The best of the best in the Double-A Eastern League gathered at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine on Wednesday night as the EAS West took on the EAS East in a game that ended in a most unusual way: tied! So, instead of going to extra innings each squad’s managers chose three players to take part in a homerun derby style tie breaker, something that has never happened in Eastern League All-Star Game history.
The EAS East took a one run lead in the bottom of the first which started with a single on a line drive to center by the Portland Sea Dogs’ Marco Hernandez. The Binghamton Mets’ Josh Rodriguez then hit a single of his own on a ground ball to put runners on the corners. The East squad then got on the board when Portland’s Jantzen Witte grounded into a double play which allowed Hernandez to score.
In the bottom of the second, the EAS West sent Altoona’s Jason Creasy to the mound to replace Richmond’s Joe Biagini. The Mets’ Brandon Nimmo led off the inning with a double on a line drive to right. Brian Pointer of the Reading Fightin Phils, then grounded out to advance Nimmo to third. A sac fly by Trenton’s Jake Cave sent Nimmo home for a 2-0 game. Dwight Smith hit a single on a ground ball to second and a two run homerun by Hernandez on a fly ball to right field for a 4-0 game.
In the top of the third, New Britain Rock Cats’ Shane Carle took over pitching duties for the East and the West was able to get on the board with a run scored by Akron’s Todd Hankins when Richmond’s Rando Moreno grounded out.
In the top of the 7th, the West was able to tie the game at four runs apiece first with a RBI triple by Erie’s Wynton Bernard to send home Harrisburg’s Pedro Severino. Bernard then scored off a RBI single by Akron’s Anthony Gallas. Hankins hit a sac bunt to advance Gallas and then New Britain’s Austin House would walk three in a row to send Gallas home and tie the game. House was charged with the blown save even though it was a tied game.
The East would then pull off the victory with a homer by Reading’s Brian Pointer in the homerun derby style shootout tie breaker.
Marco Hernandez was then named the Eastern League All-Star Game MVP.
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