Sea Dogs Rebound with 4-2 Win Over Trenton

Sea Dogs Rebound with 4-2 Win Over Trenton

Hernandez and Kurcz combine to spin a beauty

Portland, Maine - The Portland Sea Dogs (12-22) notched four runs in the fifth and held on to defeat the Trenton Thunder (16-16) 4-2 Friday night at waterfront Park. The win marks only the second in Portland's eight meetings against the Thunder.

With the game scoreless heading into the fifth inning, the first six Portland hitters reached, and four scored to give the Sea Dogs the lead. Reynaldo Rodriguez jolted his sixth homerun of the season to lead off the frame and put the Sea Dogs in front 1-0.

Ryan Pope was the first arm out of the bullpen for the Thunder when starter Graham Stoneburner left after seven outs with an injury. Pope (1-4) gave up the homerun and Oscar Tejeda followed with a single.

Bryce Brentz doubled home Tejeda, and Dan Butler followed with another two-bagger that ended Pope's night on the mound. Brentz scored on a bases loaded walk, drawn by Heiker Meneses off of Lee Hyde. Kolbrin Vitek drove home the final run with a groundout to the shortstop Addison Maruszak. Six pitchers combined to toss nine innings for the Thunder in the affair.

Portland starter Chris Hernandez was solid again in his seventh start of the season. The lefty dissected the Trenton order through six scoreless innings before running into trouble in the seventh. With two down in the inning Trenton third baseman Kavin Mahoney singled and catcher Jose Gil followed with a two run homer that forced Hernandez (2-2) out of the ballgame.

Aaron Kurcz was the only relief the Sea Dogs needed. The righty finished the seventh with a strikeout and allowed one baserunner over the final two and one-third innings. Kurcz earned his second save and struck out five in his outing.

Prime Motor Group Players of the Game: Chris Hernandez 6.2IP, 7H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 2K, W
Aaron Kurcz 2.1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 5K, S

The Sea Dogs continue a seven game road trip on Saturday with a 7:05 PM game against the Trenton Thunder from Waterfront Park in Trenton, New Jersey. Right-handed pitcher Billy Buckner (1-2, 3.94) will get the start for the Sea Dogs. Trenton will send righty Cory Arbiso (0-0, 3.09) to the hill. The Sea Dogs can be heard on the U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs radio network with 95.5/95.9 FM WPEI serving as the flagship station.

The Sea Dogs return to Hadlock Field May 18-20 for a three game series with the Binghamton Mets. Tickets are available for all remaining 2012 Sea Dogs' home games. Book your nine inning vacation by calling the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 207-879-9500 or log on to www.seadogs.com.