PORTLAND – Tony Schrager started his Wednesday doing laundry in the wee hours as he prepared to fly to Portland after being promoted from Class-A Sarasota.

After arriving just an hour before game time and finding out he was starting at third base in place of an ailing Kevin Youkilis, he went from goat to hero.

Schrager singled home Jeremy Owens from third base with one out in the bottom of the 12th inning as the Portland Sea Dogs topped the Reading Phillies 9-8 at Hadlock Field.

“I wanted to do something to help the team,” said Schrager, who made three errors while playing on about two hours of sleep. “Obviously I cost us I don’t even know how many runs.”

“He scuffled out there defensively, but that’s all right, the guy was on a plane all day,” said Portland manager Ron Johnson. “He had some quality at-bats that really helped us a lot.”

Owens had walked with one out against losing pitcher Josh Miller (0-1)and went to third on Raul Nieves’ single, his fourth hit of the night.

With the infield and outfield in, Schrager drove a ball off of the left-field wall to win it.

“Nieves put us in a great situation,” said Schrager. “Fortunately I got a pitch that was a little bit up and hit it in the air.”

Mike Nicolas (1-0), who failed to get an out while surrendering seven runs against New Haven on Sunday, got the win after striking out two in the top of the 12th.

“(Nicolas) needed to do that, probably more for himself,” said Johnson. “Watching that slider, he’s got some nasty stuff.”

The Sea Dogs had rallied with three runs in the bottom of the 11th inning to tie the game at eight.

Owens led off with a home run over the left-field wall.

Nieves singled and went to third on Justin Headley’s one-out single.

Reading manager Greg Legg then summoned Miller from the bullpen.

Kelly Shoppach flew out to the warning track in left field to score Nieves.

After Justin Sherrod’s blooped a single to left field, Trace Coquellette hit a broken bat grounder to third base that went through Richardson’s legs, allowing Headley to score the tying run.

The Phillies took advantage of two errors by Shoppach to score three times in the top of the 11th.

The catcher dropped Jorge Padilla’s foul pop with one out to open the floodgates.

Given a new life, Padilla singled to right field against Jake Chapman and moved to second on Shoppach’s errant pick-off throw.

An intentional walk and a hit batsman loaded the bases for Mamon Tucker, who grounded weakly to third as Padilla scored the go-ahead run.

“I thought I had a good chance to pick that guy off,” said Shoppach. “It was just one of those things that happens. I’m going to make that throw a hundred times this year and I’m going to throw some away. In that situation, maybe it wasn’t a good idea. But that’s the way it falls.”

Edgar Cruz lined a single just over the glove of Nieves at shortstop to score two more runs.

Brian Hitchcox’s solo home run into the Sea Dogs’ bullpen leading off the top of the seventh inning against reliever James Johnson had tied the game.

The Phillies scored four times in the top of the fourth inning against Sea Dogs starter Josh Stevens.

Three consecutive singles loaded the bases. Stevens then got Aaron McNeal to ground into a double play that scored a run and appeared to be out of the inning with minimal damage when Jorge Padilla hit a ground ball to third base. But Schrager threw wide of the first-base bag for an error as another run scored.

Richardson followed with a two-run home run into the screen on top of the left-field wall.

Stevens allowed six hits and just one earned run in six innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked none.

Shoppach got one of the runs back with a solo home run, his first at the Double-A level, off of Reading starter Ryan Carter leading off the bottom of the fourth.

The Sea Dogs tied the game an inning later.

With one out, Schrager doubled off the wall in right-center to score Nieves, who had reached on a fielder’s choice, all the way from first.

After Headley walked, Shoppach doubled down the left-field line to score Schrager.

Headley then scored on Sherrod’s infield hit to tie the game.

Hitchcox’s error with two outs in the bottom of the sixth allowed Tonayne Brown to scamper home from third and give Portland the lead. Brown had reached on an infield hit, went to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a fly out.

Hitchcox tied it for Reading an inning later and after the Sea Dogs rallied in the 11th, Schrager, who played for Sarasota last night in Lakeland, Fla., completed an eventful day.

“The game was over,” said Johnson. “You have to give the guys credit. They kept plugging away.”

Sea Dogs notes: Youkilis was a late scratch with an arm injury…..To make room on the roster for Schrager, pitcher Charlie Weatherby was put on the disabled list with a sore right elbow….The Sea Dogs finally have make-up dates for their series in New Britain that was postponed April 7-9. The teams will play doubleheaders on May 17 and August 16-17….Eric Glaser (1-0, 2.00 ERA) opposes Reading’s Taylor Buchholz (2-1, 3.05) in the series finale tonight at 6 p.m.

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