Right-hander Tim Kester keeps Reading at bay as Portland snatches a 3-1 victory.
PORTLAND – You’d think that Tim Kester would have liked to savor his first victory in affiliated baseball in over three years.
But the right-hander was more than happy after the Portland Sea Dogs topped the Reading Phillies 3-1 at Hadlock Field Tuesday night in a game that took just two hours and seven minutes to play.
“I got a real nice rhythm going,” said Kester, who spent the last three years playing independent ball, including stints in Taiwan in 2000 and Italy in 2001. “I liked the pace of that game.”
Kester scattered five hits over eight shutout innings. He struck out seven, walked none and recorded 13 ground-ball outs while throwing 59 of 84 pitches for strikes.
“Strikeouts are nice,” said Kester, “but you can conserve a lot of pitches if you get ground-outs early in the count.”
Kester was matched pitch for pitch by former major leaguer Bud Smith. Smith, who is trying to work his way back after having off-season shoulder surgery, held the Sea Dogs in check, including working out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth.
An error by shortstop Anderson Machado on Trace Coquillette’s routine grounder finally opened the door for Portland with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning after Smith had retired 10 straight batters.
Coquellette stole second base to get into scoring position for newly-acquired Kevin Haverbusch, who bounced a single to center field to score the game’s first run.
“It’s always nice to get that first one out of the way and to make it count is even better,” said Haverbusch, who was acquired by the Red Sox from Pittsburgh but couldn’t play on Monday because the airlines lost his equipment.
“In a situation like that, you’ve got nothing to lose,” Portland manager Ron Johnson said of Coquellette’s stolen base. “We did nothing against (Smith). We had that one opportunity in the fourth and he got nasty on us.”
Smith left after Haverbusch’s single. The left-hander gave up just four hits while walking one and striking out eight.
The Sea Dogs scored twice in the eighth against reliever Yoel Hernandez.
Jeremy Owens led off with a single and moved up when Raul Nieves reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt. Both runners advanced on a passed ball and scored on Kevin Youkilis’ single to center field.
Nieves had two hits, including a bunt base hit and made a couple of nice plays at shortstop.
“Nieves was outstanding,” said Johnson. “He’s one of those guys who sees what the game is going to give him and takes advantage of it.”
Kester exited after the eighth having allowed just one baserunner past first base.
“We got on the same page early tonight,” said Portland catcher John Nathans. “He had good command of everything.”
The Phillies scored their run on a ground out against closer Anastacio Martinez, who recorded his second save.
“That was nice game,” said Johnson. “Two outstanding pitcher efforts by Mr. Smith and Mr. Kester.”
Sea Dogs notes: Manny Delcarmen, one of the Red Sox top pitching prospects, has been shut down and is facing Tommy John surgery according to Red Sox Special Assistant to the General Manager/Player Development Craig Shipley. Delcarmen, who was pitching for Class-A Sarasota, was projected to be in Portland by the second half of the season…..Kelly Shoppach had a hit and a walk on his 23rd birthday….Josh Stevens (2-1, 4.58 ERA) opposes Reading’s Ryan Carter (0-3, 6.48) tonight at 6 p.m. Maine native and NASCAR driver Ricky Craven will throw out the first pitch.
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