Dogs blast three homers in loss to Mets

PORTLAND — With Wrigley Field-like conditions, it was difficult to tell whether the Portland Sea Dogs and Binghamton Mets were playing an official game, or hosting a home run derby at Hadlock Field on Sunday afternoon.

Whichever the case, the Mets were able to one-up the Sea Dogs in the slugging department, winning the contest 7-6 in front of a crowd of 6,568.

A two-run home run homer by Binghamton catcher Jean Luc Blaquiere off Sea Dogs reliever Kyle Fernandes would prove to be the difference in the contest.

The loss ruined what would turn out to be a career day for Sea Dogs starter Brock Hutzinger. Allowing four earned runs in his first three innings of work, Hutzinger calmed down in his final three innings and had a career-best 11 strikeouts, walking only one batter on the afternoon.

“It was easy to get guys off-balance when the hitter starts thinking about all three pitches instead of eliminating certain pitches in the count,” Hutzinger said. “It’s harder if you only have a fastball, they’re going to hit it. I was just able to change speeds and keep guys guessing, and it showed.”

Hutzinger said he was able to keep the Mets guessing throughout the day with his arsenal of three pitches: a fastball, slider and changeup.

“I had the mix going, the changeup helped me out early in the game,” Hutzinger said. “I kind of wavered late, and my slider picked me up later

in the game. It was just a good mix going. I thought I got through well today.”

The Mets struck first in the second inning with two runs, the first on an RBI single by Eric Campbell, the other on an error by Sea Dogs second baseman Jon Hee, scoring Dusty Ryan and giving the Mets a 2-0 lead. Binghamton added two more runs in the third inning, on an RBI double by Brahaim Maldanado and an RBI groundout by Allan Dykstra.

The Sea Dogs began to chip away at the Mets lead in the second inning, as Hee plated Jeremy Hazelbaker on an RBI single. In the fourth, first baseman Reynaldo Rodriguez hit a mammoth shot off the scoreboard in left field to cut the lead in half, as the Mets led the contest 4-2.

Portland overtook the lead in the fifth inning. Mark Wagner led the inning with a double off the Maine Monster in left field, and Rodriguez got to first on an infield single before Jeremy Hazelbaker smacked a slider off the videoboard in right field for a three-run homer and a 5-4 lead in favor of the Sea Dogs.

Hutzinger broke his career best with his 11th strikeout in the sixth, but Ryan spoiled the feat by smashing Hutzinger’s next pitch over the scoreboard in left field to tie the game at 5-5.

Hutzinger said he was no fan of the wind at Hadlock, which at times hit 15 MPH toward center field.

“You know it’s there, it’s been there all year,” he said. “It’s just one of those things where you can’t do anything about it. You just hope to keep the ball down. I thought the ball that Ryan hit was where I wanted the first pitch, just trying to get a strike, and he got the barrel out on it, and it just blew out.”

The score remained tied until the eighth, when Blaquiere smashed his home run over the center field wall, giving the Mets a 7-5 lead. Hee cracked a solo homer of his own in the bottom of the inning, but Portland couldn’t score, as Rhiner Cruz came out to earn the save for Binghamton in the ninth. Mets relief pitcher Brad Holt was tabbed with the win, while Fernandes was saddled with the loss.

The Sea Dogs begin a three game series with the Harrisburg Senators today. Chris Balcom-Miller (3-6, 5.26 ERA) is set to take the hill for Portland, while Tanner Roark (8-8, 5.23 ERA) will start for the Senators. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

NOTES: For those hoping to see Sports Illustrated cover boy and Senators outfielder Bryce Harper play at Hadlock Field this week, prepare for disappointment. Harper injured his leg last week, and the Senators parent club, the Washington Nationals, have decided to shut down Harper for the rest of the regular season, since the minor league season ends in the first week of September.

He will, however, still be with the team, so he will make a stop to Portland”¦

The Sea Dogs have dealt with some roster moves in the past week.

Both pitcher Alex Wilson and third baseman Will Middlebrooks have been promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. Wilson was 9-4 with a 3.05 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 112 innings worked this season in Portland.

Middlebrooks hit .302 with 18 home runs and 80 RBIs. The Boston Red Sox then signed catcher Jeff Howell, assigning him to Portland.

As such, catcher Matt Spring was assigned to Class-A Salem.

Howell was playing for the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association.

The Sox also signed pitcher Matt Rusch from the Quebec Capitales of the Can-Am League, and assigned him to Portland.

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