The Portland Sea Dogs (4-4) fell 15-9 to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (4-4), as the series ended in an even split, three wins apiece. Portland is tied for second place in the Northeast Division of the Eastern League.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Drew Ehrhard launched a three-run home run off the videoboard, his second of the season, to bring his RBI total to five on the day. Ehrhard became just the fifth player in franchise history to pitch and hit a home run in the same game, the first since Brandon Leese on August 15, 1998.
The Sea Dogs brought four runs across with two outs in the fifth inning, their highest scoring side of the season. Seven Sea Dogs scored runs as the offense was spread throughout the whole lineup.
After LHP Hayden Mullins (0-0, 9.53 ERA) struck out the side to begin the game, the Sea Dogs plated a run in the bottom of the first. Ronald Rosario delivered an RBI double for his first hit of the season, driving in Tyler McDonough.
New Hampshire quickly took the lead in the top of the second after a walk and two singles loaded the bases. Nick Goodwin came around to score on an error from first baseman Drew Ehrhard, who overthrew first trying to make a play on the awkward, slow-moving single from Planchart. A 6-4-3 double play brought home one more before Mullins struck out Jay Harry to end the inning.
In the bottom of the second, the Sea Dogs tied the game at 2-2 off an Ahbram Liendo RBI double, driving in Caden Rose who had walked earlier in the inning.
Both sides were held scoreless until the Sea Dogs broke through in the fifth with a four-run inning, all scored on two outs. Walks from Baez and Taylor and a single from Ronald Rosario, his second of the day, loaded the bases. A two-RBI single from Drew Ehrhard brought home Baez and Rosario, leaving Nelly Taylor on third as the Sea Dogs took the lead 4-2. Will Turner walked to load the bases for the second time. A quick throwdown to first from Fisher Cats catcher Geovanny Planchart had Turner dead in the water until Nelly Taylor broke for home. Garkow attempted to make the play at the plate but Taylor beat out the throw, and both Will Turner and Drew Ehrhard took a base, as the two-out rally continued. Another single from Caden Rose brought Drew Ehrhard home to score before a popout to second ended the inning.
The ballpark was quickly quieted in the top of the sixth as Sean Keys hit a solo homer off RHP Joe Vogatsky on the first pitch of the inning. It was a sign of things to come for the Sea Dogs, as New Hampshire went on to score nine runs in the inning off seven hits, three walks, a hit batter, a fielder’s choice, and a sacrifice bunt, sending 15 total batters to the plate to take a commanding lead, 11-6.
The Fisher Cats tacked on two more runs in each of the eighth and ninth innings as the Sea Dogs eventually sent in first baseman Ehrhard to pitch in the top of the ninth. Eight of nine Fisher Cats had hits, and seven of the nine had multi-hit games.
Trailing 15-6 in the bottom of the ninth, back-to-back singles from Nate Baez and Raudelis Martinez, his first hit of the season, put two aboard before Ehrhard’s three-run homer.
RHP Joe Vogatsky (0-1, 54.00 ERA) takes his first loss of the season for the Sea Dogs, allowing eight runs through 1.1 innings of work. RHP Geison Urbaez (1-1, 8.10 ERA) evened up his record after allowing a Sea Dogs walkoff victory last Thursday night.
After a day off tomorrow, the Sea Dogs will go on the road for a six-game series against the winless Altoona Curve (0-9), with starters to be determined.