ORONO – The Bangor Blue Ox exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning and held on for dear life before pulling out a victory in an 8-7 thriller at Mahaney Diamond Tuesday night.

The seven runs are the most Bangor has put up in one inning this season, but it was outshined by a clutch performance from Bangor’s bullpen.

After the rally turned a 5-1 deficit into an 8-5 Blue Ox lead, the task of preserving the lead fell to Smithfield native Mark Hreben.

Hreben held the Dogs in check until they nipped back for a pair of runs in the seventh. After a fielding error and back-to-back walks loaded the bases, Felix Colon reached on an RBI fielder’s choice and Mike Giardi followed with an RBI single to right center.

Giardi’s hit sent Hreben to the showers and brought in his roommate, Scott Chesmer, who struck out the first batter he faced.

After getting ahead in the count 0-2, Chesmer walked pinch-hitter John Riccio to load the bases. Pinch-hitter David Lawson worked the count to 3-1 before Chesmer righted himself and struck him out on fastballs to escape the tight jam.

“I kind of choked after having that guy 0-2. Then I went 3-1 on the next guy and I said, `There’s no way I can walk anyone,’ and I knew he’d swing at anything close,” said Chesmer. “I was pumped up after I got out of that.”

New signee Joe Grahe came on to pitch the final two innings and save the game for Hreben, now 1-3.

“I made things pretty interesting for myself,” Hreben said sheepishly. “But I hope this sets the tone for our bullpen in the second half. We needed this.”

Bangor and Massachusetts are both 2-2 in the Northeast League’s northern division.

A leadoff walk, hit batter, and error loaded the bases in the sixth for new Bangor outfielder Fernando Ramsey, who flared a single out to shallow right field for the first two of Bangor’s seven runs.

Stephane Dionne followed with a sacrifice fly, prompting Dogs manager George Scott to make his second pitching change of the inning. Carlos Mota then greeted new reliever Mike Pogue with a two-run blast over the fence some 350 feet out on Pogue’s first pitch.

“If I told you I was looking for a home run, I’d be lying to you. He gave me a fastball and I hit it good,” he said.

A strikeout and double later, Scott replaced Pogue with Chris Worthley, who was greeted by a Steve Hine RBI double. An error at short scored the final run.

The Mad Dogs wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as they came up with three runs in the first inning.

The Dogs added runs on Giardi’s two-out RBI single in the third and Danny Montero’s steal of home in the fourth.

NOTES – Injuries continue to hamper the Blue Ox.

Infielder Bobby Murray and center fielder-shortstop Chad White are the latest casualties.

Murray, who just came off the disabled list Sunday after rehabbing what he thought was a right knee sprain, is now out indefinitely with a slightly torn meniscus in the same knee and is in Boston for treatment.

A sprain was the original diagnosis after Murray had a magnetic resonance imaging scan on Bangor’s last road trip, but the tear was discovered upon further review.

White was expected out at least two games with a slightly separated shoulder, which he suffered diving after a ball in Albany, N.Y., last week. White, who thought he only had a sore shoulder, played with the injury in Bangor’s last seven games before the injury was properly diagnosed by a doctor.

White did enter Tuesday’s game late as a pinch-runner and also played the last two innings in center.

With this rash of recent injuries (lefty starter Andy High is on the disabled list with back spasms and outfielder Bob Zupcic had to retire due to back problems resulting from a swollen disc), the Blue Ox are expected to sign at least one new player – reportedly an ex-major league pitcher – by Thursday. Despite rumors tothe contrary, the new player will not be ex-major leaguer and Cleveland Indians-Baltimore Orioles pitcher Dennis Martinez.

Blue Ox 8, Mad Dogs 7

Massachusetts (2-2) Bangor (2-2)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Mitchell, cf 5 2 2 0 Bussey, 3b 4 1 2 0

Martinez, ss 3 3 1 1 Hine, 2b 5 1 1 1

Keene, dh 4 0 0 0 Walker, lf 3 1 0 0

Colon, 1b-3b 4 1 1 1 Morrow, rf-1b 3 2 1 0

Murphy, pr 0 0 0 0 Duross, 1b 3 1 2 1

Giardi, 3b-2b 5 0 2 3 White, cf 0 0 0 0

Weinheimer, lf 5 0 1 1 Ramsey, cf-rf 3 1 1 2

Pettiford, 2b 3 0 1 0 Dionne, dh 2 0 0 0

Riccio, 1b 1 0 0 0 Nunez, dh 1 0 0 1

Terry, rf 3 0 0 0 Mota, c 4 1 1 2

Lawson, rf 1 0 0 0 Ekelund, ss 3 0 0 0

Montero, c 1 1 0 0

Totals 35 7 8 6 Totals 31 8 8 7

Massachusetts 301 100 200 – 7

Bangor 000 107 00x – 8

E – Martinez (2); Pettiford; Duross 2B – Martinez; Weinheimer; Bussey; Hine; Morrow HR – Mota (2) LOB – Mad Dogs 9, Blue Ox 6 DP – Colon-Martinez-Colon; Pettiford-Martinez-Colon; Ekelund-Duross

SB – Montero; Pettiford; Bussey; Ekelund; Walker SF – Nunez

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Massachusetts

Rhodes 5 3 3 3 4 2

Falcon 1/3 1 2 1 0 0

Pogue (L, 2-1) 1/3 2 2 2 0 1

Worthley 2 1/3 2 1 0 0 2

Bangor

Quirk 4 1/3 5 5 5 4 0

Hreben (W, 1-3) 2 2 2 1 2 3

Chesmer 2/3 0 0 0 1 2

Grahe (S, 2) 2 1 0 0 1 2

HBP – Morrow WP – Quirk TIME – 2:58 ATTENDANCE – 964