Eddy Martinez-Esteve, Jonathan Sanchez lead Defenders

to a 2-1 victory tonight over the Trenton Thunder. Martinez-Esteve collected three hits, driving in the tying run with his league leading eighth double of the season and scored the winner on Brian Buscher's single in a two run Defenders third inning. The lefty Sanchez stuck out nine batters in 5.1 innings of work. Jeff Peterson pitched hitless 2.2 innings in relief and Joe Bateman worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save of the lead. Sanchez gave up his first earned run of the season tonight, struggled in the first two innings but leads the league now in strikeouts and ERA. The three Defenders pitchers held the Thunder to just three hits. Martinez-Esteve extended his season long hitting streak to 13 games.
Defenders left 11 runners on base and the bases loaded twice and lacked that one big hit to bust open the game despite getting ten hits on the contest. Defenders turned a couple of DPs and Justin Knoedler got a guy stealing to help out. Jeff Peterson extended his scoreless inning streak and his ERA is a perfect zero.
Misc Fans nots: Great to be back at Dodd tonight and a better sized crowd with the Yankee (ex- Navigators affiliate) in town. Moment of silence to open the game for two yankee minor league officials killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic. New pocket schedule with the promo schedule included is now out. Some new promos that I'll go over soon in a future post. The Trenton pitcher was former Navigator and Yankee Julio DePaula who was the ace of the 2002 Navigators team that won the Eastern League championship that season. He still holds the franchise record for strikeouts and complete games in a season. He is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. I think Sanchez might give him a run at it this year.

Interesting promo being run by the team: If you're a Red Sox fan and you show your BoSox cap at the ticket window you can get a reserve seat for $4 and root for the Defenders to beat your hated rival's farm team. The same deal goes for Yankee fans coming out for Portland Seadogs games, the Red Sox farm team. Pretty clever thinking by someone in the front office.
Welcome back Travis and congrats on your first MLBB hit and run scored last night with the Giants!!