PORTLAND – Jeff Deardorff struggled during the New Britain Rock Cats’ series in Trenton last weekend.

Rock Cats manager Stan Cliburn then reached back in the archives of his mind for some advice.

“I just told him what Eddie Matthews told me,” Cliburn said of the late Hall of Famer, who was the hitting coach in Atlanta during Cliburn’s playing days. “He gave me a pointer one night. He said, ‘Sit back on the backside and let your hands work. I told (Deardorff) that the first night here, and he took it and ran with it.”

Deardorff doubled home two runs, and the Rock Cats scored three times in the top of the 10thinning to top the Portland Sea Dogs 5-2 before a matinee sell-out crowd of 6,975 at Hadlock Field Thursday.

Deardorff went 7-for-12 with a pair of home runs in the four-game series.

“I was in a little funk, swinging at a lot of bad pitches,” said Deardorff, who was on the Milwaukee Brewers’ 40-man roster last season and was claimed off of the waiver wire by the Minnesota Twins last October. “Stan had me work on a couple of things in batting practice, and I took it into the game and it worked out well.”

All the Rock Cats runs were scored against the Sea Dogs bullpen, which failed to protect a late two-run lead.

Felix Villegas (1-8) entered the game with the score tied at two in the 10th and gave up a leadoff double to Josh Renick.

Josh Rabe’s single put runners at the corners and brought up Deardorff, who ripped a Villegas offering down the left field line to score both runners.

Deardorff went to third on the throw to home plate and scored on Terry Tiffee’s sacrifice fly.

Kevin Hodge (5-6) pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win.

The Sea Dogs (47-39) have lost 12 games this season when leading after five innings, tied with New Haven for the most in the Eastern League.

“If we’re going to have success, our bullpen has to have success,” said Portland manager Ron Johnson. “We’re struggling in that area right now.”

Portland starter Josh Stevens was attempting to become the first Sea Dogs pitcher ever to win 10 games before the All-Star break.

He left well within reach of the mark after allowing four hits over 6 2/3 shutout innings.

With the Sea Dogs leading 1-0 on catcher Jeff Smith’s solo home run, Stevens was pulled after giving up a two-out double to Joe Mauer, despite having thrown only 82 pitches.

“We are trying to govern his innings and his pitches,” Johnson said of Stevens, who was converted to a starter in spring training and has already surpassed his innings total for all of last season.

James Johnson struck out pinch-hitter Gabby Torres to end the inning.

Jeremy Owens then hit a solo home run for what at the time looked like an insurance run.

But the bullpen imploded in the top of the eighth. The first two men reached against Johnson, who was replaced by closer Anastacio Martinez after a fielder’s choice.

Renick promptly singled home one run, and Rabe’s sacrifice fly tied it.

Villegas was tagged in the tenth and has now given up 33 runs in his last 32 innings of work. His earned run average stands at 6.39.

“(Stevens) probably could have gone nine,” said Smith, “but we made the right move bringing in the lefty (Johnson) when we did. We just couldn’t get anybody out at the end of the game.”

Sea Dogs notes: Cliburn, who will manage the Northern Division team in Wednesday’s Eastern League All-Star game, said Stevens (9-4) will get the start. “It’s his normal day to pitch and he’s got nine ,wins,” said Cliburn. “We’re going to reward him with the start.” Cliburn also talked to Kevin Youkilis before the game and said the Sea Dogs’ third baseman will start at second base in the game.is extended hd his on base streak to 49 games with a first-inning double … After the game, the Sea Dogs headed to owner Dan Burke’s house in Kennebunk Beach for the annual team lobster dinner … Pitcher Greg Montabano was activated and will start Sunday’s game in Norwich. To make room on the roster, pitcher David Pahucki was sent to Class-A Sarasota … Former Sea Dog Hector Almonte signed with the Montreal Expos on Thursday. Almonte opted to become a free agent rather than report to Triple-A Pawtucket when the Red Sox sent him down on July 1 … Brett Rudrude (1-1, 3.60 ERA) opposes Norwich’s Vance Crozier (3-2, 2.74) when the Sea Dogs and Navigators open a four-game series tonight at 7 p.m. … The Sea Dogs will be without manager Johnson, pitcher Jorge De La Rosa and Youkilis on Saturday and Sunday. The trio will be at the All-Star Futures game at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Hitting coach Mark Budaska will manage the team in Johnson’s absence. “I’m just going to put them out there and let them play,” Budaska said with a smile. “There won’t be too much strategy.”

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