Eastern League Champions!!!!

They wouldn't put it on a message voard if it wasn't true

The Portland Sea Dogs won their first-ever Eastern League championship with an 8-5 victory over the Akron Aeros on Sunday afternoon. Devern Hansack was masterful for eight innings on the mound, allowing three runs while striking out 8 and not walking any batters and cruising to the victory. The Aeros scored two runs in the 9th for the third day in a row, but this time the Sea Dogs had a safe five-run cushion and held on for the victory.

Celebrate!

The Sea Dogs took control of this game early, with four run rallies in both the second and third innings. Following Saturday's game, in which the top of the order did all the damage, this afternoon it was the 5-9 hitters leading the way. Chris Durbin, Bryan Myrow and David Bacani each scored two runs, with Myrow striking a two-run homer in the second and Bacani drawing two walks and scoring from second with aggressive baserunning on Jacoby Ellsbury's infield single in the second inning. Shortstop Keoni De Renne struck the decisive blow with bases-loaded triple in the bottom of the third. The Sea Dogs took advantage of one of the "facts of life" of minor league baseball, wherein Akron ace Adam Miller (15-6, 2.75 in the regular season) had reached an innings limit set by the Indians and was not allowed to pitch the finale. The Sea Dogs took advantage of replacement starter Ronald "Bear" Bay, who allowed 8 hits and three walks in just three innings pitched. Reliever J.D. Martin was nearly perfect in relief, surrendering just one walk while striking out six in four innings pitched.

The crowd was much more subdued than the prior two evenings. Friday and Saturday nights featured large, festive crowds anticipating a Sea Dogs championship. However it appears that the heartbreaking nature of the two Portland losses took the enthusiasm out of the crowd, and there was a much smaller turnout this afternoon, with an announced attendance of 3,937. Combined with the big early lead opened up by the Sea Dogs, the atmosphere resembled more of a typical midsummer game than a playoff contest, at least until the patented last-inning rally. After that it was party time.

Hoisting the trophy.

Brandon Moss was presented with the MVP trophy. Moss had a quiet game five, with a single, a walk, and reaching on an error, but he had five homers and 10 RBI for the playoffs, including three home runs in this series. Hansack, who had two wins in the finals and allowed just three runs on 11 hits (with no walks and 14 K's) would have been anther fine choice for the trophy.