Startup Stalls Sea Dogs Comeback, Portland Falls 8-6

Erie, Pa. - The Portland Sea Dogs (44-25) led early, but could not complete a late comeback and fell 8-6 to the Erie SeaWolves (31-38) in the completion of a suspended game, Wednesday afternoon at Jerry Uht Park.

Portland jumped on the board in the top of the second inning when Matt Spring delivered a two-out, two-run home run off of Erie's starter, Tommy Collier. Keury De La Cruz scored on the blast to right, Spring's third home run of the season.

Mike Augliera had taken the mound for Portland and worked around a two-out double in the first, before the first two hitters reached against him to begin the second. He had tossed just 17 pitches on his abbreviated outing.

Following the second single of the inning, the game went into its third delay and was ultimately suspended and scheduled to resume Wednesday morning at 11:05 AM.

Wilfredo Boscan took over for Augliera, and resumed the game with the two runners on and no one out. The righty walked Dean Green, the first hitter he faced, to load the bases. Aaron Westlake followed and struck out before Dixon Machado walked and put the first run on the board for Erie.

The rally continued for the home team as Boscan allowed an RBI single to Jamie Johnson and a sacrifice fly to Jason Krizan, which plated another pair and gave the Sea Wolves the 3-2 lead.

Portland responded with a run in the fourth and tied it at 3-3 on Keury De La Cruz's RBI groundout that plated Sean Coyle from third.

Coyle was at it again in the fifth with two on and two out against Guido Knudson of the SeaWolves. The second baseman crushed his second double of the game, scored Deven Marrero, and gave Portland the 4-3 lead.

The lead was short-lived as the see-saw battle continued between the two teams and Erie took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Three straight singles began the inning and loaded the bases with nobody out. Devon Travis followed and smacked a two-bagger down the line in left, which scored two and gave Erie the 5-4 lead over Boscan and the Sea Dogs. The inning continued and was capped off with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Steven Moya on which Travis scored and upped the lead to 6-4.

Erie tacked on two more in the sixth thanks to an Aaron Westlake sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Johnson to make it 8-4.

Stefan Welch pulled Portland to within three at 8-5 with a solo shot in the eighth and pushed them another run closer with a sacrifice fly in the ninth to make it 8-6. Jose Valdez finally closed the door with a fly out to left off the bat of Keury De La Cruz.

Boscan (0-2) took the loss for Portland, allowing six runs on eight hits over four and two-third innings. He was backed up by two and one-third scoreless innings from Matty Ott and Aaron Kurcz.

Knudson went two and two-third innings in back of Collier and allowed two runs on six hits before Will Startup (2-1) took over. The lefty also went two and two-thirds in relief and gave up a run on four hits while striking out four. Valdez came on for Kenny Faulk in the ninth and earned his eighth save of the season.