Thunder Rolls Past Portland 5-1

Portland, Maine - The Portland Sea Dogs (71-43) had their bats zapped again and managed just two hits in a 5-1 loss to the Trenton Thunder (55-59) Friday night at Hadlock Field. The loss marks the second in a row and brings the season series to 10-8 in favor of the Sea Dogs. 

The game began in scoreless fashion over the first three innings before the two teams traded solo home runs in the fourth. 

Trenton's Tyler Austin got the scoring going in the top of the inning with a solo home run to right off of Wilfredo Boscan. Sean Coyle bounced back in the next half inning and began the frame with his 13th homer of the season against the Thunder's Manny Banuelos, which tied it up at 1-1. 

The stalemate was short-lived as Trenton would take the lead for good in the top of the fifth. Boscan retired the first man he faced, but gave up a single to Dan Fiorito and walked Casey Stevenson in front of the number nine man in the order, Ali Castillo. 

The shortstop crushed an 0-2 pitch from the Portland starter off the video board in left center for his second home run of the year, a three-run shot, which put the Thunder in front 4-1.

Banuelos retired the side in order in the fifth to complete his outing. Nick Goody took over and kept Portland off the board in his inning and one-third, as did lefty James Pazos over his inning and two-thirds. 

Pete Ruiz took over after Boscan's six innings and worked two scoreless before the Thunder picked up an insurance run in the ninth on a Mason Williams RBI single to center, which made it 5-1. 

Nick Rumbelow came out of the Trenton pen and closed the game out on the mound with a scoreless ninth.

Banuelos (1-3) earned his first win of the season with his five innings. He allowed the one run, on the one hit to Coyle; he walked three and struck out four. Boscan (1-6) took the loss for Portland, giving up four runs on four hits, including two homers; he walked two and struck out three.

The Sea Dogs look to snap the two-game skid against the Thunder with the third game of the series, Saturday evening at 6:00 PM from Hadlock Field. The 'Dogs are slated to send RHP Mike Augliera (5-9, 5.03) to the hill against Trenton's RHP 3-2, 3.86). Radio coverage begins at 5:40 PM on the WPEI U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network. MiLB.TV coverage begins at 5:55 PM.