Portland, Maine - The Portland Sea Dogs rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat the Altoona Curve 2-1 Thursday night at Hadlock Field earning a three game series sweep. Portland has now won seven straight home games, the first time the feat has been accomplished since the team became a Red Sox affiliate in 2003. The Sea Dogs are 16-4 at home since the All-Star break.
Christian Marrero, in his fifth game with Altoona, swatted his first home run for the Curve with two outs in the second inning off Portland starter Jeremy Kehrt in the second inning as Altoona took a 1-0 lead.
Earning their seventh straight win at Hadlock Field would be no easy task as Portland faced Gerrit Cole, the first overall selection in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. The 21 year-old and top prospect in the Pirates organization lived up to the hype retiring the first 14 batters he faced and routinely hitting 100 MPH on the radar gun.
Kehrt did an outstanding job keeping the Sea Dogs in the game going 5.1 innings allowing just the one run on five hits. He walked two and struck out four. Jason Urquidez relieved Kehrt with two on and one out in the fifth. After hitting Marrero with a pitch he struck out the next two to keep the Sea Dogs within one run.
The Red Sox second ranked prospect by Baseball America, 19-year-old Xander Bogaerts, broke-up Cole's perfect game with a two out double off the right-center field wall in the fifth inning. Bogaerts has now hit safely in all six Double-A games he has played.
The Sea Dogs rallied for two runs off Cole in the sixth inning. Christian Vazquez led-off the inning with a single. With one out Jackie Bradley Jr. had an infield single, the ball was misplayed by shortstop Oscar Tejeda, both Vazquez and Bradley Jr. used heads-up base running to advance on the base paths putting runners on second and third with one out. Marquez Smith grounded out to second base allowing Vazquez to score tying the game at one. With Jeremy Hazelbaker batting, Cole uncorked a wild pitch allowing Bradley Jr. to score the go ahead run from third base.
Cole (3-5) would suffer the tough luck loss firing six innings allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits. He did not issue a walk and struck out a career high nine batters.
Urquidez (3-2) tossed 3.2 innings of relief allowing one hit and notching seven strikeouts to earn the win.
The Sea Dogs will host the New Britain Rock Cats for a three game weekend series starting with a 7:00 PM contest Friday night. Portland will send right-hander Stolmy Pimentel (4-6, 5.38) to the mound. He will be opposed by New Britain lefty Luke French (2-0, 1.80). The action can be heard live on 95.5/ 95.9 FM WPEI. Friday is Salute to Elvis night as the Sea Dogs pay tribute to the 35th anniversary of when Elvis was scheduled to perform at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland. Tickets are available and can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 207-879-9500 or online at www.seadogs.com.
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