Sea Dogs Outlast Flying Squirrels 5-4 in Epic Thirteen-Inning Battle

Richmond, VA - The Portland Sea Dogs (26-27)(61-60) outlasted the Richmond Flying Squirrels (28-24)(71-49) 5-4 in an epic thirteen-inning battle on Wednesday night, their longest game, by both innings and time, of the season.

Pitching was the star, as both sides were scoreless through nine innings. LHP Hayden Mullins started with 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk with five strikeouts. RHP Max Carlson held Richmond scoreless on one hit and one walk with four strikeouts in 2.1 innings pitched. Reidis Sena pitched two innings as well, allowing one run, unearned, in the tenth inning.

Yoeilin Cespedes was the hero of the night, coming through with a thirteenth-inning two-run home run to give the Sea Dogs the lead for good.

The teams were locked in a scoreless pitching battle until the tenth inning. With Ronald Rosario standing on second as the designated runner, Caden Rose came through with an RBI single in his first plate appearance of the night.

In the bottom of the tenth, Trevor Cohen started at second base as the Flying Squirrels’ designated runner. Richmond went with small ball, as Dayson Croes bunted for a base hit to put runners on the corners. Lisbel Diaz hit a sacrifice fly and Cohen scored, tying the game 1-1.

After stranding the go-ahead runner on third base, Richmond led off the bottom of the eleventh with another bunt single, this time by Maui Ahuna. A walk loaded the bases, before LHP Jeremy Wu-Yelland bounced back, forcing three straight outs to send the game to the twelfth inning.

Brooks Brannon singled to put runners on the corners in the twelfth. After a Rosario strikeout, Henry Godbout battled through a nine-pitch at bat to send a deep fly ball to right field, driving in Will Turner with the sacrifice fly.

Trailing 2-1, Lisbel Diaz led off the bottom of the twelfth with a single. Dayson Croes tried to score from second but was thrown out at the plate. Jose Astudillo singled on a ball that deflected off Wu-Yelland’s glove. Richmond attempted a double steal, and scored the tying run when Rosario’s throw down to third went wide of the bag. It was the Sea Dogs’ fourth error of the night.

For the second straight inning, Wu-Yelland came up clutch, stranding multiple runners on base, and the game went to the thirteenth.

Max Ferguson ripped a double down the first base run for his first hit of the night, driving in Rose as the go-ahead run.

Yoeilin Cespedes stepped up with Ferguson on base and crushed a 411 foot home run to left field, extending the Sea Dogs’ lead 5-2.

It turned out to be just enough for the win, as the Sea Dogs bullpen ran out of arms, and sent Ahbram Liendo in to pitch the bottom of the thirteenth. He allowed two runs but forced a popup to first base to end the game, and the Sea Dogs snapped a five-game losing streak.

LHP Jeremy Wu-Yelland (3-1, 8.76 ERA) earned the win, allowing one run, unearned, on three hits and two walks with one strikeout in 2.0 innings pitched. RHP Marques Johnson (2-2, 4.86 ERA) was handed the loss, allowing four runs, two earned, on three hits and no walks with one strikeout in 2.0 innings of work. Ahbram Liendo (S, 1) earned the save, the first of his career in just his second career pitching appearance.

Tomorrow night, RHP Steven Brooks (0-1, 5.59 ERA) is scheduled to face RHP Miguel Mendez (0-0, 0.00 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm at CarMax Park.