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The ice had long since melted for the celebratory champagne/beer/soda that the Portland Sea Dogs hoped to spray in celebration over securing an Eastern League playoff spot.
The Sea Dogs’ magic number for their playoff countdown was stuck on 1 all weekend as Mother Nature combined with a 13-inning loss to keep Portland from printing up its postseason tickets.
A Sunday rainout forced a Monday doubleheader against New Hampshire at 1 p.m. to finally decide whether Portland or the Binghamton (N.Y.) Mets would grab the second spot in the Eastern League’s north division with Trenton (N.J.) having already clinched a playoff spot and the division title.
The Sea Dogs clinched the playoff spot when the Mets lost to the Connecticut Defenders 2-0 while the Sea Dogs were in the third inning of the first game of their doubleheader. The Sea Dogs are in the postseason for a second straight year and fifth time in the franchise’s 13-year history.
Portland defeated New Hampshire 3-2 and the second game of the twinbill was canceled because it didn’t have any playoff implications.
The Sea Dogs will host at least one playoff game with Trenton on Friday at 6 p.m. Game four (if necessary) will also be at Hadlock Field Saturday at 6 p.m.
The best-of-five-games division series starts Wednesday in Trenton at 7:05 p.m. Game two is Thursday night.
Should Portland advance into the Eastern League championship series, the Dogs would again host games three and four (Friday and Saturday, Sept. 15-16).
Tickets are already on sale for the division series and can be purchased by calling Portland’s ticket office at 879-9500. Prices range from $3 to $8 per seat.
The Sea Dogs are the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and the Thunder are affiliated with the New York Yankees.
Oakes takes root with A’s
He was born in Bristol, Conn., educated in Pleasantville, N.Y., and drafted to play professional baseball in Vancouver, British Columbia, but Earl Oakes’ roots extend all the way to Maine.
The 24th-round pick (728th player taken overall) by the Oakland A’s in June’s Major League Baseball amateur draft is settling into minor league baseball life as a relief pitcher for the Vancouver Canadians, the short-season, Single-A affiliate of the A’s.
Oakes is the grandson of Hazel and the late Earl Oakes of St. John, and Jeannette and the late Gerard Martin of St. Francis.
The 21-year-old righthanded pitcher was 2-4 with a 5.06 ERA in his first 17 games with Vancouver this summer after being drafted as a junior out of Pace University. He allowed 29 hits and 14 walks, but struck out 24 batters in 26 2/3 innings through Sunday.
In college, Oakes became Pace’s all-time leader in career saves with 25 (in 26 chances) after notching a season-record 13 saves this year. He also went 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings this season and his save total was the fourth highest nationally.
Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net
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