PORTLAND – Maybe they should try Pedro Martinez.

Nothing else the Portland Sea Dogs have done has slowed down the New Haven Ravens’ offense.

The Sea Dogs trotted out Red Sox left-hander Casey Fossum for a major league rehabilitation appearance Saturday night, but the red-hot Ravens didn’t miss a beat.

Gabe Gross drilled a two-run home run over the Sea Dogs’ bullpen against Fossum, and New Haven never looked back while cruising to a 10-2 victory before another sellout crowd at Hadlock Field.

The Ravens, who were nine games back on June 18, have won 15 of 20 and are now tied with the Sea Dogs atop the Eastern League’s Northern Division.

“We have not been able to stop them offensively,” said Portland manager Ron Johnson. “Until we do, that’s what happens.”

Fossum gave up two hits, a walk and struck out two in his scheduled inning of work.

After striking out leadoff hitter Russ Adams, Fossum walked Alex Rios before falling behind in the count to Gross, who jumped on a 3-1 fastball to make it 2-0.

“He was a victim of the count, not of the pitch,” said Portland pitching coach Bob Kipper.

John-Ford Griffin followed with a double over the head of center fielder Jeremy Owens.

Fossum got out of the inning with a groundout and another strikeout.

He left the park early and was unavailable for comment.

Kipper summed up Fossum’s performance with one word.

“Healthy,” said Kipper.

“That’s the only thing that’s important when you haven’t competed in a while,” Kipper added. “It’s nice to have results, but you need to be healthy. That’s why he’s here.”

Josh Stevens wasn’t treated any better than Fossum.

The right-hander was tagged for eight hits and six runs in four innings.

The Ravens sent nine men to the plate in the top of the third and scored four times after there were two outs.

Dominic Rich capped off the inning with a two-run double.

New Haven scored twice in both the fourth and sixth innings to take a 10-0 lead.

Gross finished the evening with four hits and scored three times.

In nine games against the Sea Dogs, the 2001 first round draft pick (15th overall) of the Toronto Blue Jays is 18-for-37 (.486) with four home runs, eight RBIs and eight runs scored.

The Ravens, who came into the game with a .297 team batting average, pounded out 13 hits.

“These guys get into the counts and get good pitches to hit,” said New Haven manager Marty Pevey, “and they haven’t been missing them.”

The offensive onslaught didn’t overshadow a solid outing by New Haven starter David Bush.

Bush (2-1) allowed just one runner past second base while limiting the Sea Dogs to four hits in six shutout innings.

The right-hander walked one and struck out six in just his fourth Double-A start.

“His last outing against Trenton (seven innings, two hits, one run) and then this one, he had outstanding command,” Pevey said of Bush. “He’s using both sides of the plate and keeping the ball down in the zone.”

Carlos Leon broke up the shutout with a bloop single against reliever Peter Bauer in the bottom of the seventh.

Bauer also walked in a run.

By dropping their fourth straight game, the Sea Dogs matched their longest losing streak of the season.

Portland pitchers have given up 35 runs in the last three games.

“It starts taking its toll on you when you’re down by so many so early,” said Johnson. “We’ve been in this little struggle here for three days with 13, 12 and 10 runs. You don’t win those games. It’s no mystery right now.”

Sea Dogs notes: Fossum, who had been sidelined since June 8 with shoulder tendinitis, will start Tuesday night’s game against New Britain and pitch two innings … Kevin Youkilis extended his consecutive games on base streak to 44 with a first inning walk … Both teams were warned after Dan Jackson hit Justin Headley with a pitch in the bottom of the ninth. Mike Nicolas had plunked Gross with a 3-0 pitch an inning earlier … With Owens activated, shortstop Zach Borowiak was sent to Class-A Sarasota … Brett Rudrude (0-1, 5.63 ERA) opposes New Haven’s Chris Baker (4-4, 3.29) in the series finale today at 1 p.m.

bfoley@sunjournal.com

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