On a night celebrating sugar and calorie intake, the Portland Sea Dogs almost provided a sweet ending.

Portland rallied from a six-run deficit to take an 8-7 lead, only to lose 11-8 to the Reading Fightin Phils in 10 innings Friday night before 7,080 at Hadlock Field.

In a first-ever promotion for the Sea Dogs, the team played under the name “Whoopie Pies,” complete with brown-and-white jerseys and caps. The team has varied its uniform before but has never changed its name. The promotion featured plenty of apparel – which kept the gift shop buzzing – as the team celebrated the official state treat of Maine, and the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival on Saturday in Dover-Foxcroft.

Before the game, a whoopie pie eating contest took place in front of the visitors’ dugout.

The visitors took delight at the end.

In the eighth inning, Darick Hall’s RBI single off Durbin Feltman tied the game. In the 10th, the Phils put together three hits, including two triples, off Matthew Gorst (0-5), for three runs. Portland went down 1-2-3 in the ninth and 10th innings.

The Sea Dogs, who ended the first half of the Eastern League schedule with a five-game winning streak, are 0-2 in the second half.

“You can say our season has gone (like Friday),” Manager Joe Oliver said. “But looking at the guys falling behind like they did and then taking the lead, you’re looking at a different ballclub right now. We’re playing well.”

C.J. Chatham and Tate Matheny both recorded three hits, and Joey Curletta homered. Daniel McGrath pitched 3 2/3 innings of no-hit relief.

Starter Dedgar Jimenez didn’t get out of the third inning. With the score 1-1, the first six Reading batters reached – error, walk, bloop single, bloop single, walk and double. After a one-out single for a 7-1 lead, McGrath relived.

McGrath, a left-hander from Melbourne, Australia, in his second season in Portland, got out of the inning with a strikeout and flyout. He retired nine straight until Chatham’s second error of the game at shortstop. McGrath walked none and struck out four.

“He threw the ball extremely well,” Oliver said.

The Sea Dogs’ first run came on Curletta’s second-inning home run off JoJo Romero. Curletta, who the Red Sox claimed off waivers from Seattle in May, clocked a fastball over the message board in left center.

In the third, Portland began its rally with one out, courtesy of Jarren Duran’s speed. Duran pushed a hard bunt to second baseman Paul Rivas and still beat it out.

Jeremy Rivera grounded to Rivas, but his throw to second base sailed into left field. Duran sprinted around and scored. Chatman doubled in Rivera. Bobby Dalbec was hit by a pitch and Curletta loaded the bases with a single.

Matheny doubled to deep right, scoring two. Brett Netzer singled in two more, making it 7-7.

In the fourth inning, with two outs, Rivera singled and Chatham got another RBI double with a line drive high off the left-field wall. Portland led 8-7.

The Sea Dogs’ second reliever, Kevin Lenik, pitched a hitless seventh.

Feltman relieved in the eighth and hit the first batter, Rivas. After two outs, Feltman issued a walk and then allowed Hall’s RBI single to right, tying the game.

NOTES: The Red Sox promoted two pitchers from advanced Class A to Portland. Kutter Crawford, a 16th-round draft pick in 2017, will start for the Sea Dogs on Sunday. He had a 3.44 ERA in Salem. Reliever Eduard Bazardo had a 1.76 ERA in Salem, with 53 strikeouts in 41 innings. … Third baseman Alec Bohm, the Phillies’ first-round draft pick (and third overall) last year, made his Double-A debut. He went 0 for 5 with a walk.

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