Thursday, May 23, 2013
You don't see this every day: a team celebrating a walk-off homer in the opponents' ballpark.
Brian Stavisky belted a three-run homer to right field to give the Reading Phillies a 10-7 win over the Portland Sea Dogs Friday at Hadlock Field.
The result was the completion of a game suspended last month in Reading. Since the Sea Dogs were not returning to Reading this season, the game was resumed Friday in Portland - with the Phillies as the home team.
Portland led 6-4 when the game resumed in the sixth innings. The teams exchanged home runs (Nate Spears for Portland), and the Sea Dogs led 7-5. Tommy Hottovy, who had pitched three strong innings, came out for the ninth.
Hottovy walked the lead-off batter, but retired the next two batters. Then, after a single and another walk, bases were loaded.
Matt Rizzotti hit a hard grounder to third baseman Ryan Khoury. Khoury's throw to second was high, off of Spears' glove. Two runs came in, tying the score. Then came Stavisky's blast and the Phillies gathered around home plate to celebrate.
The teams will begin Friday's scheduled game in a few minutes. The Sea Dogs will be the home team.
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Kevin Thomas covers baseball and basketball for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He wisely moved to Maine in 1994 after working for the St. Petersburg Times. He is married to Nancy and they have nine children.
Follow his thoughts on the Boston Red Sox and Portland Sea Dogs on Clearing the Bases
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