The rain that soaked most of Maine was gone by the time the Portland Sea Dogs were ready to host the Hartford Yard Goats at Hadlock Field Tuesday night. The 5,682 fans who bet the rain would hold off throughout the evening were rewarded with extra innings, although it was the Yard Goats who really took advantage of the bonus baseball.
Hartford scored seven runs in the top of the 10th inning, pulling away for an 8-1 win in the first game of the six-game series.
The loss dropped the Sea Dogs, home after a tough two-week trip on which they went 3-9, to 18-16 in the second-half standings, 58-45 overall.
Drew Romo hit a two-run double in the top of the 10th for Hartford (14-18, 43-56), his second double of the game. Kyle Datres added a two-run single.
The Sea Dogs had an opportunity to win in the bottom of the ninth, but could not capitalize. Phillip Sikes led off with a line drive that deflected off Hartford pitcher Nick Kuzia to second baseman Datres for a single. Matthew Lugo’s single up the middle gave the Sea Dogs two runners on with nobody out. Tyler Dearden’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third base with one out, and Tyler McDonough was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Hartford first baseman Grant Lavigne fielded Corey Rosier’s grounder and got the force out at the plate for the second out, and Kuzia struck out Nick Yorke to end the threat and send the game to the 10th.
Wikelman Gonzalez started for the Sea Dogs. He struck out eight in his four innings of work, but also walked five and hit a batter. Hartford scored a run in the first inning on a Gonzalez wild pitch.
Portland tied the game at 1-1 in the sixth inning when Yorke, who led off the inning with a double to center field, scored on Nathan Hickey’s groundout to short.
The Sea Dogs had trouble making solid contact off Hartford’s soft-throwing starter Case Williams, who entered the game with just one win in 17 starts and a 6.69 earned-run average. In 51/3 innings, Williams gave up one run on six hits and a walk, striking out two.
The Sea Dogs played without shortstop Marcelo Mayer, who was placed on the injured list on Saturday, retroactive to Thursday, with left shoulder inflammation.
Boston’s first-round pick (fourth overall) in 2021, Mayer is the top prospect in the Red Sox organization.
Even with their struggles on the recent two-week trip, the Sea Dogs enter the final six weeks of the regular season in possession of a spot in the Eastern League playoffs. Somerset earned a spot in the postseason by winning the Northeast Division in the first half. Somerset entered Tuesday with a 1/2-game lead over Portland in the second-half standings. Should the Patriots win the second half as well as the first, the division’s second playoff spot goes to the team with the best overall record. Currently, the Sea Dogs hold a 51/2 game lead over Binghamton in that race.
Beginning with Tuesday’s game, 24 of Portland’s remaining 36 games are at Hadlock Field.
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