Barnes Stymies Reading Bats 2-1

Ten strikeouts for Barnes; Wilkerson hits second home run
Reading, PA - The Portland Sea Dogs (15-9) continued their excellent play on the road with a 2-1 victory over the Reading Fightin Phils on Tuesday afternoon at First Energy Stadium.

Matt Barnes (2-1) earned the win and was outstanding in six innings of work. He gave up two hits and one earned run. He set a season high with ten strikeouts. Barnes' career high is twelve, set last May 5th while pitching for the Salem Red Sox. Barnes' lone blemish on the day was a sole home run given up to Jim Murphy.

The Sea Dogs bullpen was stellar once again. Pete Ruiz worked one and two thirds of an inning before giving way to Chris Martin with a runner on third and two out in the eighth. Martin got out of the jam as Heiker Meneses made a diving stop on a hard hit ball from Murphy to save a run and end the inning. Martin worked a scoreless ninth and earned his second save of the season. Martin has not allowed a run this season.

Portland got on the board in the first inning. J.C. Linares' RBI double brought home Xander Bogaerts to put the Sea Dogs in the lead 1-0. Murphy's sole home run in the bottom of the fourth tied the ballgame.

Shannon Wilkerson's solo home run in the seventh inning broke a 1-1 tie. It was Wilkerson's second home run of the season.

The Sea Dogs and Reading Fightin Phils (Phillies affiliate) conclude their three-game series on Thursday morning beginning at 11:35 AM at First Energy Stadium.  Right-hander Anthony Ranaudo (3-0, 0.83) makes his 5th start of the season for Portland. Radio coverage begins at 11:15 AM on the U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network and via the Tune-In Radio app for smartphones and tablets. Tickets are available for the upcoming homestand on May 3-8 at Hadlock Field by calling 207-879-9500 or at seadogs.com.

Workman dominates in Portland's 5-3 win at Reading.

Tony Thomas 3-for-4, 3 RBI

Reading, PA - Brandon Workman (4-0) hurled 6.2 innings and Tony Thomas drove in three runs, leading the Portland Sea Dogs (14-9), to a 5-3 win over the Reading Fightin Phils (12-11) on Tuesday night at First Energy Stadium.  Workman was perfect through six innings, until Albert Cartwright led off the Reading seventh with a double.  Portland finished the month with the best record in the Eastern League.

Workman wrapped up the first month of the season, going 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA.  On Tuesday night, the Texas native yielded two hits, one run, one walk and fanned six over 6.2 IP.

Brock Huntzinger recorded the final five outs to notch his fifth save of the season.  Daniel Bard gave up two runs in 2/3 of an inning, but earned a hold.

Portland took a 1-0 lead in the second inning off losing pitcher Seth Rosin (1-2). Tony Thomas smoked a triple to centerfield, and scored on Michael Almanzar's infield single. Rosin yielded three runs (one earned) over seven innings.

The 'Dogs added two runs in the sixth.  Shannon Wilkerson reached on a third baseman's error, advanced to second base on a sac-bunt, stole third, and scored on J.C. Linares' triple. Thomas followed with a bloop-double down the right-field line, and finished 3-for-4 with 3 RBI.

Reading got on the board in the seventh off Workman.  Cartwright ended the perfect game with a double and scored on Tyler Henson's two-out RBI double, chasing Workman out of the game.  Portland responded with a two-spot in the eight inning, thanks to Thomas' two-run single.

In Reading's eighth, they plated two off Bard.  The first run scored on a wild pitch and Huntzinger yielded a run-scoring single to Cartwright, but retired the final two to end and further damage.

Travis Shaw walked in the eighth inning to extend his on-base streak to 23 games, dating back to the end of the 2012 season.

Prime Motor Group Player of the Game: Brandon Workman (W, 6.2 IP, 2 H, R, ER, BB, 6 SO)

The Sea Dogs and Reading Fightin Phils (Phillies affiliate) continue their three-game series Wednesday morning beginning at 11:35 AM at First Energy Stadium.  Right-hander Kyle Kaminska (0-3, 9.00) takes on Brody Colvin for Reading. Radio coverage begins at 11:15 AM on the U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network and via the Tune-In Radio app for smartphones and tablets. Tickets are available for any remaining games at Hadlock Field by calling 207-879-9500 or at seadogs.com.

SEA DOGS 20th SEASON KICKS-OFF THURSDAY

Longtime Public Address Announcer Dean Rogers to  Throw-Out Ceremonial First-Pitch
Portland, Maine - The Portland Sea Dogs will open their 20th season on Thursday, April 4th at 6:00 PM against the Trenton Thunder (Yankees) at Hadlock Field.  Opening Day ceremonies will honor Sea Dogs' longtime Public Address Announcer Dean Rogers.

Rogers who has introduced nearly every first-pitch participant over the last 19 seasons at Hadlock Field will now get his turn.  Rogers will officially kick-off the Sea Dogs 20th season by throwing out the ceremonial first-pitch.  Rogers stepped down as the Sea Dogs Public Address Announcer in the fall after serving 19 seasons behind the microphone.  Besides his duties with the Sea Dogs, Rogers has been a mainstay on Portland radio over the last 40 years.  Rogers is a member of the Maine Broadcaster's Hall of Fame and recipient of the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame's President's Award.  On June 24th, 2012 he had the honor of serving as the Public Address Announcer for the Boston Red Sox when they hosted the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park.

The National Anthem will be performed by Michaela Boissonneault.  Boissonneault is a senior at Portland High School, and a veteran National Anthem singer for the Portland Sea Dogs. Last summer she sang the National Anthem at a Red Sox game for "Maine Day" at Fenway Park.  She will be singing again at Fenway Park April 28th.   Boissonneault will also be performing all summer at the Maine State Music Theatre in Brunswick.

Opening ceremonies will also include the debut of the Portland Sea Dogs Dance Team, presented by Q 97.9 FM.  The team is compromised of boys and girls 8 to 16 years-old and is designed to support the Sea Dogs' organization by providing entertainment during selected home games throughout the 2013 season.

The Sea Dogs will be providing over 490 Portland students with free tickets to Opening Day.  The Sea Dogs partnered with the Portland Recreation Department and the Portland Public Library to have students "Read Their Way to Opening Day" through a reading challenge put forth by Slugger and the Sea Dogs.  The 490 students who met the Sea Dogs' challenge will participant in an on field parade on Opening Day.

As fans enter the park they will be greeted by the Bellamy Jazz Band.  The famous L.L. Bean Boot Mobile will also be on display.

Gates will open at 4:00 PM.  Pre-game ceremonies will begin at approximately 5:50 PM, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:10 PM.

Tickets for Opening Day and all Sea Dogs' home games are available and can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 207-879-9500 or online at www.seadogs.com.

BRITTON NAMED SEA DOGS OPENING DAY STARTER

Rotation Features Four of the Red Sox Top 15 Prospects 
Portland, Maine - Sea Dogs' left-handed pitcher Drake Britton will get the Opening Day start for the Sea Dogs.  The Sea Dogs will open their 20th season on Thursday, April 4th at 6:00 PM against the Trenton Thunder (Yankees) at Hadlock Field. Brandon Workman, Kyle Kaminska, Matt Bares, and Anthony Ranaudo will round out the rotation.

Britton is a member of Boston's 40-man roster and is ranked as the #11 prospect in the Red Sox organization according to Baseball America.   Britton is the first lefty to start on Opening Day for the Sea Dogs since Felix Doubrontin 2010.  He notched a 4-7 record with a  3.72 ERA (35 ER/84.2 IP) in 16 starts with Portland in 2012 after starting the year in High-A Salem, posting a 3-5 record, and a 5.80 ERA (29 ER/45.0 IP) in 10 games.  Britton ranked fifth in the Red Sox minor league system with 118 strikeouts in 2012.   Britton was selected in the 23rd round of the June 2007 draft.

17 of the Sea Dogs' 19 Opening Day starters have reached the Major Leagues.

Right-handed pitcher Brandon Workman was the Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2012 after producing a 10-8 record with a 3.50(54 ER/138.2 IP) and 130 strikeouts in 25 starts between High-A Salem and the Sea Dogs.  Workman went 3-1, 3.96 ERA (11 ER/25.0 IP) in five starts with the Sea Dogs last season.  He is ranked as the #12 Prospect in the system according to Baseball America.  Workman is scheduled to make his season debut on Friday, April 5th against Trenton.

Right-handed pitcher Kyle Kaminska makes his debut in the Red Sox system after six years with the Pirates and Marlins' organizations.  Kaminska is the Sea Dogs' probable starter on Saturday, April 6th.  He pitched at four stops in Miami and Pittsburgh's systems in 2012, going 9-4 with one save, a 4.19 ERA (38 ER/81.2 IP), including four games/one start in the Eastern League with the Altoona Curve (1-0, 3.00 ERA).

Right-handed pitcher Matt Barnes is ranked as the top-pitching prospect in the organization by Baseball America. Barnes is scheduled to make his Double-A debut on Sunday, April 7th against Trenton.  The righty was the 19th overall pick in the 2011 draft out of the University of Connecticut.  Last year, Barnes went 7-5, 2.86 ERA (38 ER/119.2 IP) and a Red Sox minor league system high 133 strikeouts between Low-A Greenville and High-A Salem in his pro debut.

Anthony Ranaudo returns to Portland after making his Double-A debut in 2011, going 1-3, 6.69 ERA (28 ER/37.2 IP) in 9 starts.  Ranaudo missed most of the season with two stints on the disabled list.  The right-handed pitcher is ranked as the #14 Prospect in the system according to Baseball America.

Tickets are available for all 2013 Sea Dogs' home games.  Tickets can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs' Ticket Office at 207-879-9500 or online at www.seadogs.com.  Book your nine inning vacation today!

SEA DOGS OFFER SEA DOGS/RED SOX COMBO TICKET PACKAGES

Popular Packages Include Nine Sea Dogs Games and One Red Sox Game,
See the Future and Current Stars of the Red Sox
Portland, Maine - The Portland Sea Dogs, Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, have announced that the popular Sea Dogs/ Red Sox combo ticket packages have returned.  These ticket packages include tickets to nine Portland Sea Dogs games and a Boston Red Sox game.

The ticket packages are now on sale at the Hadlock Field box office, online at www.seadogs.com, and by phone at 207-879-9500.   The Sea Dogs will have two packages to choose from in 2013.  Each package features tickets to nine Sea Dogs games and one Red Sox game.  All tickets to the Red Sox games are reserved grandstand seating.  All the Sea Dogs tickets will be reserved seats either behind home plate or down the third base line.  

Package #1 includes a reserved grandstand ticket (section 19) to the Friday, June 28th Red Sox game against the Toronto Blue Jays at 7:10 PM. It also includes the following Sea Dogs games; April 4th (Opening Day),April 18th (20th season celebration game), May 7th, May 22nd, June 12th, June 25th, July 3rd, July 26th, and August 7th. The package is available for $120.00.

Package #2 features a reserved grandstand ticket (section 26 & 27) ticket to the Tuesday July 23rd Red Sox game against the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:10 PM. You will also receive Sea Dogs tickets for these games; April 4th(Opening Day), May 6th, May 20th, May 31st, June 13th, June 26th, July 25th, August 6th,and  August 30th.  The package is available for $120.00.

These packages offer Sea Dogs fans the opportunity to see both the future and current stars of the Boston Red Sox.  Former Sea Dogs currently with the Red Sox include Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jon Lester, Will Middlebrooks, Dustin Pedroia, and others.

The Sea Dogs Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Sea Dogs tickets are governed by normal Sea Dog ticket policies and Red Sox tickets are subject to Red Sox ticket policies.  No refunds, exchanges or substitutions will be permitted.  Game times are subject to change.  Tickets for these packages are extremely limited; packages will be offered for as long as supplies last.  

The Sea Dogs will open their 20th season on Thursday, April 4th at 6:00 PM against the Trenton Thunder (Yankees) at Hadlock Field.  Book your nine inning vacation; tickets for the 2013 season are now on sale can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 207-879-9500 and online at www.seadogs.com.