Missed opportunities hurt Portland.
PORTLAND – The Portland Sea Dogs’ habit of leaving runners on base came back to bite them yet again Monday night.
Eric Crozier tripled home the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning as the Akron Aeros topped the Sea Dogs 2-1 before a sellout crowd at Hadlock Field.
Portland, which was hitting just .232 with runners in scoring position, stranded seven baserunners between the sixth and eighth innings and 10 overall before being overpowered by the Eastern League’s top closer, Rafael Betancourt, in the bottom of the ninth.
Betancourt struck out the side to record his 16th save.
“When you play a club like Akron that has all that pitching, when you have opportunities, you have to capitalize,” said Portland manager Ron Johnson. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do it. There’s no mystery as to why they lead this league in pitching.”
The league-leading Aeros (50-28) also wasted some chances, stranding nine before breaking through in the against Felix Villegas in the ninth.
With the game tied at one, Corey Smith hit a chopper up the third base line leading off.
Villegas (1-7), the Sea Dogs’ third pitcher of the night, fell while fielding the ball and threw wide of first base allowing Smith to reach second.
Hector Luna followed with a single to right, but was caught after a rundown when Justin Sherrod’s throw to the plate was cut off.
Crozier rendered the mistake mute when he tripled into the right-field corner.
“Nobody was doing too good of a job to take the game,” said Akron manager Brad Komminsk. “Luckily we got it there in the end.”
The Aeros struck first against Portland starter Jorge De La Rosa in the top of the third.
Tyler Minges led off with an infield single and moved to second when De La Rosa’s pick-off attempt tipped off the glove of first baseman Sean McGowan.
After a walk, the runners moved up on a fly out to center field.
Minges then scored on a ground out.
De La Rosa left after the fifth inning having allowed four hits while walking three and striking out five.
The Sea Dogs tied it on a bizarre play in the bottom of the sixth against Kyle Denney.
After loading the bases on consecutive singles by Jim Goelz, Justin Headley and Kevin Youkilis, Kelly Shoppach struck out.
Justin Sherrod then hit a bouncer to third baseman Luis Gonzalez.
Gonzalez stepped on third for one out but his throw to first glanced off the glove of first baseman Eric Crozier as Goelz scored.
Headley also scampered home on the play despite having been forced out at third.
Denney gave up five hits, walked one and struck out seven in six innings.
The Sea Dogs left two men on in both the sixth and seventh before loading the bases with one out in the eighth.
Jake Robbins (4-1) got out of the jam with a strike out and ground out.
Portland (39-30) has now lost seven of its last nine games.
“We needed a couple of big hits,” said Shoppach, who had three of the Sea Dogs’ seven hits. “Sometimes when you’re losing, things turn out that way.”
Sea Dogs notes: Akron came into the game with an Eastern-League leading 2.92 team earned run average…Tim Kester (3-4, 2.83 ERA) opposes Akron’s Kyle Evans (6-1, 2.78) tonight at 7 p.m. There will be fireworks after the game.
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