enlarge Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

Ryan Khoury of the Portland Sea Dogs flips the ball to first base for an out after knocking down a hard-hit ball in the first game of the doubleheader with Binghamton.

enlarge Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

Some duck, some reach, some shield their heads and, when all else fails, one just hides. That’s how it was Wednesday night in the rain and mist of Hadlock Field when a foul ball reminded the patrons that, yes, it’s baseball season. Here’s hoping the kid with the glove made the catch.

PORTLAND — Junichi Tazawa settled into the damp just fine Wednesday night for the Portland Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field.

Tazawa earned his first win since June 7 with a remarkably efficient start to open a doubleheader against the Binghamton Mets with a 3-1 victory.

The Sea Dogs' offense came alive in Game 2, scattering eight hits for a 6-2 victory behind starter Adam Mills.

The doubleheader, which began at 6:32 p.m. after a lengthy rain delay, finished at 11:18 with just a few hardy fans left in the cold, wet bleachers.

"The last couple of games were rainy days and I gave up runs and hits," said Tazawa through a translator. "Today somehow I got it done. When I get a first-pitch strike I can get my tempo."

Tazawa threw 49 pitches in five innings, 37 for strikes, and gave up just one run, a homer in the first.

Tazawa, who is 8-5 with a 2.79 earned-run average, never reached a three-ball count. He struck out two and walked no one.

"He was very efficient," said Sea Dogs Manager Arnie Beyeler. "He got some good things to happen. He was very aggressive. We really liked what we saw."

Beyeler said he held Tazawa to five innings because of Tazawa's trip to St. Louis to play for the world team Sunday in the Futures Game as part of baseball's All-Star festivities.

Tazawa, who lost his previous three starts, gave up a homer to Ike Davis in the first. No other batter reached base.

"He's been unbelievable," said Ryan Kalish who went a combined 3 for 7 with four RBI. "Everytime he's on the mound he's been dominant."

The Sea Dogs trailed in Game 1 until scoring three runs in the third on three hits and a walk.

The breakout inning negated a 10-strikeout outing from Binghamton starter Brad Holt (0-3).

In Game 2, the Sea Dogs used a five-run second to chase Jake Ruckle (0-1) from the mound after just 1 2⁄3 innings.

Kalish drove in a run with a single in the first. Matt Sheely drove in Argenis Diaz (walk) with a single in the second, and Kalish added two on a single in the second to make it 4-0. Jon Still drove in a pair on a single to make it 6-0.

The Mets picked up runs in the sixth and seventh but never really threatened.

Mills (5-5, 5.47 ERA), struck out two, and gave up six hits and no runs in five innings.

"It's easy to lose focus when you're sitting around playing cards and hanging out," said Kalish. "You have to be able to flip a switch. We did that tonight. And we were seeing the ball real well."

The doubleheader was scheduled after Tuesday night's game was rained out, and was delayed 1 hour, 32 minutes because of more rain.

"We're tired of playing in garbage," said Beyeler, "but the (grounds crew) did a great job. They got out there with the crew and got things ready.

"We played well, pitched well and got good defense."

NOTES: Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie went 2 for 3 at Class A Lowell on Wednesday morning. Lowrie is coming off a wrist injury and on rehab assignment. He played with the Sea Dogs on Monday night and was supposed to return to Hadlock on Tuesday and Wednesday. ... The paid attendance was 5,070, a fifth of that likely present.

Staff Writer Jenn Menendez can be contacted at 791-6426 or at:

jmenendez@pressherald.com