The Portland Sea Dogs played two seven inning games with the Hartford Yard Goats Saturday evening at Hadlock Field, after Friday’s game was postponed because of rain. Portland made the most of it by sweeping away Hartford 8-2 and 5-3 to make it 5-0 against the guests this week in a scheduled six game series.
In the first game, Portland scored all their runs over the first two innings to take the win highlighted by a grand slam by catcher Ronaldo Hernandez in the second. Hernandez had two hits and five RBI to lead the way. Kutter Crawford (2-2) got the pitching victory allowing two runs on three hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Elehuris Montero and Max George each had a solo homerun in the loss for Hartford, while Garrett Schilling (1-6) was hammered on the mound taking the loss allowing seven runs on four hits in 1.2 innings.
In game two, Hartford took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first before Portland rallied with a run in the bottom half and another one in the third to tie it 2-2. The Sea Dogs took the lead for good in the fourth to take the sweep when Hernandez scored on a double play ball hit by Jhonny Pereda, and Tanner Nishioka followed with a solo homer to left center field. Ryan Fitzgerald later added another solo homerun in the sixth. Tyler Olson (4-1) picked up the win in relief of Frank German, while Zack Kelly got his third save. Sean Bouchard and Taylor Snyder had two hits each for the Yard Goats, and David Hill (1-2) took the pitching defeat. Portland improves to 33-23 with now six straight wins, while Hartford falls to 18-40. The ‘Dogs are currently four games behind the first place Somerset Patriots (NY Yankees) in the Northeast Division of the Eastern League.
The final game of the six game set is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday. Portland will send RHP Josh WInckowski (4-1, 3.65 ERA) to the mound to be opposed by RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 2.89) for Hartford.
