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Josh Reddick's call to Boston is the big news on a weeklong trip ending with a loss at Harrisburg.

By GEOFF MORROW, Special to the Press Herald August 3, 2009

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Josh Reddick's promotion and Adam Mills' seventh straight victory highlighted the Portland Sea Dogs' otherwise ho-hum trip to Metro Bank Park this weekend.

The slumping Sea Dogs lost 2 of 3 to the Harrisburg Senators after losing 3 of 4 in Reading, the weeklong trip to Pennsylvania ending with just two wins.

Starting Tuesday, it's back to Hadlock Field for six more games against opponents from the Eastern League's Southern Division, starting with a three-game series against Altoona.

"We ran into some pretty good pitching down here, guys who were pounding the strike zone and working ahead," Portland Manager Arnie Beyeler said after Sunday's 6-2 loss to Harrisburg.

"We matched up well but we were always just one pitch, one swing, one play away.

"It's our first trip south in this heat, and we were kind of dragging out there. But that's not an excuse."

In Sunday's series finale, the Sea Dogs (51-56) mustered just six singles and failed to draw a walk in seven innings against right-hander Luis Atilano.

The 24-year-old Atilano, a former first-round pick of the Atlanta Braves, gave up just an unearned run. Yamaico Navarro reached on a throwing error in the sixth and, after a single by Ryan Kalish, scored on Jon Still's base hit.

Portland got another unearned run in the eighth when Kalish doubled and scored on an error.

Kalish (2 for 4) and John Otness (2 for 3) provided half of Portland's hits.

In Saturday night's 4-2 loss, Portland had just five hits, including a solo home run by Juan Apodaca, against starter Jeff Mandel and two relievers.

It was Mandel's second Double-A start, and he's gone seven innings and gotten the win in each.

The Sea Dogs fared better on Friday. Mills was sharp on the mound, and Reddick learned he was heading to the Red Sox.

Reddick, an outfielder, was missing from Portland's starting lineup Friday, but all Beyeler could tell him was he was heading to Baltimore.

"That's all we knew," Beyeler said. "We didn't know if he'd be activated, so he was going to sit in a motel and wait for the news. Luckily for him he was activated and got into the lineup and got a few hits."

Reddick started for the Red Sox Saturday and Sunday – both victories – and was a combined 4 for 10 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI. He grounded out as a pinch hitter on Friday.

Mills, meanwhile, went seven innings in the Sea Dogs' 8-3 victory Friday night, improving to 9-5 with a 4.57 ERA. After his first seven starts this season, he was 1-2 with a 9.66 ERA.

"The first month, there was so much going on in my head," Mills said. "I didn't know which way was up. I was pitching how I thought everybody wanted me to pitch."

Senators Manager John Stearns, a former catcher with the New York Mets, was impressed.

"He didn't walk anybody. That's big right there," Stearns said. "He's not overpowering, but it doesn't matter if you throw 95 or 85 (mph) if you locate your pitches, and that's what he does."

Portland's top four batters – Navarro, Kalish, Jorge Jimenez and Still – combined to go 9 for 19 with five runs and five RBI Friday night, with Jimenez hitting a late two-run homer to help put away the victory.