Portland, Maine - The Portland Sea Dogs (16-13)(51-46) fell 9-6 to the Harrisburg Senators (16-11)(40-46) on Wednesday afternoon, with a five-run ninth inning driving them to victory.
Ronald Rosario recorded his second straight multi-hit game, reaching base three times with a single, a double, and a walk. He also scored a run and drove in a run. Nate Baez and Matt Fraizier, and Mason White also had multi-hit games, the first in Double-A for White, as the Sea Dogs recorded ten or more hits for the second game in a row.
The Sea Dogs scored first in the bottom of the second inning. Rosario hit his tenth double of the season to lead off the inning, before Baez drove him in with an RBI single.
Harrisburg took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning with three singles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. They doubled their tally in the fifth inning on a Branden Boissiere two-run home run.
Trailing 4-1, the Sea Dogs put together a major rally in the sixth inning, batting around and scoring four runs.
Baez led off with a single. Will Turner walked, before back-to-back singles from Miguel Bleis and Matt Fraizier drove in the first runs of the inning. Ahbram Liendo walked, marking the fifth straight base runner with no outs for Portland. After a pitching change, the Sea Dogs walked in two more runs, taking a 5-4 lead before Harrisburg finally got out of the inning.
Portland tacked on an insurance run in the seventh inning. Miguel Bleis reached on an error and advanced to second on a costly balk, when pitcher Brady Hill disengaged from the mound for the second time in a single at-bat. Moments later, Liendo ripped an RBI single into left field, and the Sea Dogs led 6-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, LHP Erik Rivera entered to pitch. T.J. White led off with a double, and Rivera bounced back to record a strikeout. A hit batter put runners on first and second. A soft grounder to the pitcher gave the Sea Dogs a chance at a game-ending double play, but Rivera bobbled it and recorded the second out at first base. With runners on second and third, Rivera had Boissiere down to his final strike before he hit a game-tying two-RBI single. Pichardo walked, and Harrisburg executed a double steal, scoring a run on an error at third base. One batter later, Ethan Petry hit his eighth home run of the season, and Harrisburg led 9-6.
The Sea Dogs went quietly in the ninth, losing their fourth straight game.
RHP Kyle Luckham (6-6, 5.34 ERA) earned the win, allowing one hit in a scoreless eighth inning with one strikeout. LHP Erik Rivera (0-3, 5.36 ERA) was handed the loss, allowing five runs on three hits, a walk, and a hit batter in 1.0 innings pitched.
Tomorrow night, the Sea Dogs celebrate 80’s night, and will be wearing their special teal jerseys. LHP Dalton Rogers (1-3, 5.06 ERA) is scheduled to face LHP Alex Clemmey (3-5, 4.00 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:00 pm at Delta Dental Park.