The nightly showing of a Red Sox highlight on the Hadlock Field video board took a little longer Saturday as both of Travis Shaw’s home runs at Fenway Park were showcased.
Shaw played parts of three seasons at Hadlock, including last year. Unfortunately for the 2015 Sea Dogs, they could not come up with any Shaw-like shots Saturday in a 3-2 loss to the Harrisburg Senators before a sold-out crowd of 7,368.
Portland (40-68) held the Senators (52-56) to three hits and had plenty of scoring chances, butthey left eight runners on base – five in scoring position.
Tim Roberson (RBI double) and Keury De La Cruz (triple and run) paced Portland’s offense, but the real Sea Dogs standout was right-hander Mike Augliera, with four perfect innings of relief.
Augliera, 25, began the year as a starter but was 2-13 with a 5.88 when he was sent to the bullpen in mid-July. Saturday was his third (and best) relief appearance. Entering in the fourth inning with one runner on and no out, he retired 12 straight batters, four by strikeout.
Augliera’s long relief was needed because Portland starter Danny Rosenbaum (0-3) had his worst command in his fifth start with the Sea Dogs, lasting only three-plus innings while walking five.
Rosenbaum, 27, was pitching against his former organization – he was traded by the Nationals to the Red Sox in the offseason. Rebounding from Tommy John surgery 15 months ago, Rosenbaum has made slow progress.
Rosenbaum walked the first two batters, and they both scored. Wilmer Difo advanced to third on Cutter Dykstra’s single, then raced home when right fielder Henry Ramos’ throw home was wild. Chris Bostick advanced to third on the throw and scored on a double play.
Portland got a run back in the bottom of the first. Sam Travis walked and scored on Roberson’s double to right field.
But Rosenbaum again walked two batters in the second, and one scored on Derrick Robinson’s double for a 3-1 lead.
Harrisburg starter John Simms (1-1) also struggled with his command early. He loaded the bases in the second inning with two out on Luis Martinez’s single, a walk and a hit batter. Simmons escaped by getting Travis to ground out.
Rosenbaum walked Dykstra to begin the third, but Martinez threw him out on a steal attempt. When Rosenbaum walked the leadoff batter in the fourth, Augliera was summoned from the bullpen.
Portland closed to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth when De La Cruz tripled and scored on Martinez’s groundout.
The Sea Dogs kept creating chances, with no results. Carlos Asuaje led off the seventh with a double. Aneury Tavarez bunted him to third, but Harrisburg reliever Paul Demny struck out Travis and Roberson.
Erik Davis pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.
NOTES: Saturday’s sellout crowd boosted Portland’s average attendance to 5,227, third-best in the Eastern League. … Among those in attendance was former Red Sox closer Keith Foulke, in town to visit his friend Brian Daubach, the Harrisburg manager. … Before Sunday’s game, ticket-holders can play catch in the Hadlock outfield from 10 to 11:15 a.m.
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