Odds & ends: Portland Sea Dogs pics and an Adam Greenberg autograph
Autographed Adam Greenberg 2013 Topps baseball card from my collection
I’m still around, but when I’ve had the time to write, I haven’t had much of an inclination.
Aside from Matt Harvey and David Wright, there’s precious little reason to watch the Mets these days. Sure, they’ll surprise you in a good way every so often – but they will find new ways to frustrate more often than not. Even Mother Nature doesn’t seem to want to see them play.
I have not added any new Mets autographs to my collection lately, though I will be able to add the card Andrew Brown signed for me via mail during spring training to my Mets binder now. But I have picked up a few more signed cards at various non-major league games. One of the highlights was getting Adam Greenberg to sign his 2013 Topps baseball card last week.
And I had fun in Trenton last weekend watching the Portland Sea Dogs beat the Trenton Thunder with my friend Bart. I’d have to double check my scorecards, but I think it was the first time I ever saw the Sea Dogs win.
Here are some photos from the game:
Boston Red Sox prospect Xander Bogaerts is out at second base on the front end of a double play (Photo credit: Paul Hadsall)
[PRESS RELEASE] Fisher Cats Offense Shines in 15-7 Win Over Thunder
(Manchester, NH) – New Hampshire scored five in the first inning to pull ahead, then fended off a Trenton charge by plating six more in the eighth as the Fisher Cats drubbed the Thunder, 15-7, Monday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. Seven Trenton hurlers combined to allow 14 hits and 13 walks, the last four of those from outfielder Shane Brown who entered when the Thunder ran out of available pitchers.
Trenton start Matt Tracy (0-1) struggled in his Eastern League debut, collected only one out before being lifted after eight batters in the first inning. Tracy allowed three hits and four walks, including two with the bases loaded during a 10-batter first-inning rally that put New Hampshire ahead 5-1.
The Thunder trailed 9-1 after five innings, but then rallied to send 11 batters to the plate in the sixth and score six times to cut the deficit to 9-7. Walter Ibarra started the inning with a solo home run, then culminated the outburst with an RBI single later in the frame. Tyler Austin, Kyle Roller and Neil Medchill also collected RBI hits in the sixth.
The Fisher Cats broke the game open in the eighth against Branden Pinder, who was charged with four runs on three hits including a three-run double to Sean Ochinko. Brown, who pitched a scoreless inning and won a game against New Hampshire last June, then entered and induced an RBI groundout from John Tolisano that made the score 13-7.
New Hampshire then took four consecutive walks from Brown, who issued a free pass to Clint Robinson to force home the 14th run. Brown hit Kevin Nolan with a pitch to make the score 15-7, before finally inducing a ground out from Ricardo Nanita to end the 12-batter rally.
Every batter in the New Hampshire lineup recorded at least one hit, led by Robinson who went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two doubles. Ryan Schimpf and Brad Glenn each walked three times, while Kenny Wilson scored three runs and Ochinko picked up four RBI.
Austin homered in the first inning to open the scoring and finished the night 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Ibarra also went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Tuesday late afternoon beginning at 5:05 pm. Right-hander Caleb Cotham (NR) is expected to start for Trenton in his EL debut while New Hampshire counters with righty Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-0, 0.00). Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR) and also streaming online begins at 4:50 pm.
[PRESS RELEASE] Shane Brown Rejoins Thunder Roster
CLICK HERE FOR ROSTER AS OF 4/7
The Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, announced that outfielder Shane Brown was added to the team from the Staten Island roster before Sunday’s game at Portland. He took the spot of infielder Kevin Mahoney, who was placed on the Temporarily Inactive List after leaving to be with his wife during the birth of their first child.
Brown played in 30 games with Trenton last season and batted .136 with seven RBI. He had a memorable night on June 2nd, 2012, when in game two of a doubleheader he pitched a scoreless top of the 15th inning against New Hampshire. Brown then hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 15th to win his own game.
[PRESS RELEASE] Thunder Pound 15 Hits in 9-7 Win At Portland
(Portland, ME) – Trenton collected 15 hits and built a big early lead, then held off a late Portland rally to win the season-opening series as the Thunder topped the Sea Dogs, 9-7, Sunday afternoon at a windy Hadlock Field. Francisco Rondon (1-0) won in his first start since August 2009 while Rob Segedin picked up three hits and three RBI.
The five of the top six hitters in Trenton’s lineup had multiple hits – Slade Heathcott, Ramon Flores and Neil Medchill had two apiece while Segedin and Tyler Austin each went 3-for-5. Casey Stevenson picked up two RBI in his first game played with the Thunder.
Clinging to a two-run lead in the ninth, Trenton closer Branden Pinder gave up a leadoff single to Derrik Gibson, then two outs later walked MLB-rehabbing Stephen Drew to put the tying runs on base. Pinder ended the game by inducing a foul pop out by clean up batter Tony Thomas on a 3-2 pitch.
The Thunder went ahead 5-0 after four times at bat against Portland starter Kyle Kaminska (0-1). Stevenson’s RBI single highlighted a two-run second inning, while Segedin’s two-run double made it 4-0 after three. Flores collected the first of his two RBI singles in the fourth, and it appeared Trenton was on its way to an easy win.
Rondon allowed three solo home runs in the next two innings, including back-to-back blasts by Derrik Gibson and Shannon Wilkerson in the fifth that cut the deficit to 5-3. Rondon lasted five frames and allowed four hits while striking out six and walking only one.
Trenton’s two-run rally in the seventh included Segedin’s RBI single, but Portland scored two in the bottom of the inning against reliever Danny Burawa to cut the Thunder lead to 7-5. Medchill’s RBI hit against Miguel Celestino in the eighth capped another two-tally inning and put Trenton ahead 9-5.
Michael Almanzar’s second solo homer of the game for the Sea Dogs was part of a two-run response against Tommy Kahnle in the home half of the eighth and made again cut the deficit to two runs. Four of Portland’s eight hits on the afternoon were solo home runs.
Trenton next heads to Manchester, N.H. for a three-game series with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Game one is scheduled for Monday night beginning at 6:35 pm, with left-hander Matt Tracy (NR) is expected to start for Trenton in his EL debut while New Hampshire counters with righty Ryan Tepera (NR). Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR) and also streaming online begins at 6:20 pm.
[PRESS RELEASE] Thunder Postponed Saturday; RHP Graham Stoneburner Promoted
CLICK HERE FOR ROSTER AS OF 4/6
With wind chills in the upper 20s in Maine, Saturday afternoon’s scheduled Eastern League game between Trenton and Portland has been postponed due to frozen field conditions. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Tuesday, July 2nd beginning at 6:00 pm. The season-opening series this weekend has been shortened to three games.
Also on Saturday, the Thunder announced that right-handed pitcher Graham Stoneburner has been promoted to Triple-A Scranton and is expected to start for the RailRiders on Saturday. LHP Josh Romanski, a member of the 2012 Thunder team, has been sent to the team from Scranton to replace Stoneburner.
The rubber match of the series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon with first pitch at 1:00 pm. Left-hander Francisco Rondon (NR) is expected to start for Trenton while Portland counters with righty Kyle Kaminska (NR). Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR) and also streaming online begins at 12:45 pm.
[PRESS RELEASE] Portland Pitching Dominates in 7-4 Win Over Thunder
(Portland, ME) – Portland pitching struck out 17 batters and the Sea Dogs scored seven unearned runs thanks to six Trenton errors as the Thunder fell 7-4 in the season’s second game Friday night at chilly Hadlock Field. One night after Trenton scored eight unearned runs thanks to five Portland errors, the Sea Dogs took advantage of the Thunder’s sloppy defense to even the series at one win apiece.
Zach Nuding (0-1) allowed all seven Portland runs in 3 2/3 innings of work, but none of the tallies were earned as Trenton was charged with five errors while he was on the mound. The Sea Dogs took the lead for good with a four-run rally against Nuding and reliever Jeremy Bleich in the fourth.
Starter Brandon Workman (1-0) fanned nine Thunder batters in five innings, and following a two-run home run by Neil Medchill in the second inning Workman settled down to retire the final 11 batters he faced. Chris Martin fanned seven in three scoreless relief innings, while Brock Huntzinger finished the ninth with a 1-2-3 save.
For the second consecutive night Trenton’s bullpen pitched scoreless baseball, this time with Bleich and Aaron Dott combining for 4.1 frames of four-hit relief. Eight of Portland’s nine hits on the night were singles, with only Michael Almanzar collecting more than one hit.
Medchill’s homer, his second in as many nights, gives him six RBI in the first two games of the season. Jose Pirela’s two-run triple had tied the score at 2 in the second inning before Medchill’s centerfield bomb.
The third game of the series and the season will be a Saturday afternoon matinee with first pitch scheduled for at 1:00 pm. Left-hander Francisco Rondon (NR) is expected to start for Trenton while Portland counters with righty Kyle Kaminska (NR). Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR), 1490 AM (WBCB) and also streaming online begins at 12:45 pm.
[PRESS RELEASE] Thunder Smash Four Homers In 13-5 Opening Night Win
(Portland, ME) – Trenton’s offense hit four home runs and four relievers combined for 6.1 scoreless, hitless innings as the Thunder opened the 2013 season with a 13-5 win over the Portland Sea Dogs Thursday night at Hadlock Field. Kyle Roller, J.R. Murphy, Rob Segedin and Neil Medchill all went deep for Trenton while the Thunder pitching staff struck out 14 and did not allow a hit after the second inning.
Danny Burawa (1-0) struck out three of the four batters he faced in his EL debut after relieving starter Nik Turley with two outs in the third inning. Shaeffer Hall and Kelvin Perez followed with two scoreless frames apiece, while Branden Pinder punched out the side in the ninth to finish the sterling pitching performance by the pen.
After Roller’s three-run blast started the scoring in the first, Portland’s Heiker Meneses hit a three-run shot against Turley in the second to put the Sea Dogs in front 4-3. Trenton out-score Portland 10-1 thereafter, beginning with a four-run third inning against Sea Dogs starter Drake Britton (0-1).
Murphy began the scoring in the third by blasting a three-run homer that just cleared the fence in right that put the Thunder back in front 6-4. Segedin followed two batters later with a solo shot over the replica Green Monster left-field fence that made the score 7-4. Britton allowed seven runs (three earned) in three innings pitched.
Medchill struck for a two-run double against reliever Keith Couch in the fifth to extend the lead to 9-5, then mashed a two-run shot to center against former big-leaguer Daniel Bard in the seventh putting Trenton ahead 11-5. Medchill finished the night 3-for-5 with four RBI.
Roller and Ramon Flores each scored three of the Thunder’s 13 runs, while Murphy, Roller, Medchill and Segedin all had multi-RBI games. Portland was charged with five errors on the night leading to eight unearned runs for Trenton.
The second game of the series and the season will be Friday night at 6:00 pm. Right-hander Zach Nuding (NR) is expected to make his Double-A debut for Trenton while Portland counters with righty Brandon Workman (NR). Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR) and also streaming online begins at 5:45 pm.
