One night after slamming five home runs for the first time this season, the Portland Sea Dogs were barely able to get a hit Friday night during an Eastern League doubleheader against the Hartford Yard Goats before 5,041 at Hadlock Field.
Konnor Weeks allowed just two hits in five innings as Hartford rolled to a 7-1 win in the second game, after Ryan Castellani pitched a three-hitter to lead the Yard Goats to a 2-0 win in Game 1.
“I don’t like to give much credit to the opposition, but they pitched well and we couldn’t get anything going,” Portland Manager Carlos Febles said. “They just made pitches, and we couldn’t make any adjustments.”
Brian Mundell of the Hartford Yard Goats slides safely into home as Jake Romanski handles the late throw in the first game of a doubleheader Friday at Hadlock Field. Hartford won both games, 2-0 and 7-1.
Castellani (8-8) faced only 22 batters, one more than the minimum for a seven-inning game. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.
Henry Owens, pitching on his 25th birthday, took the loss in Game 1. It was his fourth start since he was sent down from Triple-A Pawtucket to work on a new delivery. He is abandoning his over-the-top delivery for a three-quarters arm slot.
Owens dropped to 1-3 with the Sea Dogs, but it was his strongest performance to date. He allowed six hits, struck out six, walked three and hit two batters in six innings.
“That’s a good step forward for him,” Febles said. “He was aggressive. He was throwing strikes and making pitches when he needed to. It was good to see him perform the way he did.”
Josh Fuentes of the Yard Goats is picked off at first base by the catcher Jake Romanski as Mike Olt applies the tag.
Owens lowered his earned-run average from 8.38 to 6.31.
The Yard Goats got three of their hits in the fourth inning, when they scored both of their runs. Brian Mundell led off with a single and came around to score when Stephen Cardullo doubled off the wall in left. Josh Fuentes followed with run-producing single.
Catcher Jake Romanski helped Owens get out of a couple ticklish situations. In the third, he caught Anthony Phillips trying to steal third at the front end of a double-steal attempt with two on and nobody out. In the fourth, with two runners on board, he picked Fuentes off first base to end the inning.
Michael Chavis of the Sea Dogs puts the tag on Hartford’s Anthony Phillips, who was trying to steal third.
Drew Weeks went 4 for 4 and drove in three runs for Hartford in Game 2.
The Yard Goats took a 4-0 lead in the first inning. With one out, Rodgers slammed his fifth homer of the season off the scoreboard in center. Six consecutive singles produced three more runs.
Hartford made it 6-0 in the second inning, on an error and back-to-back doubles by Brendan Rodgers and Weeks.
Cole Sturgeon broke up Wade’s bid for a no-hitter when he led off the bottom of the fourth with his second home run of the season.
The Yard Goats completed the scoring in the sixth when Rodgers and Weeks opened the inning with back-to-back doubles.
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