The Result
Thunder - 7 to 1

Sea Dogs - Year-to-Date
4 wins - 8 losses

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing rightfield
Batting #3 - (for the first time this season - batted at #5 then #4 during the first eleven games)

At the end of the Game
1 hit from 4 at-bats - single

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Lefthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Called strike - on the outside corner
Ball - curve ball - high
Ball - curve ball - down and away
Foul ball - fast ball - late swing
Ball - fast ball - in the dirt
A hard ground ball but straight at the shortstop
Out 6-to-3
Second at-bat
Lefthanded pitcher
THE BASES ARE LOADED - WITH TWO DOWN
......AND THE SEA DOGS WERE TRAILING BY 2!!!
Ball - curve ball - in the dirt
Ball - curve ball - high
Called strike - on the outside corner
Hit a "well struck line drive back up the middle" - BUT the ball hit the pitcher in the back and dropped on to the front of the mound - the pitcher was able to recover, field the ball, and throw Brett out by a step at first base
Out 1-to-3
The commentator mentioned that the Thunder pitcher falls to the third base side of the mound in his follow through - he said that Brett's hit was heading towards left-centrefield and had "a two run single written on it but the Thunder caught a break that time"
Third at-bat
Lefthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - two down
Swing&miss - curve ball
Called strike - curve ball
Ball - curve ball - outside and low
"Spanked" the next pitch into rightfield on a hit-and-run play
Single
......and the runner advanced to third base
Left stranded at the end of the innings
Fourth at-bat
??handed pitcher
Runner at first base - one down
Foul ball - away to the left
Fly ball down the leftfield line
Out F7

Heard during the game
(1) During the top of the second innings, a Thunder batter drove the ball deep into rightfield - and in the commentators words "Brett played that perfectly off the wall and held the runner to a long single"

(2) As Brett came in for his fourth at-bat, the commentator mentioned that "Roneberg has hit the ball hard three times so far for just the one single"

Email from Brett
Very sorry Dad - but I haven't looked at one site yet!!
I want to but don't want to!! - you all know why anyway.
The last few days have been great for me.
I have been crushing the ball as I am sure you have heard.
And been robbed a few times!!
It sucks, especially when you hit it off the pitcher's ribs and get nothing for it.
And I had some great at-bats against the tough lefty.
Plus I made a throw from the right field fence to second base.
I will keep swinging!!
That's it for now.
Bye.

Game Reports

A sleepy day at the park

A young, April-vacation crowd of 5,352 fans at Hadlock Field had little to cheer Wednesday afternoon.

Oh, the kids applauded and waved for Slugger the mascot.
And several ice cream sundaes were spotted in the crowd, although they did not last long . . . much like the Sea Dogs' rallies.

Portland squandered opportunities in a 7-1 loss to the Trenton Thunder.

In fact, Mike O'Keefe's solo home run in the eighth inning gave the kids at Hadlock their only thrill on the field.

The Sea Dogs (4-8) left 10 on base, including runners on third in four innings.
They loaded the bases twice, including a time in the fourth inning with no outs.
The result, until O'Keefe's blast, was zilch.

"We just didn't do a lot today," said a subdued Ron Johnson, the Sea Dogs' manager.

Johnson was not down because of the loss.
Like a growing number on Portland's roster, he is fighting a flu-like bug.
On Wednesday, it claimed second baseman Jesus Medrano, who felt nauseous and left the game after the first inning.
"I don't know what this is," Johnson said. "There's no telling how many more guys are out there, starting to come down with it."

The Sea Dogs do have today off to recover before flying to Bowie, Md., on Friday.

Portland starter Abe Alvarez (0-2) looked healthy Wednesday.
He put in a credible performance, allowing six hits and three runs (two earned) in five innings.
He struck out eight.
"He's got good stuff," said Trenton third baseman Andy Phillips.
"He's crafty. He's really impressive, as a left-hander, spotting the fastball in on right-handed batters really well.
And he's got a good change-up."

The Thunder (6-4) opened up their lead with four runs against the Sea Dogs' bullpen, including two solo home runs by Mitch Jones (who has an Eastern League-leading six).

Robinson Cano, who had the winning hit Tuesday, homered in the ninth to complete a 4-for-5 day.
He finished with three RBI.
Cano, who could someday be the Yankees' answer at second base (or is just another in a long line of Yankee trade bait), is on a tear recently, going 13 for 23 (.565) with seven RBI.

Alvarez claimed Cano as one of his strikeout victims.
He looked mystifying at times and hittable at others.
"I was placing the ball right where I wanted to," Alvarez said.
Alvarez, rated Boston's seventh-best prospect by Baseball America, "is getting better with each start," Johnson said.

Trenton starter Matt Smith (1-1) allowed six hits in six innings and kept pitching out of jams.

In the third, with the bases loaded and two outs, Smith knocked down Brett Roneberg's liner up the middle and threw him out.

In the fourth, with Portland down 2-0, O'Keefe's single loaded the bases with no outs.
Kenny Perez struck out, leaving it to Sheldon Fulse.
On a 1-2 pitch, Fulse checked his swing.
The pitch hit him in the hand and the ball rolled a few feet past home plate.
Home umpire Josh Miller ruled the ball also hit the bat.
Catcher Dioner Navarro grabbed the ball, touched home plate and threw to first for the double play.
"A bad call at a key part of the game," said Fulse, who argued the call briefly.
Johnson also talked to Miller, but later shrugged.
"It really didn't matter," he said.

That is because Trenton kept coming up with runs.

Kevin Reese singled off Alvarez in the fifth.
He stole second and came all the away around on Cano's infield single.
Cano hit a slow grounder to Perez, who charged and threw to first, though not in time.
Meanwhile, Reese raced home for a 3-0 lead.

Then came the big hits off the relievers - Jones' homer and Cano's RBI double off Charlie Weatherby - Jones' home run off Jason Howell - and Cano's shot off Ryan Larson.

At least O'Keefe's homer to right-center raised the lighthouse once and gave the kids something to talk about.

SEA DOGS END HOMESTAND WITH 7-1 LOSS
Trenton's Power Dooms Portland

Robinson Cano was 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI and Mitch Jones homered twice and scored three times as the Trenton Thunder topped the Portland Sea Dogs, 7-1 on Wednesday afternoon before 5,352 fans at Hadlock Field.

Abe Alvarez (0-2) allowed three runs (two earned) in five innings to take the loss, despite fanning a career-high eight batters.

Matt Smith (1-1) shut out the Sea Dogs with six innings of work.
He allowed six hits and three walks as Portland stranded 10 batters on the afternoon.

Mike O'Keefe homered for the second straight day to produce the Sea Dogs only run of the afternoon.

The Sea Dogs wrapped up a 3-4 homestand and fell to 4-8 on the season.

Eastern League Game Summary - Trenton at Portland

Mitch Jones homered twice for the Trenton Thunder as they beat the Portland Sea Dogs 7-1.
The two home runs were Jones' Eastern league leading fifth and sixth of the season.
Jones finished the day 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI.

Robinson Cano chipped in as well going 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI.

Jackson Melian had two hits and knocked in a run.

Trenton pitcher Matt Smith pitched very well holding Portland scoreless over six innings walking three and striking out five.
Smith continued his fast start to the season by evening his record at 1-1 and lowering his ERA to 1.69.
His 18 strikeouts tie him for second place in the Eastern League.

John Blankenship pitched three innings of two hit relief to earn his first save of the season.

Portland's Abe Alvarez (0-2) suffered his second loss of the season after he went five innings.
He allowed six hits, three runs, two earned, two walks and struck out eight in the Sea Dogs second straight loss.

Mike O'Keefe went two-for-four with a home run for the Sea Dogs.