When Harrison Musgrave learned he would make his first start of the season in Portland, he took to Twitter:
“Going to leave Anna Kendrick tickets to the game … think she’ll show?” he wrote.
“I knew she was from here,” said Musgrave, a pitcher in the Colorado Rockies’ system and an avid movie buff (his Twitter account features goofball pitching coach Phil Brikma from the “Rookie of the Year” movie).
There was no sighting of Kendrick, the Oscar-nominated actress (“Up in the Air” in 2009) who grew up in Portland, but Musgrave’s pitches were on display Saturday. He held the Portland Sea Dogs to three hits over seven innings in the Hartford Yard Goats’ 6-2 victory at Hadlock Field.
Musgrave, a left-hander who took part in the Rockies’ major league spring training camp, stayed an extra week in Arizona with a sore forearm. He was added to the Yard Goats’ roster Saturday.
“He’s a strike thrower so we were glad to get him,” Hartford Manager Darin Everson said. “He did what he does, which is pound the zone.”
Musgrave retired the first nine batters and allowed one hit through five innings.
Meanwhile, Sea Dogs starter Ty Buttrey (0-2) struggled with command. He hit three batters and walked two, giving up four hits and three runs over 51/3 innings. One of the hits was a solo home run by Pat Valaika.
“There are things we can work on but overall he competed well,” pitching coach Kevin Walker said. “He got us into the sixth inning, kept us in the ballgame.”
Portland closed to 3-2 in the sixth. The Sea Dogs loaded the bases on a walk and two singles (Tim Roberson and Ali Solis). Two runs came in on groundouts from Tzu-Wei Lin and Jose Vinicio.
Hartford, which held an 11-4 advantage in hits, added to the lead with one run off reliever Williams Jerez and two off Rob Wort.
Austin House earned the save with two shutout innings.
NOTES: Outfielder Henry Ramos left the game after flying out in the second inning. He showed a slight limp walking back to the Sea Dogs’ clubhouse. “He felt something in his knee. We will know more (Sunday),” Portland Manager Carlos Febles said. Ramos, who celebrated his 24th birthday Friday, has been limited to 85 Double-A games over the past two seasons because of leg injuries. … Portland lost another player when second baseman Jose Vinicio grounded to the shortstop and was called out on a close play at first (a replay showed Vinicio safe). Vinicio slammed down his helmet in protest and was ejected. … Lin appeared to have a stolen base in the fourth inning but was sent back to first base after it was ruled the catcher was interfered with by the backswing of the batter (Vinicio). … Both Buttrey and House were charged with a ball for a pitch-clock violations. … The announced paid attendance was 4,563. … There has not been a definitive diagnosis of Yard Goats starter Antonio Senzatela, who left Thursday’s game with shoulder tightness. … Sea Dogs starter Aaron Wilkerson (1-0, 0.84 ERA) makes his third start on Sunday. … After Sunday’s game, as is tradition, fans 16 and under will be allowed to run the bases.
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