Oh Danny Boy! 'Dogs Win 8-5 with Bethea's Big Hit

Bethea has two hits, go-ahead double in 11th, De La Cruz drives in three

New Britain, Connecticut - The Portland Sea Dogs (68-40) needed extra innings, but took down the New Britain Rock Cats (52-54) 8-5 thanks to an unlikely hero in Danny Bethea, Sunday afternoon at New Britain Stadium. The win wraps up the season series, 13-7 in favor of the Sea Dogs.

Leading 5-4 in the eighth, the Rock Cats trotted Cole Johnson out to the mound in hopes of collecting a two inning save. The righty retired the side in order in the eighth, but faltered in the ninth.

Keury De La Cruz stepped in to lead off the final inning and crushed a 1-1 pitch from Johnson over the wall in right field for a game-tying home run, his third big fly of the season.

Pete Ruiz had worked three scoreless innings after Portland's Luis Diaz worked the first five innings, but it was Dayan Diaz who tossed a scoreless ninth and sent the game to extra innings.

Diaz (1-0) and New Britain's Matthew Summers pitched a scoreless 10th, and the game remained tied in the
11th.

Ryan O'Rouke took over for Summers and struggled out of the gate. Michael Almanzar drove a single to left and with one out Jonathan Roof doubled to right and put two on with one out for the 'Dogs. Mike Brenly was intentionally walked, which loaded the bases for Bethea.

The Portland designated hitter had picked up his first Double-A hit, earlier in the game, and faced O'Rourke (1-2) with the sacks packed. Bethea smoked a 3-1 pitch to left field for a double that plated both Almanzar and Roof, giving Portland the 7-5 lead.

Heiker Meneses capped off the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly to left, on which Brenly scored, and the Sea Dogs had a three-run 8-5 lead heading to the bottom of the inning.

Noe Ramirez took over for Diaz on the hill for the final inning and became the fourth pitcher used by Billy McMillon on the evening.

The tall, lanky righty gave up a one-out single to Jorge Polanco and Sean Coyle allowed Tony Thomas to reach on an error, putting the tying run at the plate in the form of Eddie Rosario. The centerfielder hit a sharp ground ball up that middle, which Ramirez stabbed and fired to second, starting the game-ending 1-6-3 double play. He earned his twelfth save in as many chances with the scoreless inning.

Mother nature stepped in and delayed the finale of the season series by an hour and fifteen minutes, but when play got underway, the Rock Cats jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first.

Diaz climbed the hill for Portland and retired the first man he faced, before Thomas, a former Sea Dog, stepped in and ripped a triple to center. Eddie Rosario followed with a ground out to second, which plated the run and gave New Britain the lead.

Roof responded in the next half-inning, with two down. The second baseman crushed a solo homer to left against the 'Cats' Virgil Vasquez and tied it up at 1-1.

Diaz worked the next two frames in scoreless fashion, but was roughed up for four runs in the fourth inning. Aaron Hicks walked, with one out, and moved to third on Brandon Waring's double to left. Mike Kvasnicka singled home Hicks and Brad Boyer brought home the pair with another double and New Britain held the 4-1 lead.

Polanco capped off the scoring in the fourth with a single to right field and Boyer touched home, making it 5-1.

Vasquez appeared to baffle the Sea Dogs' lineup, but they capitalized against the righty, and pulled to within one, in the sixth. Shannon Wilkerson plated Meneses from third on a double play to make it 5-2.

The scoring continued with the two outs as Coyle and Almanzar singled in front of De La Cruz. The left fielder swung at the first pitch he saw and drove it to the wall in right and plated both runners to make it 5-4.

Neither starter factored into the decision. Portland's Diaz worked the first five innings and gave up the five runs on seven hits; he walked two and struck out four. Vasquez went seven before handing over the reigns and gave up four runs on seven hits; he did not walk a batter and struck out seven.

The Sea Dogs hit the road north and get ready to open up a seven-day, eight-game homestand with the first of four against the Reading Fightin Phils, Monday night at 7:00 PM from Hadlock Field. RHP Mike Augliera (4-9, 5.38) gets the nod for Portland. Reading counters with RHP Severino Gonzalez (6-11, 5.09). Radio coverage begins at 6:40 PM on the WPEI U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network. MiLB.TV is available at 6:55 PM.