland had base runners in seven innings and multiple base runners in six of those stanzas, but were 5-for-17 with runners on base, including just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Mickey Hall laced a two-out, two-run double to snap a scoreless tie for the Sea Dogs in the fourth inning, and Daeges added a run-scoring single in the fifth inning.

Buchholz fanned nine of the first 18 batters he faced, including one in each of the first five innings. He allowed only two singles and a walk in the first five frames and struck out the side in the fifth. However, in the sixth inning, Reegie Corona and Ramiro Pena started the frame with singles before Jackson’s blast on a 2-2 pitch. Jackson, who hit safely in 14 of the last 15 games he played against Portland in the regular season, failed to get a sacrifice bunt down before launching a curveball over all three levels of signage in left field.

Buchholz finished with six innings of three-run, six-hit ball, walking one and striking out nine. Richie Lentz followed with a perfect seventh inning.

But in the eighth inning, Trenton scored the go-ahead run with a two-out uprising. Dave Gassner replaced Lentz and retired the first two batters before walking Chris Malec and allowing a single to Colin Curtis. T.J. Large entered the game, and Pilittere ripped the first pitch into right field for his third hit of the game to plate the go-ahead run.

Portland snapped a scoreless tie off Jeff Marquez in the fourth inning with a two-out rally. Marquez walked Josh Reddick and Iggy Suarez to set up Hall, who smacked a two-run double over the head of right fielder Edwar Gonzalez.

In the fifth, Jorge Jimenez drilled a double to start the frame. One out later, Daeges singled to right for his third hit of the game to give the Sea Dogs a three-run cushion.

Marquez kept it scoreless early, stifling Portland rallies in the first and third frames. Jimenez and Daeges singled in the first, but Marquez got Aaron Bates on a flyout and fanned Lars Anderson. In the third frame, Ryan Khoury and Daeges hit consecutive two-out singles, but Bates flew out with runners on the corners to end the inning.

Humberto Sanchez worked around a one-out double in a scoreless sixth inning. Michael Gardner walked two in the seventh inning, but Wilkins Arias came on to get Lars Anderson to pop up to end the inning.

Arias tossed a perfect eighth but left with one out in the ninth after allowing a one-out single to Jimenez. Jose Valdez relieved and walked Khoury before getting the twin killing from Daeges to end the game.

NOTES: Portland is facing Trenton in the Northern Division Championship Series for the fourth straight season, but lost a Game 2 for the first time to the Thunder – the Sea Dogs won at home in 2005 and at Waterfront Park in 2006 and 2007… Argenis Diaz was a late scratch, taken out of the lineup a half-hour prior to first pitch. Suarez moved to shortstop from second base and Khoury was inserted into the lineup in the #2 hole… The start was the first post-season start for Buchholz since September 6, 2006, when he fanned 10 in six innings in a 3-1 win for the Wilmington Blue Rocks over the Frederick Keys in the Carolina League playoffs… Former Sea Dog Devern Hansack tossed six no-hit innings for Triple-A Pawtucket in its playoff series Game 2 with Scranton-Wilkes Barre – Jon Switzer lost the no-hitter with one out in the seventh inning in relief but Pawtucket beat Scranton 3-1 to tie their series at one game a piece… The series will shift to Portland Friday night at 7 – Ryne Lawson (1-1, 4.06) goes for the Sea Dogs against Jason Jones (13-7, 3.33), who was second in the Eastern League in wins and 7th in ERA in the regular season. Tickets remain for the contest and are available on seadogs.com or at the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 879-9500

Courtesy Mike Antonellis

Dogs Outdueled in Trenton

(Trenton, NJ) – Edwar Gonzalez drilled a tie-breaking RBI single off the glove of diving shortstop Argenis Diaz in the fourth inning, and the Trenton Thunder did not allow a runner past second base after the second inning to top the Portland Sea Dogs, 2-1 in Game One of the Eastern League Northern Division Championship Series.

Eric Hacker pitched into the sixth inning for the Thunder, fanning six and allowing a run on five hits. He pitched around a leadoff double to Aaron Bates in the fourth inning and left with two on and two out in the sixth inning.

Michael Dunn relieved Hacker and fanned Josh Reddick to end the sixth inning. Dunn left after a two-out walk to Jorge Jimenez in the seventh, and Jhonny Nunez came on to fan Diaz to end the frame. Nunez then pitched 1-2-3 innings in the eighth and ninth frames to close it out.

Kris Johnson worked six innings for the Dogs, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and a strikeout. Miguel Asencio and Daniel Haigwood each fired perfect innings of relief.

Reddick produced Portland’s only run in the second inning to tie the game. Bates led off the inning with the first of his two doubles on the night. Two outs later, Reddick drilled a run-scoring single to right field.

Trenton scored the opening run in the first inning on a two-out throwing error by Iggy Suarez. Gonzalez broke the 1-1 tie in the fourth with a one-out single plating Colin Curtis, who singled to start the inning and moved to second on a groundout.

NOTES: This is the fourth consecutive year the Sea Dogs and Thunder have met in the E.L.D.S. – the home team has won Game 1 each time (Portland in 2005 on a Chad Spann walkoff grand slam)… Red Sox and Yankee affiliates are also meeting in playoff baseball in the Triple-A International League. Pawtucket has former Sea Dog Charlie Zink starting in Game One versus Scranton-Wilkes Barre and former Thunder hurler Chase Wright. Sox and Yanks affiliates Lowell and Staten Island could also meet in the Short Season Class-A New York-Penn League playoffs next week.

Courtesy Mike Antonellis

Sea Dogs Playoff Rotation

This is the seventh time in the 15-year history of the franchise that the Sea Dogs have advanced to the Eastern League playoffs. Portland has advanced to the Eastern League finals on four occasions, and won its first Eastern League title in 2006 by defeating the Akron Aeros.

The first round of the Eastern League playoffs is a best out of five series scheduled to get underway on Wednesday, September 3^rd. Games one, two and five (if necessary) will be played in Trenton, New Jersey. While the Sea Dogs will host games three and four (if necessary). Games three and four are scheduled to be played at Hadlock Field on Friday, September 5^th at 7:00 PM and Saturday, September 6^th at 6:00 PM.

The two division series winners will square off in a best of five series for the Eastern League Championship Series. Should the Sea Dogs advance to the Championship series, Games one and two would be played at the home of the Southern Division winner. The Sea Dogs would host games three, four (if necessary), and five (if necessary) at Hadlock Field on Friday, September 12^th, Saturday, September 13^th, and Sunday, September 14^th.

Tickets for the Eastern League Playoffs are available and can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 207-879-9500. Playoff tickets are priced the same as regular season tickets and range between $4.00 and $9.00.

Pitching Matchups

Game 1 – TRN Eric Hacker (7-4, 2.76) vs PRT Kris Johnson (8-9, 3.63)

Game 2 – TRN Jeff Marquez (1-1, 2.93) vs. PRT Clay Buchholz (1-0, 1.80)

Game 3 – TRN Jason Jones (13-3, 3.33) vs. PRT Ryne Lawson (1-1, 4.06)

Game 4 – TRN George Kontos (6-11, 3.68) vs. PRT Dustin Richardson (7-10, 6.33)(if necessary)

Game 5 – TRN Christian Garcia (0-0 3.38) vs. PRT Dave Gassner (8-5, 5.82) (if necessary)

Courtesy of the Portland Sea Dogs (Thanks to Chris Cameron and Mike Antonellis).