Tyler Dearden hit a walkoff RBI single in the 10th inning Wednesday night, as the Portland Sea Dogs won in extras for a second straight night 1-0 over the Richmond Flying Squirrels in Double A Eastern League baseball action at Hadlock Field.
Portland starter Thad Ward pitched 5.0 scoreless innings, and Richmond right hander Matt Frisbee only allowed one hit with 13 strikeouts over 6.0 innings to help keep the game at a stalemate. The only hit Frisbee allowed was a fourth inning single to Kike Hernandez, who is on a rehab assignment. The Sea Dogs had a golden opportunity to end the game with a walkoff in the ninth, as Wil Dalton led off with a walk and Ceddanne Rafaela singled to put runners at first and third with no outs. After an intentional walk to Christian Koss to load the bases, Richmond reliever Cole Waites struckout Stephen Scott, Wilyer Abreu, and Alex Binelas consecutively to extend the game. The Flying Squirrels couldn’t score with the extra inning rule in the top of the 10th, and Dearden ended it with a single into deep centerfield with one out in the bottom half to score pinch runner Elih Marrero to send the home fans home happy.
Jacob Wallace (3-2) earned the win in relief allowing no hits with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings. Tyler Danish also worked a scoreless inning with one walk in a rehab outing. Portland was held to just three hits in the victory, a night after rallying for two runs in the 10th in a 5-4 win in a game started by Michael Wacha. Tristan Peters and Armani Smith had two hits a piece for Richmond (SF Giants). Ryan Walker (6-2) suffered the pitching loss, as they drop to 11-23 in the second half of the season (51-52 overall). The ‘Dogs improve to 21-14 in the second half (51-53), 1/2 game better than the first half winner of the North Division the Somerset Patriots. Somerset by winning the first half automatically have qualified for the Eastern League Playoffs, and Portland is trying to do the same by winning the second half. Game three of the six game series between the Sea Dogs and Flying Squirrels is a matinee set for 12:05 on Thursday afternoon.
