South Jersey Baseball:
Thunder Reclaim "Wild Card" with 5-2 Win

Monday, August 22, 2005

By Dan Loney
Trenton Thunder Director of Broadcasting

(Portland, ME)- The Trenton Thunder got a 1st Inning home run from Michael Coleman and seven strong strong innings from Jeff Karstens en route to a 5-2 win over the Portland Sea Dogs in Eastern League play on Monday.

The win for Trenton (64-64), combined with a New Hampshire loss, moves the Thunder back into 2nd Place and into the "wild card" lead with 14 games remaining.

The Thunder got to Portland starter Jon Lester in the 1st Inning for three runs. He walked RF Bronson Sardinha and CF Melky Cabrera with one out. The next pitch from Lester was hit by coleman over the left field wall for a three-run homer and the lead. Trenton tacked on a single run in the 3rd Inning thanks to an RBI single by Cabrera for a 4-0 advantage. Lester (9-6) allowed four runs on five hits in three innings.

The Thunder got another run off reliever Charlie Zink in the 5th Inning thanks to two passed balls by C Jim Buckley. But Portland (72-57) got two runs back off Karstens in the 6th Inning. hanley ramirez doubled home a run and later scored on a wild pitch. Karstens (11-11) allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings for the win. He walked one and struck out three.

But the play of the game was turned by Trenton in the 8th Inning. with a runner on and one out, ramirez hit a ball past the mound that was stopped on a dive by 2B Gabe Lopez. He flipped to SS Ramiro Pena at 2nd Base, who did a 180 degree turn to throw out Ramirez and end the inning.

Trenton and Portland continue the series on Tuesday at 7:00 PM. Matt DeSalvo (7-5, 3.04) starts for the Thunder against Portland's Anibal Sanchez (3-3, 2.31).