Tough breaks for the Sea Dogs

July 18 2013 Off to Portland again for the Sea Dogs vs Reading "Fighting Phil's" formally known as the Reading Phillies. (I like that name better) A lovely cloudy day. It was so hot lately I was worried about the heat during the game. (Temps in the 90's here on the coast of Maine.) Portland had been struggling with the bats. While the pitching has been pretty good the offense has been struggling, scoring only 3 runs in their last 55 innings! Thats just not going to do it. Pitching for the Sea Dogs was right hander Terry Doyle. Doyle pitched the last game I went down. He pitched very well. So I was expecting another good outing.

He started off well retiring the first two batters. Then gave up 2 hits. However Reading made a base running mistake on trying to advance on a wild pitch. The ball however bounced off the brick came right back to catcher Christen Vazquez and he threw him out at third. Reading would get on the scoreboard in the second inning on a 3 run homer by catcher Sebastian Valle. He would have a big game by driving in 5 on two homers. Portland scored in the 4th inning. Garin Cecchini tripled to right center but he ended up scoring on a throwing error by the shortstop. After a strikeout Michael Almanzar singled. He was stranded at first however.

Terry Doyle settled in a pitched 6 solid innings. The third inning was his only rough inning. The Sea Dogs scored 3 runs in the 8th inning. Stephen Drew who was in Portland rehabbing a sore hamstring doubled in two runs. Gibson pinch ran for him. He ended up scoring on a Almanzar single. The play of the game however came in the top of the inning when Sea Dogs shortstop made a costly 2 out error the scored a run for Reading. The next batter Valle hit is second homer of the game. Reading would go on to score another run in the top of the ninth. And that's how the game would end. Another tough loss for the Sea Dogs. Next up: Headed to Cony Island to see the Brooklyn Cyclones at MCU Park.