Senators back in the playoffs after beating Portland 2-1

Washington Nationals minor league Double A affiliate the Harrisburg Senators clinched their second straight playoff berth Wednesday night as they downed the Portland Sea Dogs by a score of 2 to 1.

With a record of 78 wins and 59 losses the Senators now sit atop their division with a 5 game lead over the next best team the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The Senators who are in to their final 5 games of the season all of which are at home need a combination of just one win and a loss from Richmond to clinch the top spot in the division

The Senators will get their chance at that one win tonight as they take on Portland in the final game of a four game series. Taking the mound tonight for the Senators will be right hander Stephen Strasburg. Tonight is expected to be Strasburg’s final rehab start in the minor leagues and will probably only go 5 innings or 80 pitches depending on which comes first.

Tonight will be the first time this season that Strasburg has pitched for the Senators but in his last outing with the Syracuse Chiefs he allowed 1 run on 2 hits while striking out 7 and walking none. As it sits now his next appearance after tonight will be on Tuesday when he pitches at Nationals Park for the Washington Nationals so a dominant outing tonight would definitely be a good way to enter the next step in his recovery on.

Portland is expected to send right hander Michael Lee to the mound to take on the Senators.

Tonights game has a 7:00 pm start time and can be heard on 1460 The Ticket through the Senators website