PORTLAND, Maine — After an eight-year postseason drought, the Portland Sea Dogs are once again playoff bound. The team will be taking on the Somerset Patriots in the Eastern League Divisional Series, with game one taking place Tuesday evening in Portland.
"Everything matters a little bit more than it does in the regular season," Emma Tiedemann, Sea Dogs play-by-play broadcaster.
The Sea Dogs earned a spot in the postpone after going an impressive 45-24 in the 2nd half of the season to earn the title of Northeast Division Champs in the second half of the year.
"They started calling themselves the 2nd half dogs, and you know, I think the mood in clubhouse changed because they set a goal for themselves and started working towards that," Tiedemann said.
Game one will be held at Hadlock Field, and games two and three will be played in Somerset on Thursday and Friday for the three-game series.
It's the first time the Sea Dogs have made a playoff appearance since 2014. The Sea Dogs haven't won the Eastern League Championship since 2006, when Dustin Pedroia was still a member of the club.
"Playoff crowds are definitely an electric crowd. Fans are really hanging onto every pitch," Sea Dogs President and General Manager Geoff Iacuessa said.
Iacuessa said the team's impressive finish puts them in position for a postseason run.
"The team had two 8-game winning streaks down the stretch. You're lucky during the regular season to have one of those," Iacuessa said.
Sea Dogs shortstop David Hamilton set a new franchise record for stolen bases in a season in 2022 with 70. He said fans can be ready for action during the playoffs.
"Hopefully, a lot of hits, a lot of runs, some stolen bases, good pitching, and good defense," Hamilton said.
"Seeing all the hard work pay off to have an opportunity at a championship, it's really extra special," Tiedemann said.
If the Sea Dogs knock off the Patriots in the first round, Portland would host games two and three of the Eastern League Championship at Hadlock Field on Sept. 27 and 28 at 6 p.m. against the Eastern League Southwest Division champion.
"Hopefully, we can bring Portland a championship," Iacuessa said.