MANCHESTER, N.H. — Will Middlebrooks and Alex Hassan of the Portland Sea Dogs both doubled for the East team, but the West got the bigger, timelier hits Wednesday night for an 8-3 victory in the Eastern League All-Star game at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.

Middlebrooks, the Red Sox third-base prospect, ripped a double off the right-field wall in the fourth inning. Middlebrooks missed an RBI when Joshua Satin (Mets) tried to score from first and was thrown out on a relay from shortstop Juan Diaz (Indians).

Hassan jumped on a 3-1 fastball in the fifth inning, a liner down the left-field line for a double.

Middlebrooks, who was 1 for 2, came out after the fifth inning, as did teammate Chih-Hsien Chiang, who played left field. Chiang was hit by a 96 mph fastball in the first inning and lined out in the fourth.

Hassan, who played center field for the whole game, went 2 for 4. He also singled in the ninth.

“It was a lot of fun. Great playing with these guys,” Hassan said.

Both Sea Dogs pitchers, Alex Wilson and Stephen Fife, threw in the ninth, with Fife relieving Wilson, who gave up five hits and four runs.

Fife struck out the two batters he faced.

Brock Holt, a Pirates infield prospect and the game’s MVP, gave the West a 2-0 lead with his two-run homer to right field in the second inning.

The East tied it in the sixth on RBI hits by Austin Romine (Yankees) and Mike McDade (Blue Jays). Hassan batted with runners on second and third and two outs, and lined to third.

The West scored two in the seventh and kept it going in the ninth against Wilson.

Wilson retired the first batter, but the next six reached on a walk and five singles. Four of the hits were grounders, two reaching the outfield.

“Couple rollover ground balls in the hole, then a ball topped over my head. That’s how you create a terrible inning,” Wilson said. “My command was fine.”

Fife, who said he was the emergency pitcher, relieved Wilson and got his two strikeouts.

“I got a chance to pitch in my first All-Star game,” said Fife, who made last year’s game but didn’t pitch.

 

THE SEA DOGS resume play at Hadlock Field with a 7 p.m. game today against the New Britain Rock Cats.

Portland (35-54) had a rough start, including a 6-25 May, but has a 21-18 record since.

“We’ve grown individually and as a team, we’re playing a lot better together,” Middlebrooks said. “We had that horrible May, but we’ve made a big jump.”

Among the promotions tonight are Clay Buchholz bobblehead dolls to the first 1,000 fans.

Also, author Marty Dobrow will appear from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. to sign his book “Knocking on Heaven’s Door,” which chronicles the careers of six minor leaguers, including former Sea Dogs Manny Delcarmen and Charlie Zink.

Delcarmen, by the way, was released Wednesday by the Texas Rangers. He had been pitching for their Triple-A team.

 

IN THE HOME RUN Derby, two New Hampshire Fisher Cats reached the final, with Mike McDade besting Moises Sierra in the fifth extra round, 8-7.

Because of the threat of rain, the whole derby was held before the game, instead of the planned final round in the middle of the second inning.

 

THE MOST CELEBRATED player in the Eastern League wasn’t at the game, but that’s because Harrisburg outfielder Bryce Harper was just promoted to Double-A on July 4.

Harper, 18, was the No. 1 draft pick by the Nationals last year, signing a $9.9 million contract, which included a $6.25 million signing bonus.

Harrisburg plays in Portland on Aug. 22-24.

 

IN ANOTHER GAME Wednesday, Stolmy Pimentel’s first Class A game since his demotion from Portland didn’t go well. He went two innings, allowing five hits, four runs and three walks.

 

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or at:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: ClearTheBases

 

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