READING, Pa. — The Portland Sea Dogs rallied from four- and five-run deficits Tuesday night but fell short in an 8-6 loss to the Reading Fightin Phils.

The Sea Dogs (31-54), who had a two-game winning streak snapped, closed within 7-6 in the seventh and had runners at the corners, but Reading (45-39) ended the inning with a slick second-to-short-to-first double play. Each team finished with 13 hits.

“Lately we have been playing better and the guys have been playing for all 27 outs,” said Sea Dogs Manager Billy McMillon. “We got some more runs but that double play hurt us. We could have added a couple of runs there if the ball moves another 10 feet.”

Marco Hernandez, who began the game with a five-game hitting streak and as the Eastern League’s fourth-leading hitter with a .313 average, led off the game for Portland and blasted the second pitch over the left- field wall.

Hernandez later added an infield single and a long RBI single off the center-field wall for his three-hit night. But Hernandez was called out when he passed Cole Sturgeon at second base. Sturgeon froze when he wasn’t sure if Reading center fielder Brian Pointer caught the ball while crashing into the fence.

“(Hernandez) has had lot of quality at-bats since we moved him to the leadoff spot,” said McMillon. “He’s really taken off.”

Philadelphia Phillies starter Jerome Williams made his first rehab start since suffering a left hamstring strain June 16. Williams was effective in 32/3 innings, allowing three hits and two runs with three strikeouts in 58 pitch.

Portland starter Mike Augliera (2-12) made his fourth start against Reading this season. His last win was May 25 against Reading when he tossed seven shutout innings in an 8-2 win.

But Augliera couldn’t get past the fourth inning, roughed up for six earned runs on eight hits and four walks over 72 pitches. Kyle Kraus relieved and got the final two outs.

“I’d like to see him throw a lot better,” said McMillon. “He got into the fourth inning and he grinded it out. He fell behind on counts, and it’s tough when it gets to 2-0 and 3-0. He needs to be ahead on the counts.”

Reading made it 1-1 in the bottom of the first on Andrew Knapp’s RBI single. Augliera walked two and Reading left the bases loaded in the inning.

In the third, Cameron Perkins smacked an Augliera pitch over the left-field wall for a two-run homer. Augliera threw 54 pitches and allowed six hits through the first three innings.

Manuel Margot of the Sea Dogs extended his hitting streak to six games and narrowed the lead to 4-2 when he lined a single to center to score Keury De La Cruz, who hit a two-out double to right.

Margot added an RBI groundout in the sixth.

Jantzen Witte of Portland extended his hitting streak to six games with a leadoff double in the sixth and Sam Travis pushed his to seven games when he followed with an RBI triple. Travis finished with a two-hit game.

NOTES: Mike McCarthy will get a spot start and oppose Jesse Biddle (7-2, 4.24) on Wednesday. William Cuevas (7-5, 3.51) meets Mark Leiter (1-3, 3.52) on Thursday. … Witte began the night hitting. 346 in July … Carlos Asuaje also had two hits for the Sea Dogs.

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