Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

Sea Dogs win by scoring in just one inning

A four-run fourth inning is enough as Portland beats Harrisburg, 4-2.

By BRADLEY KANE Special to the Press Herald

HARRISBURG, Pa. — It took the Portland Sea Dogs one trip through the lineup to solve Danny Rosenbaum.

Rosenbaum, the Harrisburg Senators' lefty, shut down the Sea Dogs through three innings, facing the minimum nine batters.

But that changed, big time, in the fourth inning.

The Sea Dogs had four hits and a walk as part of a four-run inning in their 4-2 victory at Harrisburg's Metro Bank Park Monday night.

Alex Hassan, Oscar Tejeda, Mark Wagner and Ronald Bermudez each collected hits off Rosenbaum in the inning, none of which got more than a few feet off the ground.

Wagner had the big blow, a two-run double down the third-base line that scored Hassan and Tejeda.

It was the worst inning of Rosenbaum's time in Double-A. Since an early August call-up from Class A Potomac, he had a 1.37 ERA in four starts. The four runs matched the total he allowed in his previous starts for Harrisburg.

"I think we were a little anxious early on, first time through the lineup," said Portland Manager Kevin Boles. "We settled in a little bit and were able to work some counts. He (Rosenbaum) elevated the ball a little in that inning.

"Rosenbaum did a nice job, he's got quality stuff. He's impressive, he can pitch. He's tough."

Harrisburg scored two runs in the bottom of the inning. Derek Norris led off with a line-drive home run to left off pitcher Jeremy Kehrt. Leonard Davis later singled in Tyler Moore, who had walked.

Kehrt got the win, getting help from reliever Kyle Fernandes in the sixth inning.

After two batters reached base off Kehrt with one out, Boles replaced him with Fernandes, who got Davis to ground out to second and Chris McConnell to line out to right fielder Jeremy Hazelbaker in foul territory.

"He did really well against left-handed hitters," said Boles of Fernandes. "He changed speeds and was able to keep the ball down in the zone. He came through and was able to patch it up before getting to (Blake) Maxwell."

Fernandes pitched 21/3 innings, but left in the eighth when the Senators threatened on a Chris Rahl single and an Archie Gilbert double.

Maxwell walked pinch-hitter Devin Ivany with two outs to load the bases, but got Eric Komatsu to ground out to second.

Hassan and Hazelbaker had two hits for Portland.

NOTES: Tonight Portland will face an all-big league battery in former New York Mets pitcher Oliver Perez and Washington Nationals catcher Ivan Rodriguez.

Perez has been in the Harrisburg rotation since May, while Rodriguez is with the Senators on an injury rehab assignment.

On Thursday night, the Sea Dogs face pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who will be making his final rehab start before returning to the Nationals.

Strasburg, the top pick in the 2009 draft, has made five starts in the minors during his recovery from Tommy John surgery.