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Sea Dogs slammed by the Aeros 8-0!

Portland finished with 2 hits - singles by Diaz and Kalish
June 14, 2009
(Akron, OH) - LF Matt McBride (2-for-3, HR, 4 RBI) blasted a first inning grand slam and three pitchers combined on a 2-hit shutout as the Akron Aeros (40-21) beat the Portland Sea Dogs (31-31), 8-0 on Sunday afternoon at Canal Park. Portland finished the roadtrip at 2-4, dropping 2 of 3 in Erie and Akron. The Aeros won 4 of 5 in an abbreviated 5-game homestand.

The Sea Dogs were shutout for the sixth time this season and scored just nine runs during the 6-day trip. Akron recorded their 6th team shutout of the season and improved their league-leading home record to 22-10.

RHP Erik Stiller (4-3) relieved RHP Hector Rondon after four scoreless innings and earned the win for the Aeros. Stiller yielded one hit a walk and fanned three over 3 IP. Rondon retired 12 of 14 through the first four innings but was removed after throwing only 53 pitches. LHP Matt Meyer closed out the game with two scoreless frames as Akron's staff retired 27 of 33 batters faced.

RHP Ryne Lawson (1-5) took his second loss of the trip, surrendering eight runs on eight hits in 5 IP. Lawson fell into a 4-0 hole in the first on McBride's grand slam to left field. The righty issued five walks and has yielded 25 earned runs in 18.2 IP on the road.

1B Beau Mills gave Akron a 5-0 lead in the second inning with a 2-out RBI single. DH Carlos Santana nailed a 2-out, run-scoring double in the fourth inning. The Aeros tallied two runs in the fifth inning on a sac-fly by C Armando Camacaro and an error by CF Josh Reddick, enabling McBride to score from second base on a single by RF John Drennan.

Portland had two hits - singles from SS Argenis Diaz and LF Ryan Kalish. The Sea Dogs finished the game 0-for-6 with runners-in-scoring position and 1-for-16 in the 3-game set.

The Sea Dogs have Monday off and return home on Tuesday night to open up a 6-game homestand against the Erie SeaWolves at Hadlock Field. RHP Adam Mills (1-4, 7.30) faces off against RHP Jonah Nickerson (4-4, 4.64) for the second time in six days. Catch all the action on the U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network beginning at 6:35 PM with the CorrectDeck Pre-Game Show.

Notes...Kalish has hit safely in 7 of 8 games: 11-for-30 .367...In 9 games against the Red Sox organization this season, McBride is hitting .556 (20-for-36), 5 HR and 21 RBI - he hit .551 in 7 games against the Salem Red Sox...RHP Richie Lentz worked two scoreless innings and RHP Chad Rhoades pitched a flawless eighth...The Sea Dogs have not won a series in Akron since 1999.