Despite three hits from Dustin Pedroia, the Portland Sea Dogs couldn’t capitalize on their chances Saturday and lost a 5-4, 10-inning game to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Hadlock Field.

Portland left 12 runners on base.

A win was all that was needed to top off a sunny, 61-degree day, with a big crowd and Pedroia’s second appearance of his rehab assignment in Portland.

Pedroia went 3 for 4 – all singles – and made a diving catch to his right. The Red Sox second baseman plans to play in the first game of today’s 1 p.m. doubleheader at Hadlock.

Pedroia’s reaction to his three hits was a shrug. “It feels good,” he said. Pedroia was more concerned to how his surgically repaired left knee responded to playing seven innings.

“It’s just the everyday (grind). If I come in Sunday and feel good, those are the things we’re looking for,” Pedroia said.

Pedroia’s single to center knocked in a first-inning run. Another single to center, in the fifth, advanced Marcus Wilson to second. He scored on C.J. Chatham’s double.

Chatham continued his hot streak as Portland’s leading hitter, going 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI. He’s batting .337.

Sea Dogs left-handed starter Darwinzon Hernandez didn’t factor in the decision, allowing two runs on three hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked three, hit one batter and struck out five, throwing 105 pitches (61 strikes).

“He pitched well. We extended his pitch count and I thought he got stronger as the game went on,” Portland pitching coach Paul Abbott said. “He made some adjustments with his breaking balls (slider and curve) and finished them off better.”

“Still, lapses of focus. A little emotional out there at times. His answer to it is more, instead of slowing things down.”

In the first inning, Hernandez allowed a leadoff single, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch, then gave up a run on a groundout.

With Portland ahead 2-1 in the sixth, Hernandez struck out two batters with his 95 mph fastball and slider. Against the third batter, he began walking off the mound after a 1-2 borderline fastball. But it was called a ball. Hernandez walked the batter, then gave up an RBI double to Mike Paez on a 3-2 fastball.

The Ponies scored twice off Adam Lau (0-1) in the seventh. The Sea Dogs tied the game with two runs in the ninth, on Chatham’s sacrifice fly and Bobby Dalbec’s wall-ball RBI double.

In minor league games, extra innings begin with a runner on second base. Arismendy Alcantara went to second for Binghamton. He was sacrificed to third and scored the winning run on a grounder to third, beating Dalbec’s throw home.

Tate Matheny stood on second for Portland to begin the bottom of the 10th. After Jerry Downs walked, Brett Netzer pinch ran. Jake Romanski bunted toward first baseman Jason Krizan. He threw out Matheny at third. Matheny disagreed, said a few extra words and was thrown out.

After Aneury Tavarez struck out, Wilson came to bat. He worked a 3-0 count but on the third ball, catcher Ali Sanchez threw to first, where Romanski was far from the base. Romanski bolted toward second so Netzer took off for third. He was out in a rundown, ending the game.

NOTES: The announced paid attendance was a sellout at 7,368. … The Boston Red Sox claimed first baseman Joey Curletta off waivers from Seattle and sent him to the Sea Dogs. Curletta, 25, was batting .245 with five home runs in Triple-A. Last year in Double-A, Curletta hit .282 with 23 home runs. … Former major leaguer Cody Asche, a third baseman and outfielder, was signed by Boston out of the independent leagues. He also may be coming to Portland but no announcement was made. … Sea Dogs Manager Joe Oliver remains away from the team, tending to his ailing father in Georgia. … Sunday’s doubleheader at 1 p.m. will complete this rare six-game series, necessitated by the snowed-out games in early April.

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