(Portland, ME) - The Portland Sea Dogs opened up their 15th season at Hadlock Field on Friday night but suffered a 3-1 loss to the New Britain Rock Cats. The Sea Dogs have dropped three straight home openers and fall to 5-2 on the season.

Rock Cats righty Anthony Swarzak (1-0) fired five scoreless frames on three hits, no walks and four strikeouts to earn the win. Michael Bowden took the loss for Portland, yielding three runs (two earned) over 4 and 1/3 innings on five hits, two walks and four strikeouts.

Ben Julianel pitched a scoreless ninth, retiring Mark Wagner on a double play to end the game and notch his second save.

Jeff Natale (2-for-4) accounted for Portland's lone run, knocking in a two-out run in the eighth inning. The Sea Dogs had six hits and have scored a total of three runs in their last three games.

New Britain scored a two-out run off Bowden in the first inning. David Martin doubled and scored on a run-scoring single by Luke Hughes. Bowden's four strikeouts came in the first two innings, including three in the first. The Rock Cats added an unearned run in the third inning and Steve Tolleson led off the fifth with a solo homer.

The Portland bullpen of Chad Rhoades (1.2 IP), Mike James (IP) and Jose Vaquedano (2 IP) combined for 4 and 2/3 scoreless frames.

Notes...Portland falls to 7-8 All-Time in home openers...The Sea Dogs were 0-for-24 with runners-in-scoring position until Natale's RBI single in the eighth.