Jordan’s Blast Powers Portland Past Somerset 4-1

Somerset, New Jersey – The Portland Sea Dogs (20-15) bested the Somerset Patriots (17-21) 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at TD Bank Ballpark. The Sea Dogs now sit soley in second place, 0.5 games behind the first place Binghamton Rumble Ponies in the Eastern League Northeast Division Standings.
Blaze Jordan’s hot

Somerset, New Jersey – The Portland Sea Dogs (20-15) bested the Somerset Patriots (17-21) 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at TD Bank Ballpark. The Sea Dogs now sit soley in second place, 0.5 games behind the first place Binghamton Rumble Ponies in the Eastern League Northeast Division Standings.

Blaze Jordan’s hot streak continued with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. In his last five games, he is batting .438 (7-for-16) with a home run, four RBI, two walks and three runs. LHP Connelly Early was dominant with 5.1 shutout innings. In May, Early is 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 10.1 innings

The Sea Dogs got the scoring started in the third inning. Max Ferguson lined a leadoff single and reached second base a batter later on a groundout. Then Ferguson (11) swiped third base. The next batter Mikey Romero hit a sacrifice fly that scored Ferguson to make the score 1-0.

Portland tacked on another run in the top of the fifth. Ferguson again led off the inning with a single and then stole second base (12). In the next at-bat Juan Chacon ripped an RBI double to increase the Sea Dogs lead to 2-0. It was Chacon’s first hit of the season with the Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs padded their lead in the top of the eighth. With one out, Allan Castro singled. Following a flyout, Blaze Jordan (3) launched a two-run home run to make the score 4-0.

Somerset tallied one run in the bottom of the ninth on a solo home run from Rafael Flores (9) which cut into the Sea Dogs lead 4-1.

LHP Connelly Early (3-0, 1.88 ERA) earned the win for Portland tossing 5.1 shutout innings allowing two hits while walking two and striking out eight. RHP Bailey Dees (1-3, 4.50 ERA) was given the loss pitching 6.0 innings allowing two runs on six hits while striking out four. He did not issue a walk.

The Sea Dogs will have the day off tomorrow before returning home to square off with the Reading Fightin Phils on Tuesday May 20 at 6:00 PM at Delta Dental Park. Both teams are TBA.