Sea Dogs rebound in Altoona, win 13-4!
RHP Ryne Miller (2-1) relieved RHP Blake Maxwell in the fifth inning and tossed 3.1 innings on two hits and one run to notch the win. Miller retired 9 of the first 10 batters faced and fanned a season-high 4 batters. LHP Kyle Bloom (4-8) lasted 4+ innings, surrendering five hits and six runs to suffer the loss for Altoona.
With the game tied at three, the Sea Dogs took their second 3-run lead of the game with a 3-spot off Bloom and would score 10 of the game's final 11 runs. LF Jason Place (3-for-5) and SS Iggy Suarez (2-for-6, 2B, 2 RS) ignited the rally with singles. CF Ryan Kalish walked and 3B Jorge Jimenez was hit-by-a-pitch to snap a 3-3 tie. RHP Jeff Sues relieved Bloom and induced a run-scoring double play to 1B Jon Still (2-fo-5, RBI). RF Daniel Nava (2-of-3, HR, RBI, 3 RS) walked and C Luis Exposito (4-for-5, 4 RBI ) drove in his 3rd two-out run with a single to right field, giving the Sea Dogs a 6-3 lead.
In the eighth, Nava led off the inning with his first Double-A homer, a towering blast to straight away right field. Exposito singled and scored on Navarro's first Double-A big fly to left-center field. Portland clobbered six hits and four runs off LHP Corey Hamman in the ninth inning. Portland had six consecutive hits, receiving and RBI single from Esposito (4th of the game), run-scoring double by C Juan Apodaca (1-for-4, RBI, 2B) and a 2-run double by Navarro.
The Sea Dogs drew first blood with three runs in their first turn against Bloom. Suarez led off the game with a double and scored on a 2-out single by Still. Nava walked and Exposito nailed a 2-run double to left field. Altoona responded with a run in the first inning on a bases-loaded fielder's choice by SS Brian Friday.
Maxwell surrendered a 2-run homer to DH Jason Delany in the bottom of the 4th inning to tie the game at three but escaped a huge jam to end the frame. After the homer, C Steve Lerud and LF Jeff Corsaletti singled before a sac-bunt by CF Gorkys Hernandez advanced the runners 90 feet. 2B Eddie Prasch was hit-by-a-pitch but 3B Pedro Alvarez hit into a 4-6-3 double play on a 3-1 count.
LHP Dustin Richardson closed out the game with a 1.2 scoreless frames with three strikeouts as the Sea Dogs evened the series at one game apiece.
Portland and Altoona wrap up their 3-game series on Thursday night beginning at 7:05 PM from Blair County Ballpark. Catch all the action on the U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network beginning at 6:35 PM with the Pre-Game Show built by CorrectDeck.
Notes...Exposito has hit safely in 6 of 7 starts with Portland, hitting .448 (13-for-29)...Still has 33 RBI with two outs and leads the team with 76 RBI...Navarro's homer snapped a 1-for-26 slump...Nava reached base four times and has reached 15 times in 6 games in Double-A...Miller worked a season-high 3.1 IP and recorded a Double-A high 4 strikeouts...The Sea Dogs are 8-7 during a 26-game stretch against the Southern Division.