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Portland puts together a two-run rally in the ninth, but ends up losing to Reading, 6-5.

By RICH SCARCELLA, Special to the Press Herald July 30, 2009

READING, Pa. — Jon Still's two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning pulled the Portland Sea Dogs within one Wednesday night, but they couldn't come up with the tying run in a 6-5 loss to the Reading Phillies at FirstEnergy Stadium.

"We put guys on base and we threatened," Portland Manager Arnie Beyeler said. "We put a little pressure on them at the end and made it tough for them to get the last out."

After reaching second place in the Northern Division for the first time since May 28 a night earlier, the Sea Dogs dropped a half-game behind Trenton, which had its game rained out.

Reading, meanwhile, moved into a tie with Erie for second place in the Southern Division, six games behind first-place Akron.

The Phillies received a big night from first baseman Brian Stavisky, who went 3 for 3 with two solo home runs and scored four runs. Stavisky came into the game in an 0-for-10 slump.

His second home run, off Portland reliever Ryne Miller in the sixth, put Reading ahead for good at 4-3.

"He's been a stabilizer for us in the four-hole," Phils Manager Steve Roadcap said. "He's made great progress at first base. He had a great session before the game and it carried over."

Still continued his torrid hitting for Portland, going 2 for 4 and breaking the franchise record for RBI in July. He has knocked in 28 runs this month and leads the Boston farm system with 70 RBI.

"He puts the ball in play," Beyeler said. "He's a big, strong kid. You put him in a ballpark like this, where it can go out to any field, and it makes him even tougher. He's a dangerous guy at the plate."

Portland's Ryan Kalish also continued to rip the ball, doubling in the first inning, moving up on a fly ball and scoring on a wild pitch.

Reading tied it in the second with an unearned run. After a walk, third baseman Jorge Jimenez booted Neil Sellers' grounder, putting runners on first and second. Ozzie Chavez then delivered an RBI single.

In the third, Phillies right fielder Kevin Mahar kept it tied when he reached over the short fence in right and pulled in Kalish's drive.

Stavisky put the Phillies ahead 2-1 with a solo shot to left field in the fourth. Portland regained the lead in the fifth. Ryan Khoury led off with a homer to left and Jimenez doubled home Kalish, who had walked, to make it 3-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, Brad Harman doubled off Portland starter Jarod Plummer and scored when Tim Kennelly hit a bloop double to right to tie it.

Reading couldn't get Kennelly home, however. After Quintin Berry lined out to shortstop for the first out, Mike Spidale singled to right. Kennelly, though, broke back to second and had to stop at third base. Jeremy Slayden then hit a sharp grounder that first baseman Lars Anderson turned into a double play.

After Stavisky's second homer, the Sea Dogs threatened in the eighth, putting runners on second and third with one out. But Khoury struck out and Kalish flied out to center.

Neil Sellers finished the Phils' scoring with a two-run shot to right-center in the eighth.