Piching and defense carry the Defenders with a

4-2 victory over the SeaDogs. Pat Misch pitched five shutout innings giving up four hits. He didn't have great stuff but helped himself out on a couple of hustle plays covering first and the lefty picked off a runner. Matt Palmer pitched the sixth and seventh innings to pick up the win. Joe Bateman threw a 1-2-3 ninth for the first ever Defender victory.
The Defenders were no-hit the first five innings by Portland starter Chris Smith. He left after five inning and the Defenders picked up four runs, two unearned off the Portland bullpen.
Jake Wald, the Defender SS was the star of the game with two runs scored and a RBI. Derin McMains got the first Defender hit, a double, in the sixth to start the scoring. The play of the game was turned in by Wald and McMains in the eight inning. Portland had put across two runs already to cut the CT. lead to 4-2 and had runners on first and secord with one out when Wald fielded a hard grounder behinh second rolling on his backand in one motion flipped to McMains for the force at second and on to first for the DP. It was one of three inning ending DPs the Defenders turned and a "10" for style points.
Misc fan notes: what a difference a day makes with a much smaller crowd tonight. It rained off and on today so that didn't help. The game was delayed about 20 minutes at the start because of the weather. No lines at Nathans and no smoke either. Rookie lefty Jonathan Sanchez makes his Double A debut Saturday. Defenders went with the same lineup today as yesterday.