PORTLAND — Hope for the playoffs is nearly all gone. But the Portland Sea Dogs still have some baseball to play; namely 32 games, 19 of them at Hadlock Field.

If they are like Tuesday’s contest, it will be an explosive finish.

Especially with Anthony Rizzo at the plate.

Rizzo paced Portland with a 4-for-5 night, including three doubles and three RBI, leading the Sea Dogs to a 14-8 victory over the Bowie Baysox at Hadlock Field.

Rizzo, the Red Sox touted first base prospect, upped his average to .265, with 47 RBI in 76 games.

“Feels good,” Rizzo said. “One of those nights. You have to take advantage of it.”

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Che-Hsuan Lin reached base five times on three hits, a hit-batter and an error.

The Sea Dogs improved to 53-56. The top two teams in each division make the Eastern League playoffs. Portland is in fifth place in the East, 11 games behind second-place Trenton for a playoff spot.

Meanwhile, the Baysox (59-50) can control their destiny, sitting in second place in the West, two games ahead of Akron.

Bowie took a 5-1 lead Tuesday after the top of the third inning, sending starter Stephen Fife to an early exit (three innings, nine hits, three walks, five runs).

Fife has allowed 14 earned runs in his last three starts, after giving up no earned runs in his previous two starts.

“It just looks like he’s working behind and not trusting his stuff,” Portland Manager Arnie Beyeler said.

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Bowie starter Eddie Gamboa hardly fared better, giving up eight hits and four runs over three innings.

Portland scored three runs in the third (Rizzo RBI double, Ryan Khoury two-run single) and took a 6-5 lead on Rizzo’s two-run double in the fourth.

Bowie tied it, but the Sea Dogs soared away with their five-run sixth, the big hits coming from Nate Spears (RBI triple), Jorge Padron (RBI double) and Chih-Hsien Chiang (two-run double).

Blake Maxwell (2-0) got the win with three innings of one-run relief.

Bowie outhit Portland, 19-17. The game took 3 hours and 22 minutes.

 

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NOTES: Among several roster moves, infielder Yamaico Navarro was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. Navarro batted .274 in 88 games. … Utility infielder Luis Segoiva was called up from Class A Salem. … Shortstop Jose Iglesias and his sore right hand is rehabbing with the Lowell Spinners, but only as a designated hitter. Iglesias went 1 for 4 Tuesday with a single. … Pitchers Alex Wilson and Ryne Miller were placed on the disabled list. Wilson is taking a break, while Miller is resting a sore hamstring. … Two relievers were added to the roster, Daniel Turpen and Ryne Reynoso. Turpen, 23, was recently acquired from the Giants for major-league reliever Ramon Ramirez. Turpen was pitching for Double-A Richmond. Reynoso, 25, was pitching in Triple-A for the Braves before being released. The Red Sox signed him last month. … Catcher Ryan Lavarnway sat out another game, recovering from concussion symptoms suffered in a collision at home plate on Sunday in Harrisburg. …

The first 1,000 fans through the gate tonight will receive a Hanley Ramirez bobblehead doll.

Tonight’s starter Kyle Weiland, like Fife, has had his up-and-down moments. He allowed eight runs in his last start, and a total of one run in his previous two outings.

 

Staff writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or: kthomas@pressherald.com

 


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