After another lopsided loss, Portland Sea Dogs Manager Carlos Febles said, “you have to take the positives.”
So after the Reading Fightin Phils beat the Sea Dogs 15-9 on Thursday at Hadlock Field, Febles could point out the 11 hits and nine runs from his sometimes-struggling offense.
Plus there was the return of starting pitcher Kevin McAvoy, who has been on the disabled list with arm tightness since May 1.
“For his first day back, he threw the ball OK. Early, he was down in the zone with good life,” Febles said. “But (then) he got up in the zone. The good thing, he came out of it healthy.”
McAvoy (3-1) didn’t record an out in the fourth inning, allowing six runs. Reading got to reliever Mike McCarthy for five runs in the fifth and Portland found itself in a 12-0 hole.
Reading (36-18), which completed a three-game sweep of the Sea Dogs (18-35), hit three home runs, including two by Jake Fox, one a grand slam.
Rainel Rosario paced the Sea Dogs with three hits, including his first home run, a three-run blast off the Coke bottle above the left-field wall.
Outfielder Andrew Benintendi, third baseman Sean Coyle and catcher Jake Romanski each recorded two hits.
NOTES: McCarthy left in the sixth inning with a sore elbow. He was to be evaluated by Friday. … Sea Dogs pitching gave up 33 runs in the series. … Benintendi went 2 for 5 with two singles to center field, raising his average to .214. … The announced paid attendance was 6,850, which included 50 busloads of schoolchildren. … To make room for McAvoy on the roster, relief pitcher Rob Wort was released. Wort, 27, a minor league free agent who was initially in the Nationals’ organization, had a 6.75 ERA in 17 appearances. … The Sea Dogs leave Friday for a four-game series against the Hartford Yard Goats. It will be played at Norwich, Connecticut, because Hartford’s ballpark is still under construction. The series schedule has been changed to an off day Saturday and a doubleheader Sunday at 4 p.m., and Monday’s game was moved up to 1 p.m. … Starter Keith Couch has returned from Pawtucket and will start Friday. … The Sea Dogs return to Hadlock Field on Tuesday for a six-game homestand. Game times will switch to the summer schedule with most weeknight games starting at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s at 6.
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