Pitching takes center stage in Dogs’ loss

PORTLAND — It’s an unfortunate trend for the Portland Sea Dogs this season.

A performance that included bits of brilliance, but then a crushing, final blow that sends the Hadlock Field faithful home unhappy.

Such would be the case again in the Sea Dogs’ 4-1 loss to the Harrisburg Senators in front of a crowd of 6,372 fans on Monday night.

The loss is the fifth in a row for Portland, who are 53-75 on the season.

A three-run homer by Harrisburg designated hitter Tim Pahuta off reliever Blake Maxwell in the eighth inning proved to be the difference in the contest.

Portland starter Chris Balcom-Miller and Harrisburg hurler Tanner Roark provided a pitching clinic for seven innings. Balcom-Miller went 7 innings, striking out seven and walking one while giving up seven hits.

“[Balcom-Miller] had quality stuff,” Sea Dogs manager Kevin Boles said. “He worked behind the count a couple of times, but he was able to make pitches when needed and induced contact. I thought he had real good stuff tonight, and good life on his pitches.”

Roark, who entered the game with an 8-8 record and a 5.23 ERA, struck out five batters, walked one and allowed no hits until the sixth inning.

The Senators put up the first run threat of the game in the top of the sixth. On an infield single by Leonard Davis with two outs, Harrisburg second baseman Josh Johnson tried to score from second. But Sea Dogs first baseman Jon Hee smartly tossed the ball to catcher Jeff Howell, who applied the tag and ended the inning, keeping the 0-0 score.

Portland third baseman Ryan Khoury broke Roark’s no-hit bid in the sixth inning, knocking a double to left field. Outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker finished with his own double to left, plating Khoury and giving the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead.

Balcom-Miller ran into trouble in the seventh, allowing a leadoff double to Archie Gilbert. He recovered with a groundout, strikeout and an infield fly out to get out of the inning.

The Sea Dogs collected two more hits in the seventh before Roark was relieved by Cory VanAllen. While walking off the field, Roark received a warm ovation from the Hadlock crowd, and in response, tipped his cap. VanAllen finished the inning without giving up a run, keeping the score 1-0 in favor of the Sea Dogs. VanAllen would be credited with the win.

“Roark was outstanding,” Boles said. “He had quality mix, kept the ball down in the zone. It looked like he was spotting his fastball, and it just looked like we weren’t comfortable at the plate. He kept us off-balanced tonight.”

But things would go haywire for Portland in the eighth. Maxwell did not start the inning off well, fielding a groundball from Josh Johnson and promptly throwing the ball away from first base and out of play. Maxwell would allow a walk before giving up the three-run homer to Pahuta, which landed in the fourth row of the right field seats, to bring the score to 4-1. Maxwell was saddled with the loss.

“With a 1-0 lead, we had our best [reliever] out there,” Boles said. “We’re going to give Blake the ball whenever we have the lead, late in the games. He’s been one of the guys that’s been the most consistent this year, and it’s just the way it worked out. Pahuta is a good bat, too. This guy’s been around at the lower levels, and this guy has always been impressive. He always seems to make an impact, he did a good job.”

Rafael Martin struck out three hitters in the ninth to seal the win for Harrisburg.

The Sea Dogs and Senators meet again this evening, with a start time of 6 p.m. Matt Rusch (0-1, 8.44 ERA) gets the start for Portland, while Danny Rosenbaum (2-0, 1.43 ERA) will start for the Senators.

NOTES: As expected, Harrisburg outfielder Bryce Harper did not play, but was in the dugout. Harper, playing Double-A ball at the tender age of 18, hit .256 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 37 games with the Senators before straining the quadriceps muscle in his leg last week. The Washington Nationals, Harriburg’s Major League affiliate, has shut down Harper for the final two weeks of the season”¦

Maxwell was credited with both the loss and a blown save, his fifth blown save of the season”¦

After Monday night, Harrisburg has 125 home runs as a team this season, entering the game in second place in the Eastern League in the category”¦

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