With the game tied and a runner on second base in the seventh inning Saturday night, the Erie SeaWolves called on left-handed reliever Jairo Labourt to face Portland’s left-handed hitting Tzu-Wei Lin.

“He threw a slider,” said Lin, who took it for a ball. “Then he threw another slider. … I just wanted to get the run in.”

Lin lined a single to right, sending in the go-ahead run as the Sea Dogs enjoyed a 4-3 win before a Hadlock Field crowd of 6,824.

It was the third straight win as the Sea Dogs (27-30) inched toward .500 again. Erie is 29-30.

Lin, inserted into the leadoff spot two games ago, enjoyed a 2-for-4 night, including a double.

Josh Tobias and Cole Sturgeon also had two hits. Tobias drove in one run, Sturgeon two.

Sea Dogs starter Trey Ball gave up a two-run homer in the first inning but escaped jams after that, not allowing another run over 51/3 innings.

In the first, Ball gave up three straight hits but picked off Harold Castro before another single and Gabriel Quintana’s blast over the left-field wall.

Portland tied it in the bottom of the first. Tobias’ single and a Rafael Devers double helped load the bases. With two outs, Sturgeon grounded a single up the middle, scoring two.

In the second inning, a strong relay throw by Lin at short kept the game tied. A.J. Simcox tried to score from first on a double into the left-field corner. Danny Mars dug out the ball and got it to Lin, who fired a strike home, getting Simcox.

“I just turned and threw it. Just lucky, man,” Lin said.

Ball created his own jam in the fifth, walking the bases loaded. With two outs, Ball got Gerber to fly to left.

Portland took a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Mars singled and reached third on Lin’s double. Tobias grounded to first, scoring Mars.

Ball faced one batter in the sixth – a groundout – before being lifted. His line ended at six hits, two runs, four walks and four strikeouts – his best start since giving up one run May 7.

Ball was in line for the win but Erie got to reliever Jake Cosart (2-2) for a run in the seventh. A walk and single put runners on first and third with a sacrifice fly making it 3-3.

Erie starter Myles Jaye began the bottom of the seventh by walking Jordan Procyshen, then sending him to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Labourt relieved and Lin greeted him with the RBI single.

Williams Jerez relieved Cosart and pitched two scoreless innings to earn his second save.

NOTES: Devers, who is 10th in the Eastern League in batting, went 1 for 4, dropping his average a point to .307. … The Sea Dogs haven’t announced a starter for Sunday. They likely will use available relievers, especially with an off day Monday.

Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: KevinThomasPPH