The New Haven Ravens knock the Portland Sea Dogs 2 games out of the playoff chase.
WEST HAVEN, Conn. – This one might have been over before it started.
Josh Stevens’ lack of success against affiliates of the organization that released him, the Toronto Blue Jays, has weighed heavily on the right-hander’s mind.
Wednesday night’s shellacking at the hands of the New Haven Ravens will do little to erase that seed of doubt.
Stevens allowed five runs over two-plus innings as the Ravens captured their first Northern Division title by pounding the Sea Dogs 10-1 before the usual sparse crowd at Yale Field.
Stevens (10-9) exited after giving up a single to Matt Logan leading off the bottom of third.
He gave up seven hits and is now 0-3 with a 10.69 ERA against New Haven this season.
“Every time I pitch against them,” Stevens said when asked if he thinks about his shortcomings against his former organization.
“Maybe it plays in my head a little bit,” added Stevens, who was drafted by the Blue Jays in 1997 and let go prior to the 2001 season. “But if I go out and execute my pitches, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Stevens didn’t execute and as a result the Sea Dogs trail second-place New Britain by 2 games for the second and final Northern Division playoff spot with five games to play.
The Rock Cats, who beat Binghamton 7-5, are off today and have four games remaining.
The Ravens got a two-run home run from ninth hitter Paul Chiaffredo to cap off a four-run second inning against Stevens.
“I didn’t have it today,” said Stevens, who has won just once in his last 10 starts. “I let things like the mound bother me and the feel of the ball bother me. I just didn’t feel right out there.”
In the third, No. 8 hitter Danny Solano belted a three-run shot over the left field fence off of reliever Eric Glaser.
Solano, who had an RBI double an inning earlier, finished the night with four RBIs.
New Haven tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth when Russ Adams tripled and scored on Alexis Rios’ single.
Rios went 3-for-5 and is leading the Eastern League with a .351 average.
Dave Gassner (10-4) held the Sea Dogs to just five hits and one run hits over six innings. The left-hander struck out three, walked none and didn’t allow a runner to second base until Brian Loyd doubled leading off the top of the sixth.
Loyd moved to third on a ground out and scored on Kevin Haverbusch’s infield hit. John Hattig’s single to right field put runners at the corners. But Gassner struck out Kelly Shoppach on a 3-2 pitch to end Portland’s only threat.
The Shoppach at-bat was the only time in the outing that Gassner went to a three-ball count.
“I went with my stocked right-handed line-up and it didn’t work,” said Portland manager Ron Johnson. “We’ll just try again (today).”
Sea Dogs notes: The Ravens out-hit the Sea Dogs 15-6. … Hattig had two of the hits and is now 3-for-11 since joining the team from Class-A Sarasota. … The attendance, announced at 1,881, was actually about 400. … Ryan Cameron (2-3, 2.11 ERA) opposes New Haven’s Dustin McGowan (7-0, 3.04) in the series finale tonight at 6:30 p.m. The teams will then close out the regular season with a four-game series at Hadlock Field beginning Friday. General admission tickets remain for all four games.
bfoley@sunjournal.com
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