South Jersey Baseball:
Thunder Season Ends With "Walkoff" Loss To Sea Dogs

Saturday, September 9, 2006

By Dan Loney
Trenton Thunder Director of Public Relations

(Portland, ME) - Brandon Moss hit a solo homer in the bottom of the 10th Inning to give Portland a 4-3 win over the Thunder in Game #4 of the Northern Division Championship Series. The win advances the Sea Dogs to the Eastern League Championship Series.

Moss, batting with one out, got ahead of Trenton reliever with a 3-0 count. He then launched a ball into the right field pavilion for the game-winner. It was the second straight game in which Moss homered on a 3-0 pitch. Patterson (0-1) took the loss allowing one run in 1 2/3 innings. Portland's key to victory was 14 extra base hits in the series, 11 in the final two games. Sea Dogs reliever Barry Hertzler (1-0) got the win with two shutout innings of relief.

The game got started on time, but was halted by rain for 1 hour 30 minutes after the 1st Inning. That delay forced Thunder starter Matt DeSalvo out of the game. But Trenton jumped out to the lead with three runs off Portland starter Frank Brooks in the 2nd Inning The first four batters reached base, including an RBI single by SS Felix Escalona and an RBI double by C Omir Santos. Portland got a run back against Jason Jones in the bottom of the inning on a solo homer by 3B Brian Myrow.

Portland got another run courtesy of Myrow in the 4th Inning on a double after a triple by LF Chris Durbin. The Sea Dogs then tied the game thanks to an RBI double by 1B Luis Jimenez in the 8th Inning. Trenton almost took the lead in the 9th Inning as a single by 1B Randy Ruiz brought home 3B J.T. Stotts, but the throw from Moss allowed C Dusty Brown to tag him out, keep the game tied and send it to extra innings.

Yankees OF Hideki Matsui was 1-for-3 with two walks in the game. He ended the series 3-for-11 with six walks.

The Thunder season is now completed with the loss. Next game... early April.