Sea Dogs Top Erie 5-1 Behind Great Pitching

Portland, Maine- Portland (51-62) starter Jeremy Kehrt was brilliant throwing six shutout innings Friday night as the Sea Dogs pitching staff cruised through Erie (50-62) adding to what has been a spectacular stretch for the group tossing 21 consecutive scoreless innings before allowing a run in the 8th. Jackie Bradley Jr. blasted a home run to lead-off the game for the second consecutive day staking the Sea Dogs to an early lead. Portland's pitching staff didn't need much more in the 5-1 win over the SeaWolves. The Portland win took 2:36 to complete with 5,137 fans on hand at Hadlock Field.

Kehrt (6-3, 4.17) earned his fourth win in his last five starts going six scoreless innings for Portland. Kehrt has only allowed four runs in his last 27 innings pitched with an ERA of 1.33 in that stretch.

The Sea Dogs pitching continued to sparkle right where Kehrt left off with Chris Balcom-Miller taking the mound in the 7th inning. Balcom-Miller went two innings allowing one run on a hit while striking out two. Brock Huntzinger completed the game for the Dogs going throwing one scoreless inning striking out one and allowing a hit and has not been scored upon in five of his last six outings.

Portland cashed in early with two shots leaving the yard in the bottom of the first inning coming off the bats of Jackie Bradley Jr., first pitch he saw, and Bryce Brentz. Bradley Jr. hit four home runs in the month of July and has already deposited two over the outfield wall as of August 3rd. Brentz homer was his 14th of the year. The two homers put Portland up 2-0 over Erie.

Two additional runs came across for the Dogs in the fourth inning doubling the team's lead to 4-0. Travis Shaw, called up from Single-A Salem on August 1st, led-off the frame with a double, his first Double-A hit, immediately putting a runner in scoring position for Portland. Christian Vazquez, received from Salem August 3rd, followed with his first Double-A hit, a single, and Derrik Gibson proceeded to walk loading the bases. Shaw scored on a force out hit by Ronald Bermudez and Bradley recorded his 2nd RBI of the game with a single to right capping the scoring in the inning and putting the Sea Dogs in front 4-0.

Erie reached the scoreboard in the 8th inning without the benefit of a base hit. Balcom-Miller hit Daniel Fields with a pitch. Fields advanced to second on a wild pitch and was pushed to third on a groundout by Niuman Romero. Another wild pitched plated Fields breaking the Sea Dogs consecutive shutout streak at 21 and cutting the Dogs lead down to 4-1. Vazquez recorded his first Double-A RBI in the Sea Dog 8th. Vazquez grounded into a force out with the bases loaded allowing Hazelbaker to score giving the Dogs a 5-1 lead going into the 9th.

Erie starter Ramon Garcia gave up four runs on seven hits but gave the SeaWolves seven innings. Garcia also walked a batter and struck out three.

Portland and Erie will take the field for game two of the series Saturday night at 6:00 PM. Right handed pitcher Stolmy Pimentel (4-5, 5.25) is slated to start for the Sea Dogs. He will be opposed by SeaWolves' righty Jared Gayhart (1-2, 4.62). Andrew Bailey is scheduled for a rehab appearance on Sunday for Portland. Bailey's rehab will be a franchise high seventh for the Sea Dogs this season. Catch all of the game action on 95.5/95.9 FM WPEI. Tickets are available at www.seadogs.com.