PORTLAND

The Harrisburg Senators (38-32) jumped out to a 7-0 lead and staved off a Sea Dogs rally to hold on for a 9- 6 win on Wednesday night at Hadlock Field.

Harrisburg got on the board first against Sea Dogs’ starter Keith Couch. Wilmer Difo put the Senators on the board with a bases-loaded RBI fielder’s choice, then Isaac Ballou followed with a two-run double to make it 3-0.

Harrisburg loaded the bases again in the fourth and Ballou delivered for the second straight inning with a two-out grand slam off of Couch to extend the lead to 7-0. Couch (L, 4-3) allowed seven runs on eight hits and two walks in 3.2 innings.

The Sea Dogs began to rally back in the fourth inning off of Lucas Giolito. With two on and two out, Nate Freiman hit an RBI single to score Yoan Moncada, then Aneury Tavarez singled in Sean Coyle to cut the deficit to 7-2.

Portland scored three more times in the fifth on RBI singles by Moncada and Freiman and an RBI fielder’s choice by Cody Decker to make it 7-5.

Giolito allowed five runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings while walking four and striking out three. John Simms (W, 4-3) pitched 2 and 1/3 innings of relief and allowed one run on one hit, Nick Lee threw a perfect eighth, and Abel De Los Santos closed out the game to earn his second save.

Portland cut the deficit to one run in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Moncada to score Tzu-Wei Lin.

Moncada finished the game 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and two runs scored.

Harrisburg was able to pad their lead with two unearned runs in the eighth off of Luis Ysla to make it 9-6.