Couch looks to stay hot against Reading
The Sea Dogs continue their four-game series with the Reading Fightin Phils on Tuesday night at Hadlock Field..Portland is 3–2 during their 7-game homestand.
Minor League Roundup byAlex Speir, great stuff.
Roster Move: RHP Kyle Kraus assigned to High-A Salem…LHP Nate Reed received from High-A Salem.
RHP Keith Couch beat Reading in his first start of the season and carries and 11–1 mark as a starter in Double-A.
RHP Mike Nesseth makes a spot start for Reading…He is expected to throw about 60 pitches…Nesseth has no record and a 3.86 ERA (2 ER/4.2 IP) in 3 relief appearances .
Pre-Game begins at 5:40 PM on 95.9/95.5 and the U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network…Listen online at seadogs.com or watch at MILB.TV beginning at 5:55 PM.
Pre-Game Interview: Mike McCarthy
Reading: Hernandez 6, Alons0 5, Perkins 7, Stassi 3, Altherr 8, Serritella DH, Moore 2, Hewitt 9, Duran 4, Nesseth RHP (0–0, 3.86)
Portland lineup: Betts 4, Marrero 6, Shaw DH, Swihart 2, Rivero 7, Ramos 8, Meneses 5, Wilkerson 9, Couch RHP (3–0, 3.42)
Notes for day…Complete notes at seadogs.com
BACK ON TRACK: The Sea Dogs improved to 2–2 on the homestand with last night’s victory and continue their four-game set against the Reading Fightin Phils on Tuesday night at Hadlock Field…With last night’s win, the ‘Dogs clinched a winning record at home for April…RHP Keith Couch makes his fifth start of the season and the 20th (34th overall appearance) of his Double-A career…Couch is 11–1, 2.86 ERA (36 ER/113.1 IP) as a starter in Portland…Last night was Portland’s 100th career win against Reading.
MIKE SET THE PACE: RHP Mike McCarthy (1–2) retired 18 of 21 batters faced over six scoreless innings and Portland scored five runs early off LHP Jesse Biddle (2–3), taking the series opener from Reading 8–6…McCarthy hurled three perfect innings before a lead single by 2B Carlos Alonzo, and scattered three hits, no walks and fanned two…2B Mookie Betts and SS Deven Marrero each walked three times and reached base safely in four trips…1B Travis Shaw added a two-run single, with Marrero, Carlos Rivero and Stefan Welch adding run-scoring hits.
MOOKIE MADNESS:Betts went 1-for-2 and reached base four times on Monday night…The Tennessee native has a team high, 15-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in all 20 Double-A starts (11 multi-hit games)…The first-year Sea Dog has reached base safely in 50 straight regular season games dating back to August 2, 2013, but 55 including last year’s Carolina League playoffs…The 15-game hit streak is the longest since OF Chih-Hsian Chiang’s 16-game hitting streak from July 15, 2011 until his promotion to Pawtucket.
THEY DID RALLY BACK: Portland built an 8–0 lead last night, but Reading scored six times off RHP Kyle Kraus (first appearance this season with Portland) and RHP Aaron Kurcz…Kurcz gave up two runs, but stranded two in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
TWO OUT MAGIC: Portland scored six of eight runs last night two outs and 16 of their last 18 (89%) runs on the homestand have been scored with two down…This season, the ‘Dogs have scored 51 of their 129 runs (40%) with two outs and are hitting .307 (27-for-88) with runners-in-scoring position and two-out.
MARVELOUS MCCARTHY: McCarthy earned his second Double-A win on Monday night…It marked the fourth time that the righty had gone 6+ shutout innings…Twice he has delivered 7 scoreless (8/28/13, 8/2/12) and one other time 6 shutout innings (7/23/12).
