Maybe the amazing part of the Portland Sea Dogs’ 5-2 loss to the Hartford Yard Goats on Friday night was that it took only 4 hours, 33 minutes.

A 17-inning game could have lasted much longer.

But strong pitching and a 20 mph wind blowing in kept the offenses cooled and the game moving along.

Hartford catcher Jackson Williams broke open the game with a three-run double in the final inning.

The game tied a Sea Dogs record for the longest game in franchise history, which was set nearly eight years ago – a 17th-inning victory against the Connecticut Defenders on April 16, 2008.

Simon Mercedes (0-1), Portland’s fifth pitcher, was in a bases-loaded jam with one out in the 17th after an infield error and two singles. Thomas lined a bases-clearing double to left.

In the bottom of the 17th, Wendell Rijo led off with a walk, but reliever Matt Pierpont (1-0) finished with a strikeout and two groundouts.

In a quiet Sea Dogs clubhouse, shortstop Tzu-Wei Lin said the key to a long game was to stay focused.

“You try to push through it,” he said.

Lin did his part, going 3 for 8, knocking in one run and scoring the other, and playing stellar defense on a variety of grounders.

The loss spoiled a lot of good pitching by Portland, starting with Teddy Stankiewicz. He allowed one run on three hits and no walks over six innings. Mike McCarthy and Chandler Shepherd combined for five scoreless innings. Heri Quevedo allowed a run over five innings.

The game began as a pitching duel between two prospects. Stankiewicz, Boston’s 20th-ranked prospect (according to Baseball America) retired the first 11 batters. His ERA remained 1.50.

“Efficient with his three-pitch mix,” Portland Manager Carlos Febles said. “He stayed in the strike zone.”

Hartford right-hander German Marquez – who was Tampa Bay’s No. 14 prospect before being traded to the Rockies in the offseason – pitched seven scoreless innings (ERA  0.90).

Stankiewicz kept the Yard Goats scoreless until the sixth. Williams doubled to right, moved to third on a single and scored on Raimel Tapia’s sacrifice fly to center.

In the eighth, Rayan Gonzalez relieved and gave up a leadoff double to Rijo off the left-field wall. Rijo reached third with two outs and Lin lined a single to left to tie the game.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Sea Dogs put runners on second and third with two outs, but Rijo grounded out to third.

Quevedo pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 12th.

Hartford took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 13th. Quevedo gave up two singles. A bunt moved the runners, setting up Pat Valaika’s sacrifice fly to center.

In the bottom of the 13th, Lin led off with a single to left off Hartford closer Matt Carasiti. An errant pickoff throw by Carasiti sent Lin to third base. He scored on Aneury Tavarez’s sacrifice fly to left, making it 2-2.

It stayed that way until the 17th.

Hartford (6-3) and Portland (4-5) will play again at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hadlock.