The players and coaches who comprise Eastern League rosters in 2014 should consider getting passports.

The Ottawa Citizen has reported that an Eastern League franchise will begin play that year in Canada’s capital. The article prominantly mentioned the Erie SeaWolves, based on their traditionally low attendance figures, as a prime candidate for such a switch.

Others cited were the Binghamton Mets, who were 12th in attendance for 2012, and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, whose parent club is the Toronto Blue Jays.

Earlier this year, the SeaWolves extended contracts with the Erie County Convention Center Authority and the Detroit Tigers through 2014.

– Mike Copper

The Erie SeaWolves released their official 2013 Eastern League schedule before Saturday night’s game against the Altoona Curve at Jerry Uht Park.

Coincidence or not, those teams also will open next season on the same diamond. Erie welcomes the Curve for the first four games of a seven-game homestand, with the opener set for April 4 at 6:35 p.m.

Erie’s full 2013 schedule, with starting times for all games at Uht Park, is listed below.

– Mike Copper

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This is one late season race that no baseball team wants to find itself involved, but that’s where the Erie SeaWolves find themselves going into the waning games of the Eastern League’s 2012 season.

The SeaWolves were nudged nine innings closer to clinching the league’s worst record after Bowie beat them 4-2 Tuesday night at Prince George’s Stadium.

Erie is last in the league’s Western Division at 56-79. The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, last in the Eastern Division, were 59-77 after Tuesday’s 9-3 loss to Portland.

– Mike Copper

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Darin Ruf usurped the Erie SeaWolves’ new role as Eastern League spoilers with one mighty swing Thursday night.

Ruf, the league’s home-run leader, added to his total with a seventh-inning grand slam off Erie reliever Kelvin De La Cruz. His 33^rd homer was the difference in the Phillies’ 7-6 win at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Erie, eliminated from any postseason possibilities with Wednesday’s loss to Akron, fell to 55-75 in the league’s Western Division. Its latest setback came in the opener of its final road trip for 2012.

Reading not only moved to 69-62 in the league’s Eastern Division standings, but claimed second place outright when New Hampshire beat New Britain 9-6. The Phillies and Rock Cats began Thursday tied for the division’s wild-card playoff berth.

– Mike Copper

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Starting lineups for Monday’s Eastern League game between the Akron Aeros and the Erie SeaWolves at Jerry Uht Park:

Akron Aeros (75-51): 1. Tyler Holt CF, 2. Jordan Henry RF, 3. Chun Chen 1B, 4. Nick Weglarz LF, 5. Jesus Aguilar DH, 6. Matt Lawson 2B, 7. Ryan Rohlinger SS, 8. Roberto Perez C, 9. Carlos Rojas 3B.

Starting pitcher: LH T.J. House (7-3, 3.43 ERA).

Erie SeaWolves (53-73): 1. Jamie Johnson LF, 2. Niuman Romero SS, 3. Nick Castellanos RF, 4. Jordan Lennerton 1B, 5. Avisail Garcia CF, 6. Rawley Bishop 3B, 7. Tony Plagman DH, 8. Brandon Douglas 2B, 9. James McCann C.

Starting pitcher: RH Patrick Cooper (2-8, 5.26 ERA).

– Mike Copper

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Starting lineups for Friday’s Eastern League game between the Portland Sea Dogs and the Erie SeaWolves at Jerry Uht Park:

Portland Sea Dogs (55-63): 1. Jackie Bradley Jr. CF, 2. Peter Hissey LF, 3. Marquez Smith 3B, 4. Bryce Brentz RF, 5. Travis Shaw 1B, 6. Xander Bogaerts SS, 7. Derrik Gibson DH, 8. Christian Vazquez C, 9. Ryan Dent 2B.

Starting pitcher: RH Stolmy Pimentel (4-5, 4.99 ERA).

Erie SeaWolves (51-66): 1. Jamie Johnson CF, 2. Niuman Romero SS, 3. Nick Castellanos DH, 4. Jordan Lennerton 1B, 5. Avisail Garcia RF, 6. Daniel Fields LF, 7. Rawley Bishop 3B, 8. Corey Jones 2B, 9. James McCann C.

Starting pitcher: RH Jared Gayhart (1-2, 4.28 ERA).

– Mike Copper

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The Erie SeaWolves’ losing ways ended Thursday night.

Deck McGuire’s didn’t.

The SeaWolves’ 6-0 victory over New Hampshire at Jerry Uht Park ended their losing streak at five games. Conversely, it also resulted in an Eastern League-leading 13^th loss for McGuire, the starting pitcher for the Fisher Cats.

Ramon Garcia augmented McGuire’s season-long misery.

The left-hander, in his first home appearance for Erie since July 6, went the distance on a four-hit shutout. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out six.

The final game between the basement dwellers of the league’s two divisions left the SeaWolves with a 51-66 record and the Fisher Cats at 46-71.

– Mike Copper

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Brandon Morrow wasn’t the only reason the Erie SeaWolves lost their fifth consecutive game Wednesday night.

Morrow, a Toronto Blue Jays starter who made a rehabilitation appearance with New Hampshire, pitched the first five innings of the Fisher Cats’ 8-3 victory over Erie at Jerry Uht Park. He allowed three hits, with two of them solo home runs from Niuman Romero and Jordan Lennerton.

However, New Hampshire countered with two solo homers from John Tolisano and then a three-run insurance blast from Brad Glenn in the ninth. The Fisher Cats are now 46-70 in the basement of the Eastern League’s Eastern Division, with Erie last at 50-66 in its Western Division.

The SeaWolves haven’t won since their franchise-record 17-inning game at New Hampshire’s diamond last Thursday. They have a 7-20 record since baseball’s all-star break.

Lennerton’s homer was his team-leading 19^th. The Erie first baseman went into Wednesday with the league’s third highest total.

Nick Castellanos had two hits and drove in the SeaWolves’ third run.

– Mike Copper

Starting lineups for Wednesday’s Eastern League game between the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Erie SeaWolves at Jerry Uht Park:

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (45-70): 1. Ryan Goins SS, 2. Jake Marisnick CF, 3. Kevin Howard 1B, 4. Brad Glenn RF, 5. John Tolisano 2B, 6. Brian Van Kirk DH, 7. Ryan Schimpf LF, 8. Sean Ochinko C, 9. Brian Bocock 3B.

Starting pitcher: RH Brandon Morrow (0-0, 0.00 ERA).

Erie SeaWolves (50-65): 1. Daniel Fields LF, 2. Niuman Romero SS, 3. Nick Castellanos RF, 4. Jordan Lennerton 1B, 5. Avisail Garcia CF, 6. Rawley Bishop 3B, 7. Tony Plagman DH, 8. Brandon Douglas 2B, 9. James McCann C.

Starting pitcher: RH Patrick Cooper (2-6, 5.15 ERA).

– Mike Copper

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New Hampshire outhomered and, more importantly, outscored the Erie SeaWolves Tuesday night.

The Fisher Cats went deep three times to Erie’s two en route to a 6-4 victory at Jerry Uht Park. The outcome was the opener of the SeaWolves’ six-game homestand against the Eastern League’s upper New England franchises.

The first of three games between the league’s last-place teams left Erie (50-65) with a four-game losing streak in the Western Division. The SeaWolves haven’t won since their franchise-record 17-inning victory over the Fisher Cats (45-70) last Thursday at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.

– Mike Copper

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