Sea Dogs Blank Aeros 3-0

The Portland Sea Dogs captured a 3-0 victory to claim a series win against the Akron Aeros Thursday.

The Aeros put ten hits on the board, but were unable to make it around to home, allowing the Sea Dogs to shut them out for the second time in the series.

Portland scored their first run of the game with a lead-off homerun from Jackie Bradley off left-handed starter T.J. House.  House held the Sea Dogs to two runs in his seven innings on the mound.  He allowed five hits and one walk, but struck out nine.

Thomas Neal led the Aeros at the plate going 3-for-4.  Neal had a chance at being the tying run in the bottom of the fourth but fell short after being tagged out at the plate.  Right fielder Bryce Brent took the error after Adam Abraham, who had two hits for the night, hit a shot to the right side. Brent was able to recover and rocketed a relay to home to stop Neal from tying the game up.

The Aeros fell short again after Chun Chen, who recently returned to the roster after a thumb injury, was taken down at the plate with the bases loaded in the fifth inning.

Portland put their final run of the game on the board in the bottom of the ninth against right-handed reliever Jose Flores.  Flores allowed three singles in the inning that eventually got Bradley across the plate to seal the 3-0 win.

The Aeros (66-45) continue on the road Friday, beginning a three-game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Right-hander Toru Murata will start on the mound against NH right-handed pitcher Deck McGuire. 

Christian Turner is a senior public relations major at the University of Akron where she covers baseball, tennis and military veterans for the student newspaper, The Buchtelite.She can be contacted at christianturner86@gmail.com.