Bullpen Woes Continue, 'Dogs Fall 6-0 to Squirrels

Richmond, VA - The Portland Sea Dogs (75-47) had the bullpen implode again and gave up four runs in the seventh, en route to the 6-0 loss to the Richmond Flying Squirrels (68-53) Sunday afternoon in the series finale. The loss, along with the New Britain win, keeps the Sea Dogs magic number at six.

Both teams were held scoreless by the opposing pitching staffs, until Richmond jumped on the board with four runs in the seventh against Dayan Diaz. Angel Villalona began the inning with a double to right and moved to third on an infield single to second by Ricky Oropesa, setting the table for Tyler LaTorre.

With the runners at the corners and infield drawn in, the catcher hit a hard chopper to short, which Heiker Meneses fielded and fired home, but the ball popped loose, allowed Villalona to score and Richmond held the 1-0 lead.

The inning continued to escape Diaz as he delivered a one-out walk to load the bases and gave up bases-clearing double to Elliot Blair, which upped the Flying Squirrels lead to 4-0. The hard throwing righty walked the next hitter he faced in Blake Miller, and ended his outing.

Aaron Kurcz was called upon to stop the bleeding and end the seventh. He walked the first man he faced in Mario Lisson, which again loaded the bases. The righty buckled down and struck out Villalona to end the frame.

Kurcz returned for the eighth and was tagged for two runs, making it 6-0 Flying Squirrels. Richmond scored 17 of its 18 runs in the series against the Portland bullpen.

Portland's offense had no answer all day, and that didn't change over the final six outs. Steven Okert (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth and earned the win with two scoreless before Hunter Strickland closed out the game on the mound in the ninth.

Diaz (1-1) took his first Double-A loss of the season and pitched just one-third of an inning. In his outing he allowed four runs on three hits and two walks. Kurcz gave up two runs on four hits, a walk and a strikeout across five outs.

Mike Augliera climbed the hill for Portland and came out dealing. The righty retired the side in order on nine pitches in the first and worked around a walk in the second. He delivered another perfect frame in the third and did not allow his first hit until two outs in the fourth, but he pitched around it.

Again Augliera worked around a hit in the fifth inning and returned for the sixth, where he faced the most adversity in his outing. Skyler Stromsmoe singled to begin the inning and Miller doubled him to third, but the Portland starter got a line out and ground out to end the threat and his outing. He went six scoreless and gave up four hits, one walk, and struck out five, before turning it over to the 'pen.

Kyle Crick took the mound for Richmond in the series finale and struggled out of the gate. Shannon Wilkerson led off the game with a single against the Giants' first overall prospect, before the righty walked both Mike Miller and Michael Almanzar to load the bases.

Crick battled back to strike out both David Chester and Keury De La Cruz, and induced a fly out to right by Stefan Welch ending Portland's best inning of the night. He went four shutout innings and allowed just two hits; he walked three and struck out five. Jose Casilla tossed two scoreless in relief before Okert and Strickland locked down the win.

The Sea Dogs head north for an off day Monday and will resume action Tuesday evening against the Akron RubberDucks at 7:00 PM from Hadlock Field. Portland is set to send LHP Brian Johnson (9-2, 1.89) to the hill against Akron's RHP Joe Colon (8-6, 3.20). Radio coverage begins at 6:40 PM on the WPEI U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network. MiLB.tv coverage begins at 6:55.