PORTLAND – Another comeback simply wasn’t in the cards.

A night after rallying from both three and four-run deficits to post an improbable 12th-inning victory, the Portland Sea Dogs went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position while falling to the Reading Phillies 4-3 at Hadlock Field Thursday.

Portland fell into an early 4-0 hole and battled back to put the tying run on second base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning after Tony Schrager’s RBI double. But Yoel Hernandez got Justin Headley to ground out as Reading salvaged the final game of the four-game set.

“We had opportunities in that ball game,” said Portland manager Ron Johnson. “We had plenty of them. We just couldn’t get the hits with guys on base.”

Juan Richardson atoned for his 11th-inning error that let the Sea Dogs back into Wednesday night’s game with a three-run home run into the Portland bullpen in right field off of Eric Glaser to cap off Reading’s four-run first.

“I felt bad because of that ground ball,” Richardson said. “I was very embarrassed.”

The home run was Richardson’s fourth of the season.

“He’s got power,” said Reading manager Greg Legg. “When he goes to right and right-center, that’s when he’s really going good. He gets in trouble when he tries to pull the ball.”

The Sea Dogs got to Phillies starter Taylor Buchholz for a pair of runs in the bottom of the first on Justin Sherrod’s two-out, wall double.

But that was all they could muster against Buchholz (3-1), who is rated the Philadelphia Phillies’ No. 4 prospect by Baseball America.

The right-hander allowed six hits while walking two and striking out eight in six innings.

“He’s our horse,” said Legg. “He’s so talented, he’s exciting to watch.”

Glaser (1-1), who was making a spot start due to last Sunday’s doubleheader, settled down after the rocky first inning and retired the last 11 batters he faced.

“I was really pleased with his effort,” said Johnson. “A lot of times pitchers at this level, when that happens (the four-run first inning), they get away from their game plan,” said Johnson. “He just kept throwing it up there and ended up with a real nice performance.”

Sea Dogs notes: Greg Montalbano (2-0, 6.92 ERA) opposes New Haven’s Jason Arnold (2-1, 0.77) as the Sea Dogs open a six-game road trip tonight at Yale Field.

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