Danny Rosenbaum knows it will take time, but that does not make it any easier.

Rosenbaum, 27, perseveres, coming back from Tommy John surgery 15 months ago. The left-hander made his third start for the Portland Sea Dogs on Wednesday in a 5-1 loss to the Trenton Thunder at Hadlock Field.

Portland Sea Dogs pitcher Danny Rosenbaum pitches against the Trenton Thunder on Wednesday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

UP NEXT

WHO: New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Jeff Hoffman 0-0) at Sea Dogs (Luis Diaz 1-8)

WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday

Rosenbaum (0-2) gave up three runs on three hits and three walks over four innings. He struck out five, countering his 90 mph fastball with a diving curve. He left after 80 pitches (47 strikes).

“Lot more swings and misses today. Something to build on,” Rosenbaum said. “It’s just a long process. Everyone responds differently. So I have to be patient. That’s really the hardest thing to do.”

Rosenbaum was obtained from the Washington Nationals in the offseason in the Dan Butler trade. He made four starts with Lowell before coming to Portland.

Because Rosenbaum will be a minor league free agent at the end of the year, the Red Sox have six more weeks to make a decision on him.

“I’ve been up and down. It’s been frustrating,” Rosenbaum said. “I don’t know what (my arm is) going to be like. Today I was pretty happy with it.”

The Sea Dogs (35-63) saw their win streak stopped at three. The Thunder (52-45) ended a five-game losing streak in their last appearance this year at Hadlock.

Outfielder Aneury Tavarez, taken off the inactive list Wednesday, provided Portland’s only run with a second-inning homer to right.

That gave the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead, but walks cost Rosenbaum in the fourth. He issued two of them before giving up two-out doubles to Billy Fleming and Taylor Dugas for a 3-1 Trenton lead.

“The fourth inning has been my nemesis. I usually start to feel like I hit a wall,” said Rosenbaum, who has only pitched past the fourth once this year.

Trenton also limited its starter to four innings; Danny Burawa exited after 61 pitches (42 strikes). Burawa, 26, had been in Triple-A all year – except for his major league debut in Yankee Stadium on June 21 (two-thirds of an inning and four runs, including a three-run J.D. Martinez homer).

Burawa was sent to the Thunder this week, replacing the scheduled starter, Jaron Long.

“He’s here to work on his command and trust his stuff,” Trenton Manager Al Pedrique said. “He has a great arm.”

With a mid-90s fastball and a wicked slider, Burawa struck out seven of the 15 Portland batters he faced. He gave up one walk and two hits, including Tavarez’s blast.

Long (1-2) relieved Burawa and proved just as effective over five innings, allowing three hits.

Portland threatened in the seventh after a leadoff double by Henry Ramos. He advanced to third on a groundout, then tried to score on Dave Chester’s grounder to third. But Dan Fiorito threw him out.

Heri Quevedo and Williams Jerez both pitched two innings of one-hit relief for Portland. John Cornely allowed two runs in the ninth on a walk, two singles and a sacrifice fly.

NOTES: The official attendance was a sellout at 7,368, minus a few season-ticket holders who couldn’t get off work. … Tavarez’s activation was one of the three moves made by the Sea Dogs. To make room, outfielder Cole Sturgeon was sent to Class A Salem. Pitcher Mike Augliera was activated from the disabled list but will switch from starter to reliever. … The Barefoot Refresh beverage company will give away 2,000 tickets to Thursday night’s game, at Monument Square in Portland, starting at 10 a.m. Thursday. … At Sunday’s game at Hadlock, the Sea Dogs will hold a baseball/softball equipment drive to benefit Baseball Miracles, an organization that brings baseball to disadvantaged areas throughout the world. Portland pitcher Mike McCarthy is an active member of the group.

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