Portland sweeps away New Haven in doubleheader.
WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Don’t turn in those playoff tickets just yet.
Down to their final out, the Portland Sea Dogs rallied for an improbable 4-3 win over the New Haven Ravens to complete a doubleheader sweep at Yale Field Tuesday night.
The Sea Dogs got a brilliant pitching performance from Tim Kester, who tossed a five-hit shutout in the opener, which Portland won 3-0.
In the nightcap, the Sea Dogs trailed 3-2 with runners at the corners and two outs against hard-throwing closer Adam Peterson before Justin Headley lined a two-run double down the left-field line.
“Honestly, I thought it was going to be foul,” said Headley. “That ball got on me quick.”
Scott Aldred closed it out in the bottom of the inning to post his sixth save.
The news wasn’t so good from 34 miles away in New Britain, where the Rock Cats rallied to top the Binghamton Mets 10-4.
The Sea Dogs did trim the Rock Cats’ lead to 11/2 games.
But the New Britain victory dropped the Rock Cats’ magic number to five.
Any combination of New Britain wins and Sea Dog losses totaling five would result in the Rock Cats grabbing the second and final playoff spot in the Eastern League’s Northern Division.
The first-place Ravens need a win or New Britain loss to capture their first division title.
The Rock Cats have just five games remaining while Portland and New Haven play each other seven more times.
“If we can keep rolling against these guys and get into the playoffs and play them, that’s a big confidence boost,” said Headley. “It kind of sends a message to them.”
Jeremy Owens homered in both games, giving him 19 on the season.
His leadoff blast in the second game off of Peter Bauer gave the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead.
Sean McGowan added a RBI-single in the third.
New Haven tied it in the bottom of the fourth and went ahead an inning later when Danny Solano doubled with one out and scored on Jose Umbrio’s single.
Brian Loyd singled with one out in the seventh and was replaced by Raul Nieves.
Pinch-hitter Kelly Shoppach lined a single to center field and Nieves went to third when Tyrell Godwin misplayed the ball for an error.
Headley then jumped on Peterson’s first pitch, driving it into the corner to score both runners.
Kester went the distance in the opener, allowing just four hits while walking one and striking out three.
Two of the hits were the results of bad hops on routine ground balls to third baseman John Hattig, who was making his Sea Dog debut after being called up from Class-A Sarasota.
Kester induced 12 ground-ball outs, including four double plays.
“I had a good sinker going,” said Kester. “I got a lot of ground balls. Sometimes they go right at guys and sometimes they don’t.”
The Sea Dogs scored all of their runs against New Haven starter Cam Reimers (10-5) in the top of the third.
Carlos Leon hit his second home run of the season and first from the left side of the plate with one out, golfing a Reimers’ offering over the fence in right field.
Leon eventually left the game after tweaking a groin injury originally suffered on Sunday at Hadlock Field.
After Nieves walked, Owens drove a first-pitch fastball into the parking lot beyond the left-field fence.
New Haven put the lead man on in the seventh and Kester fell behind clean-up hitter Matt Logan 3-1.
Logan hit a hot smash that was backhanded by the shortstop Nieves, who started a 6-4-3 double play.
Kester (10-9) struck out Fagan looking to become the 11th Sea Dogs’ pitcher to win 10 games in a season.
He also combined with teammate Josh Stevens (10-8) to give Portland a pair of 10-game winners for just the second time. Will Cunnane and Tony Saunders turned the trick in 1996.
Sea Dogs notes: Hattig, a 25th-round draft pick in 1998, hit .294 with six homers and 70 RBIs at Sarasota. The Guam native was hitting .483 in August. To make room on the roster, the Sea Dogs made a paper move, demoting pitcher Junior Herndon. Herndon will be activated for his next scheduled start on Friday at Hadlock Field against the Ravens….The Ravens were without All-Star catcher Guillermo Quiroz, who suffered a collapsed lung last week. The 21-year-old Quiroz, who is hitting .282 with 20 home runs and 79 RBIs, is listed as day-to-day but is not close to returning…. Red Sox farm director Ben Cherington is in town for the four-game series….With Bowie’s losing 7-0 to Harrisburg Monday night, Altoona clinched the final playoff spot in the Southern Division. The Baysox and Sea Dogs are the only Eastern League teams to not make the playoffs since 1997….Stevens (10-8, 3.60 ERA) will opposes New Haven’s Dave Gassner (9-3, 2.84) tonight at 6:30.
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