PORTLAND, Maine (July 30, 2026) — On Wednesday, the Senators stunned the Sea Dogs with a five-run ninth inning to come back and win. Portland returned the favor Thursday, scoring two in the ninth to walk off Harrisburg 5-4.
RHP Sandy Gaston (L, 2-4) came on for the save opportunity in the ninth with the Sens leading 4-3. After a leadoff walk and single, the Sea Dogs had first and second and nobody out.
Harrisburg was prepared to run the wheel play, expecting Portland's Ahbram Liendo to lay down a bunt. Before the pitch, the shortstop Cortland Lawson broke to third to cover for the bunt, but Gaston turned and threw to second for a pickoff attempt. The ball sailed into centerfield where Sam Petersen misplayed it. Two errors scored the tying run and moved the winning run to third.
Then Liendo grounded a ball through the right side of the infield to end the game.
The Senators took the early lead in the first. Petersen walked to lead off, then Lawson blasted a two-run homer to take a 2-0 lead.
The Sea Dogs scored off LHP Alex Clemmey on Tyler McDonough's single, driving in Liendo to cut the lead to 2-1. Portland then loaded the bases with one out.
RHP Connor Van Scoyoc came on for Clemmey and retired the next two hitters to strand the bases loaded and keep the lead intact.
Clemmey went just 2.1 innings, his second shortest outing of the year, allowing the run on three hits, two walks and five strikeouts.
In the fourth, Branden Boissiere drove in Petersen with a sac fly to push the lead back out to 3-1.
Boissiere also doubled in the game, extending his hitting streak to nine games.
Ahbram Liendo provided more damage in the bottom of the fourth inning, homering off Van Scoyoc with two outs. Then McDonough led off the fifth with a homer to tie the game 3-3.
In all, Van Scoyoc allowed the two runs in 3.1 innings, walking none and striking out four.
The Sens punched back in the sixth. TJ White singled to open the inning, and Petersen drove him in with a single. Harrisburg took a 4-3 lead.
Back on the mound, RHP Chance Huff tossed his sixth straight scoreless outing with 1.1 shutout innings.
RHP Blake Brown followed with a scoreless eighth inning. He has not allowed a run in four appearances with the Senators.
RHP Josh Randall (3-4) takes the mound Friday night as Harrisburg aims to get back in the win column. First pitch is at 6:00 p.m.