NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — The Portland Sea Dogs (50-52) swept an Eastern League doubleheader from the New Britain Rock Cats (48-54) on Monday night at New Britain Stadium.

Portland won the opener, 5-4 and took the nightcap in nine innings, 8-3. The Sea Dogs have won four straight and pulled within three games of second place New Hampshire.

In the opener, Troy Thomas cracked a three-run homer and made a great diving catch. Portland snapped a six-game losing streak on the road and earned its 11th win against New Britain. Trailing 2-0 in the third, Garin Cecchini (2-for-4, RBI) got Portland on the board with a run-scoring single. After a walk to Michael Almanzar, Thomas blasted an 0-2 pitch from B.J. Hermsen (1-7) over the left-center field wall, his 11th of the season, giving Portland a 4-2 lead.

Keith Couch (7-3) worked six strong innings on eight hits and four runs to earn the win. He allowed two homers for the first time this season. Jordan Parraz blasted a two-run homer in the second, and Daniel Ortiz hit a one-out blast in the sixth for the final run of the game.

Tied 3-3 in the nightcap, Portland used a five-run ninth for the sweep.

Matt Spring clubbed two homers and drove in three, and Pete Ruiz (2-2) worked two scoreless innings for the win.

Spring and Ryan Dent hit back-to-back homers to start the rally off losing pitcher Cole Johnson. Cecchini and Almanzar added RBI hits with one out, and Ronald Bermudez (3- for-5) knocked in the final run with a single.

Ruiz retired all six batters faced and struck out Daniel Ortiz to end the game.

The teams meet again tonight at 7:05 p.m., with Terry Doyle (0-3) pitching for Portland against New Britain’s Nick Blackburn.