The Somerset Patriots have recently climbed to second place in the Eastern League Northeast Division. They most recently suffered a 2-4 series loss from June 16th to June 21st against the Portland Sea Dogs. Despite this, with a current record of 37-32, the Patriots are only two wins away from taking the lead in their division. The team aims to claim that top spot in its series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, which begins on Tuesday.
The series against Portland began last Tuesday, when the Patriots lost 7-6. To kick off the series, the Sea Dogs came out fast, earning four runs across the first three innings. In response to that, the Patriots answered back and scored a total of six runs during the second and third innings. After four scoreless innings had passed, the Sea Dogs were able to sneak three past the Patriots during the eighth and ninth, and take home the first win of the series.
The second matchup was quite the thriller. It started with a bit of back and forth, with plenty of hits and close calls. Following a similar sequence of events to the day prior, the first three innings were scoreless. In the fourth, the Patriots managed to earn a single run. The team held a short-lived lead until the sixth inning, when the Sea Dogs scored three runs and then another one in the seventh. With time running out, the Patriots had one last chance in the ninth to turn the game around. After scoring three in the top of the ninth, the Sea Dogs were unable to answer back, and the game moved into extra innings. Shortly after, the Patriots scored one more and secured the victory, tying the series.
On June 18th, right out of the gate, Somerset attempted to take an early lead, scoring two runs in the first. That didn’t last long, because the Sea Dogs immediately followed up in the second with four runs. In the fourth, both teams scored one run, and shortly after, the Sea Dogs scored two in the sixth and seventh innings. The Patriots, now down by four, gave it one last chance in the ninth, and came close with three runs, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win, ending the game in a 7-6 defeat.
At the halfway point of the series, the Sea Dogs were leading 2-1. Starting their fourth game of the series, Somerset earned one run in the first. This was clearly not a threat to Portland, as in the second, they earned a whopping five runs, creating a large margin between the two. After two scoreless innings, the Patriots managed to squeeze in one more run in the fifth. With the Sea Dogs tacking on another run, the Patriots were unable to make up the ground they lost and fell to the Sea Dogs once again 6-2.
Facing a two-game deficit, this game was crucial if Somerset wanted any chance at taking back the series. The game started slowly, with the Sea Dogs scoring the first run of the game in the second inning. This time, the Patriots fought back, scoring four runs in the third and fourth. After the Sea Dogs only scored once more in the fourth, things were starting to look good for the Patriots. Earning two more runs in the sixth, victory seemed within reach until the ninth inning. Despite holding a solid four-run lead, the Sea Dogs persevered, scoring four in the ninth, and completing a 7-6 comeback victory over the Patriots.
Although the series was already in the hands of the Sea Dogs, that didn’t stop the Patriots from giving the last game their all. The Sea Dogs came out early with three runs scored across the first and second. Still scoreless, the Patriots focused in during the fifth and scored two, narrowing the gap between the teams. After Portland earned one more in the sixth, Somerset earned four during the seventh and eighth innings. With nothing in response from the Sea Dogs, the Patriots secured the 6-4 win.
The Sea Dogs won the series over the Patriots and moved up into third place in the Eastern League Northeast. Similarly, the Somerset Patriots currently hold a 37-32 record and are in second place in the Eastern League Northeast. The Patriots face the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. EST.
