Their third loss in four games leaves the Sea Dogs in danger of missing the playoffs.
PORTLAND – Look out below! The Portland Sea Dogs playoff hopes are plunging faster than a brick tossed into Casco Bay.
Jack Hannahan drilled a two-run home run in the top of the 11th inning as the Erie SeaWolves topped the Sea Dogs 6-4 at sold-out Hadlock Field Friday night.
The Sea Dogs have dropped three of four games of the current six-game homestand, a stretch during which they were hoping to gain hold of the final playoff spot in the Eastern League’s Northern Division and maybe even put themselves in position to catch first-place New Haven.
Instead, Portland now finds itself 1 games behind second-place New Britain, which beat Reading 4-0 for its eighth straight win.
“The game was ours to win,” said Portland manager Ron Johnson, whose team stranded nine runners, including leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. “The guys are busting their butts. But they know as well as I do that the name of the game is getting guys on and getting them in.”
Kevin Nicholson led off the 11th by drawing a walk from the Sea Dogs’ fifth pitcher of the night, James Johnson (2-5).
After being bunted over to second, Nicholson strolled home on Hannahan’s ninth home run of the season.
“It was a split-finger (fast ball),” said Hannahan. “I had two strikes and I was just trying to protect. He got it up a little bit and I just happened to get the head of the bat on it and it went out.”
The Sea Dogs put runners on second and third with a two-out single by Carlos Leon and a Jeremy Owens’ double in the bottom of the 11th.
But Brian Schmack (3-3), the Eastern League’s top closer with 29 saves, got Raul Nieves to fly out to right field to end it.
“He drove the ball about as far as he could drive it right there,” Johnson said of Nieves. “(Schmack’s) good. You don’t get 29 saves by being bad.”
The Sea Dogs had tied the game in the bottom of the seventh against reliever Mark Johnson.
Sean McGowan (three hits) singled leading off and was called safe at third base on a close play on Kevin Haverbusch’s hit-and-run single to left field.
The call resulted in an animated argument from Erie manager Kevin Bradshaw, who was ejected by umpire Joe Judkowitz.
After Leon struck out, Owens bounced a single into left field to bring in McGowan.
The SeaWolves jumped on top with a run in the top of the first against Josh Stevens.
Leadoff hitter Nook Logan walked and was bunted into scoring position.
Former Sea Dog Tonayne Brown then drilled a 3-2 fastball down the left field line for a run-scoring double.
The Sea Dogs took advantage of a couple of breaks in the bottom of the third to score three times against Erie starter Adam Pettyjohn.
With one out, Leon singled and moved to second on Owens’ bunt.
With Leon on the move, Nieves bounced a ball toward Hannahan at third base.
Leon crossed in front of Hannahan and scored as the ball hit off of his glove and went into left field.
Pettyjohn hit Justin Headley in the helmet with an 0-2 pitch before Tony Schrager singled to right field, where Nicholson misplayed the ball allowing both runners to score.
Stevens, who has won just once since June 30, retired 13 straight before allowing a two-out double to Max St. Pierre in the top of the fifth.
After Tousa walked, Logan dropped a broken-bat single into center field to score St. Pierre.
In the seventh, Hannahan singled and one out later, Tousa drilled the first pitch from Stevens off the light pole in the Sea Dogs’ bullpen in right field to give the SeaWolves the lead.
The Sea Dogs, who are 8-16 in August, have lost 6 1/2 games in the standings to New Britain in the last seven days.
“We’re not done yet,” said Johnson. “We just have to find a way to get it together.”
Sea Dogs notes: With his third-inning single, Schrager has now reached base in 25 consecutive home games … Hannahan extended his hit-streak to 16 games … The game was delayed for 20 minutes by rain after the top of the second inning. With the wind whipping, the ground crew had trouble getting the tarp on the field … Ryan Cameron (2-2, 1.88 ERA) opposes Erie’s Kenny Baugh (5-9, 5.04) tonight at 6 p.m.
bfoley@sunjournal.com
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