Portland is three games out of the playoffs with four remaining to play.
WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Under normal circumstances, a split on the road against the New Haven Ravens wouldn’t be so bad.
But the circumstances are anything but normal for the Portland Sea Dogs.
The Sea Dogs, fighting for their playoff lives, dropped the final game of a four-game set, falling to the Ravens 8-3 before a crowd of 5,083 at Yale Field Thursday night.
After sweeping a doubleheader on Tuesday night, the Sea Dogs dropped the final two games of the series.
Portland now trails second-place New Britain by three games in the race for the final Northern Division playoff spot. Each team has four games remaining.
The Sea Dogs (69-69) and Ravens will finish out the regular season at Hadlock Field while New Britain will visit Southern Division champion Akron.
New Haven scored all the runs it would need in the top of the second inning, scoring four times against Sea Dogs starter Ryan Cameron to erase a two-run deficit.
Jose Umbria’s single with the bases loaded tied the game at two. Russ Adams doubled in the go-ahead run before a ground out made it 4-2.
Anthony Sanders’ two-run blast in the bottom of the fifth gave New Haven a 7-3 lead and spelled the end of the night for Cameron (2-4).
The right-hander allowed eight hits, walked four and struck out two.
“We just couldn’t get it done tonight,” said Portland manager Ron Johnson. “They’re a good hitting club and we got behind them too much.”
John Hattig (three hits) doubled with one out in the top of the first to score Jeremy Owens, who had singled leading off the game and stole second base.
The double was the franchise-record 263rd of the season for the Sea Dogs.
Tony Schrager led off the second with another two-bagger and eventually scored on a Dustin McGowan wild pitch to make it 2-0.
Justin Sherrod added an RBI single for the Sea Dogs, who now need a miracle to avoid missing the playoffs for the sixth straight season.
“What can you do?” said Johnson. “They squared some balls up on us. We just got whooped.”
Sea Dogs notes: The Red Sox traded Sea Dogs pitcher Rene Miniel to the San Diego Padres for infielder Lou Merloni. Miniel was 0-1 with a 2.45 earned run average in 15 relief appearances. … Josh Stevens has been shut down. Stevens, who would have pitched in the season finale on Labor Day, finishes the year with a 10-9 record and a 3.85 ERA. … Catcher John Nathans was back with the team sporting a sling to support his surgically repaired right shoulder. Nathans suffered a slight tear in the shoulder July 1 in Harrisburg and had surgery last Monday. He will rehab at the Red Sox complex in Fort Myers, Fla., and expects to be ready for spring training. … Manchester, N.H., aldermen made some changes in the deal to bring the Ravens to that city from New Haven for next season. The Eastern League will vote on the proposed move next Tuesday in Philadelphia. … Junior Herndon (8-8, 4.97 ERA) opposes New Haven’s Chris Baker (9-6, 3.88) tonight at 7 p.m.
bfoley@sunjournal.com
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