Sea Dogs Squander Big Lead

Portland built up a six-run lead over the Trenton Thunder through five innings, but squandered the advantage over the final four to lose 7-6 on Friday night. The Sea Dogs rallied for five runs off Matt DeSalvo in the fourth and extended the lead on Little Papi's long home run in the fifth before the pitching fell apart and gave the game away.

Luis Mendoza started for the Sea Dogs and pitched well at the start of the game despite being felled by a line drive off the bat of one-time Yankee top prospect Eric Duncan in the top of the second inning. Mendoza recovered and had allowed just three hits and no walks with three K's through the fifth. Mendoza, a 22-year-old righty who resembles a high school sophomore, was having success combining his low-90's fastball with a sharp breaking ball. Things started to break down with Duncan's three-run blast in the sixth, but the wheels really began to fall off in the 7th.

Mendoza walked the 7th and 8th batters in the lineup to start the 7th, then gave up an infield single to the number nine hitter, ending his outing. Mike Bumatay came on and allowed Trenton's fourth run on a fielder's choice grounder by speedy Brett Gardner, who beat Zach Borowiack's throw and avoided a DP. Bumatay walked the next batter to re-load the bases, then threw a wild pitch on his first delivery to Randy Ruiz to make it 6-5. Bumatay then intentionally walked Ruiz and escaped further delivery following a nifty play by Jimenez to start a 3-6-3 double play.

The pitching trouble continued in the 8th, as Bumatay hit SS Felix Escalona with a pitch that would have been ball four. Escalona advanced on a passed ball before coming home with the tying run on a two-out single by #8 batter JT Stotts. Randy Beam allowed the winning run in the 9th, allowing a two-out double by Ruiz (last year's EL Batting Champ while playing for Reading). Speedy Jason Christianson came on to pinch run, and he subsequently scored from second when Beam threw a wild pitch while Christianson was stealing third base. It was the ugliest of the ugly runs allowed to cough up the game.

Luis Mendoza tries to draw a yellow card.

Notes:

• Gardner's game is similar to that of Portland's Tyler Minges. He's a speedy outfielder who hustles on every play, as evidenced by his keeping a rally alive by beating out a double play ball. He also reached on a bunt single. Unlike Minges, the 22-year old Gardner is a rising prospect in just his second year of professional baseball.
• Minges was the batting champ in the Texas League last season, meaning two 2005 AA batting champs were in the game. Minges was 3-5 with a double and a triple, while Ruiz was 3-4 with two doubles and an intentional walk in the game.
• DeSalvo is another of the Yankees better prospects, but he really struggled in AAA and hasn't improved any since his return to AA.
• Trenton relief pitcher Scott Patterson is an Independant League refugee whose herky-jerky motion is painful to watch. It's a wonder that he has any control, but he managed three K's in his 2.1 innings of relief.
• Duncan looks to be losing his prospect status following his return to Trenton and his switch to first base, but he's still very young (21) and he has good power and plate discipline. I believe he'll manage a decent major league career.
• There was a large contingent of Trenton Thunder fans on hand for the game. Fortunately Portland fans were able to drown out any chants of "Let's go Thunder" as they arose.