Sea Dogs Bring out the Hitting Sticks

As (sort of) predicted a few days ago in this space, the Sea Dogs finally got some warmer weather and a chance to play, and the bats started to warm up. Though they lost three out of five games to the Navigators, the Dogs scored 36 runs over the final four games, including 12-3 and 14-2 victories on Sunday and Monday. Perhaps not coincidentally, the offensive surge also coincided with the return of Chris Durbin to the lineup. Durbin went 5-10 over the last three games (the two wins, sandwiched around a 9-6 loss in the second game of Sunday's double header), with a double, two homers and 3 RBI. Jeremy West was 8-12 with three doubles and 4 RBI. Brandon Moss 8-13 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI. Dustin Pedroia, 4-11, 2 HR, 7 runs scored. Hanley Ramirez 5-13, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 5 runs. Jared Sandberg 2 home runs. Jon Lester and David Pauley also contributed fine pitching performances over the weekend.

With Portland's recent slump, they fell into second place behind the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. However, with a three game series in Manchester starting Tuesday, the Sea Dogs have an excellent chance to move back into the top spot. Jon Papelbon, Chris Smith and Kason Gabbard will get the starts for Portland, vs. Vince Perkins, Josh Banks and Cameron Reimers (I think).

Also of note, when Chris Durbin was activated, pitcher Charlie Zink, who has not pitched since returning from Pawtucket, was put on the DL. It'll be interesting to see what the verdict is on Zink. He hasn't really made his mark in AA yet, though I think he's pitched better than the numbers would indicate this season. I believe that his long-term development will be better off if he is starting rather than relieving (a knuckleballer out of the bullpen doesn't exactly inspire confidence), but at the moment he is the odd man out in the Portland rotation. I don't think that Papelbon, Lester, Pauley or Chris Smith are going to be put aside for Zink, as they are all legitimate major league prospects, in my opinion. Kason Gabbard is the fifth man in the rotation, and he hasn't really made his mark at AA yet either (23 BB, 18K, 4.47 ERA in 44 IP this season), so (barring a promotion or injury) he's the only guy that you would consider taking out of the rotation. Still, Gabbard is a lefty, only 23 years old, and not a "project", so I don't anticipate him being bumped either. My guess is that when Zink comes back, he'll be in the pen (I don't see him being sent down to Wilmington), but he'll get a lot of starts when the Sea Dogs start playing all of those rain-makeup double headers later in the season, and he'll get back into the rotation if Papelbon or Lester gets moved up to Pawtucket later this season (unless Anibal Sanchez comes into town).