PORTLAND – As Nook Logan’s ground ball eluded Portland Sea Dogs second baseman Carlos Leon for a run-scoring error in the fourth inning of Saturday night’s game at Hadlock Field, a rather vocal fan in Section 205 made a plea.

“Come on, I already bought playoff tickets,” he yelled.

Well sir, it might be time to start looking into how to get a refund.

The reeling Sea Dogs lost for the seventh time in eight games, falling to the Erie SeaWolves 3-1.

Portland lost a chance to gain ground on second-place New Britain in the chase for the final playoff spot in the Eastern League’s Northern Division.

The Rock Cats, who lost to Reading 7-2, maintain a 1- game lead over the Sea Dogs.

Portland trails first-place New Haven, 8-3 winner over Norwich, by eight games with nine to play.

“It was the same old story,” said Portland manager Ron Johnson. “We can’t get the offense going. There’s nothing you can do about it when you get in these grooves and we’ve been in it for a while.”

Erie starter Kenny Baugh held the Sea Dogs to just four hits over 6 1/3 innings.

At one point, the former No. 1 draft pick (11th overall in 2001) retired 12 straight.

Kelly Shoppach briefly ended the offensive stupor with a one-out double in the bottom of the seventh.

By that time, Portland trailed 3-0.

Justin Sherrod’s second double of the night brought in Shoppach, but that would be all the offense that the Sea Dogs could muster despite having numerous chances with the tying run at the plate.

After Shoppach singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Homero Rivera struck out Sherrod and Jeremy Owens to record his first save.

The Sea Dogs are 8-17 in August and are hitting just .236 for the month.

“Everybody goes through it,” said Shoppach, who had two of Portland’s six hits. “Even the best teams have stretches like this and they bounce back. We’ve done it before when we lost nine straight (July 31-Aug. 7) and came back and won the next four. “

The SeaWolves got all the runs they would need in the top of the second inning, scoring twice against Portland starter Ryan Cameron.

Cameron (2-3) was uncharacteristically wild in the inning, walking three and uncorking a wild pitch that brought in the second run after Max St. Pierre’s RBI single had put Erie on the board.

The deficit marked the seventh game in a row that the Sea Dogs have fallen behind.

The SeaWolves added an unearned run in the fourth when Leon made back-to-back errors with two outs.

Cameron left after the fourth having given up just three hits.

But the right-hander walked four and threw 86 pitches.

“I beat myself,” said Cameron. “Any time you lose, you’re upset. But it’s more frustrating because I did it to myself with the walks.”

Sea Dogs notes: Red Sox great Jim Rice threw out the ceremonial first pitch….General admission seats are still available for all four games of the Sea Dogs final homestand against New Haven on Aug. 29-Sept. 1….Junior Herndon (8-7, 5.03 ERA) opposes Erie’s Preston Larrison (3-11, 5.25) in the series finale today at 1 p.m.

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