Sea Dogs score three in the 9th but lose 5-3 to Trenton!

Trenton’s RHP Zach McAllister (5-2) tossed 7.2 scoreless frames on seven hits and hitter’s 7-9 drove in all 5 runs as the Thunder (30-23) took the series opener from the Portland Sea Dogs (27-27), 5-3 on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 7,368 at Hadlock Field. The Sea Dogs scored all three runs in the ninth inning and drop to 3-2 on their 7-game homestand.

RHP Jarod Plummer (4-2) notched a quality start but suffered a tough luck loss for Portland. The righty scattered four hits, one run, three walks and four strikeouts over 6 IP. Trenton’s lone run against Plummer came in the third inning on a run-scoring fielder’s choice by LF James Cooper.'

McAllister allowed only two hits over four innings and worked out of a jam in the fifth when the Sea Dogs received consecutive singles by LF Aaron Bates and 1B Lars Anderson (2-for-3) to start the fifth inning. The righty retired the next three, including a strikeout of RF Reid Engel to end the inning. In the sixth inning, CF Bubba Bell (2-for-4) singled with one out and was thrown out at the plate after C Mark Wagner’s double in the left-field corner. Bell collided with C Jesus Montero, who held on to the ball to preserve the 1-0 Thunder lead.

RHP Chad Rhoades relieved LHP Dustin Richardson (2 IP, H, BB, 5 SO) in the ninth inning and yielded 4 runs on four hits in .1 IP. 1B Kevin Smith (2-for-4, RBI) made it 2-0 with an RBI single. Snyder followed with a 2-run double and Cooper laced a run-scoring double to the gap in right-center field.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Portland scored three times off RHP Kevin Whelan and RHP Amaury Sanit. Bates and Anderson began the frame with walks against Whelan, who was relieved by Sanit. A wild pitch by the righty scored Bates and a 2-run double by Diaz cut the deficit to 5-3. Sanit fanned Bell on a curve ball to end game.

Portland and Trenton battle in game two of the series on Saturday night beginning at 6:00 PM. Catch all the action on the U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network beginning at 5:35 PM with the CorrectDeck Pre-Game Show. LHP Felix Doubront (3-2, 3.32) will face RHP Ivan Nova (4-3, 3.26) in the fifth meeting of the year between the two teams.

Notes: Diaz extended his hitting streak to 10 straight games – tying a season high…The homestand has featured four consecutive quality starts by both starting pitchers...Friday was the first meeting between the two teams at Hadlock Field…Richardson tied a season-high with 5 strikeouts…Trenton had 9 hits coming from five players…Portland had 8 hits coming from five players…Tonight was the 4^th sellout of the season at Hadlock Field.

Courtesy Portland Sea Dogs