Sea Dogs break out late to beat Yard Goats

Franklin Arias and Miguel Bleis hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning Saturday night, lifting the Portland Sea Dogs to a 5-2 win over the Hartford Yard Goats in an Eastern League game in Hartford, Connecticut.

With the Sea Dogs trailing 1-0, Nelly Taylor drew a leadoff walk in the eighth and stole second. Yard Goats reliever Fisher Jameson retired the next two batters, but Arias hit a fly ball over the wall in right center for his 15th home run of the season. Two pitches later, Bleis made it 3-1 with a fly ball down the left-field line — his seventh home run of the season and his third in the last two games.

Anthony Eyanson got the start on the mound for Portland and allowed only one hit through five innings, but the Yard Goats took the lead in the sixth on a single by Dyan Jorge, a stolen base, and a single by Andy Perez. That ended a streak of 17 scoreless innings for Boston’s top pitching prospect, who has allowed only five earned runs in seven starts since his promotion to Double-A.

Hartford’s other run was a home run by Perez in the bottom of the eighth off Jedixson Paez (2-2), who gave up just that one hit in 2 1/3 innings.

The Sea Dogs added two runs in the ninth. Marvin Alcantara led off with a double, advanced on a Caden Rose single and beat the throw home on a grounder to third by Ahbram Liendo. Rose eventually scored on a bases-loaded single by Bleis.

Erik Rivera pitched the ninth for the save.

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