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After taking a lead in the top of the ninth, Portland loses the final game of the series.

By JIM LANE, Special to the Press Herald August 14, 2009

ALTOONA, Pa. — The Portland Sea Dogs lost a wild one Thursday night.

After wild pitches helped the Sea Dogs score their last three runs, they couldn't hold the lead and dropped a 9-8 decision in a 10-inning, 4-hour marathon to the Altoona Curve before a crowd of 4,028 at Blair County Ballpark.

Brian Friday's two-out single to center field scored Ray Chang in the bottom of the 10th to give Altoona the win in the rubber game of a three-game series. Chang had singled, stole second and moved to third on a groundout.

Right fielder Daniel Nava was Portland's big offensive threat. He went 3 for 3, drove in three runs and scored twice.

After scoring seven runs in the final two innings of a 13-4 win Wednesday, the Sea Dogs wasted little time Thursday. They scored four in the first, highlighted by Nava's three-run homer.

Jorge Jimenez's RBI single gave the Sea Dogs a 5-1 lead in the second, but Chang belted a grand slam over the left-field bleachers in the third to tie the score at 5.

Aided by a couple of wild pitches, the Sea Dogs pushed over single runs in the fifth and seventh. In the fifth, Nava singled, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on a Luis Exposito's single.

In the seventh, Jimenez walked, hustled to third on Nava's third hit and scored on a wild pitch.

Altoona rallied again, though, and tied the score at 7 with a pair of runs – one unearned – in the eighth. Pedro Alvarez doubled and scored on Miles Durham's single. When the ball rolled through center fielder Ryan Kalish's legs, Durham hustled to third and then scored on Andrew Dobies' wild pitch.

The Sea Dogs went ahead in the top of the ninth without a hit. Kalish walked, stole second, went to third on Jeff Sues' wild pitch and scored on Jon Still's sacrifice fly to right.

Altoona answered in its half of the ninth on a throwing error by pitcher Bryce Cox and then scored the winner in the 10th.

Kason Gabbard returned to the Sea Dogs after a five-game rehab stint with the Lowell Spinners and lasted only 2 2/3 innings. He allowed seven walks, four hits and five runs with five strikeouts.

NOTES: All three games in the series lasted more than three hours. ... Besides his three hits, Nava also walked in the third. ... Leadoff man Iggy Suarez had three hits and scored twice for the Sea Dogs.

SEA DOGS TICKETS: The Portland Sea Dogs will begin selling strip playoff tickets (tickets to all possible playoff games at Hadlock Field) at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Individual game tickets will be available to the public at 9 a.m. Aug. 26.

Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office at Hadlock Field and by calling 879-9500.

Box seats are $9 for adults and $8 for children and seniors; reserved seats are $8 for adults and $7 for children and seniors; general admission seats are $7 for adults and $4 for children and seniors.