enlarge Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

With one swing, Portland’s Jon Still turns a 3-0 deficit into a tie with a three-run homer in the first inning as the Sea Dogs defeated Reading, 9-4.

enlarge Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

Sea Dogs second baseman Iggy Suarez sweeps the tag to get Quintin Berry of the Reading Phillies trying to steal during Portland’s 9-4 win Tuesday night.

TODAY'S GAME

WHO: Sea Dogs (Kason Gabbard 0-3) vs. Reading Phillies (Yohan Flande 2-3)

WHEN: 6 p.m.

WHERE: Hadlock Field

TICKETS: About 1,000 remain

PORTLAND — Of all the decisions Portland Sea Dogs Manager Arnie Beyeler makes before and during a game, penciling in the top of Tuesday's lineup was a no-brainer.

The result was a 9-4 victory over the Reading Phillies before a crowd of 6,775 at Hadlock Field.

Jon Still hit a three-run home run, Jorge Jimenez singled in two runs, Ryan Kalish added an RBI double and Daniel Nava capped the night with a three-run homer in the eighth inning.

The victory kept Portland (59-61) in the thick of the Eastern League Northern Division playoff race. The Sea Dogs moved one game behind second-place New Britain (60-60), which had its game against Binghamton suspended because of rain in the first inning while leading 1-0. The top two teams in each division reach the playoffs.

Trenton (59-61), another contender, also had its game suspended while leading Erie 6-5 in the fourth inning.

Connecticut (66-51) has a comfortable 81/2 game lead in the division.

Portland got off to a rough start when Blake Maxwell (5-7) gave up a three-run homer to cleanup hitter Brian Stavisky in the first inning.

But the Sea Dogs responded in the bottom of the inning when Kalish and Jimenez singled and Still launched a fastball to left field for his team-leading 15th home run. He also has 80 RBI.

"Took a lot of pressure off me, to put us back in the game," Maxwell said. "Then I settled down."

Maxwell pitched four scoreless innings and Portland took the lead, led by it first four hitters.

Leadoff hitter Nava, who recently joined the Sea Dogs, went 2 for 4 to raise his batting average to .400 through 11 games, but he doesn't want to hear about his statistics.

"You get caught up in the numbers, you're going to go crazy," Nava said. "I'll take good at-bats even when I don't get results."

Kalish enjoyed a 3-for-4 night, upping his average to .279. He is batting .379 in his last 27 games.

"Kalish has been on a tear the last month," Beyeler said. "For a guy who came up here and was hitting a (.150) the first month, he's worked hard and is really driving the ball."

Jimenez remains consistent, improving his average to .291 with 73 RBI. His two-out, two-run single gave Portland a 5-3 lead in the second. He went 2 for 4.

Still also was 2 for 4, and his homer put Portland right back in the game.

"We did a good job of grinding out some (at-bats) and we got on the board," Still said.

In all, the first four batters accounted for nine of Portland 10 hits and all nine RBI.

"You try to pull them out of the hat right every once in a while," Beyeler said of the lineup.

Chris Province relieved Maxwell and pitched two hitless innings, although he did have to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth after two walks and his own fielding error. He struck out Quintin Berry looking on a full count to end the threat.

NOTES: Today's 6 p.m. game will feature fireworks after the game.

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at: kthomas@pressherald.com