Portland Sea Dogs - Centralmaine.com

Topics at Sea Dogs’ Hot Stove Dinner – Cora and Red Sox future

Michael Chavis and Joe Oliver are among those who weigh in on the dismissal of Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

Next season’s schedule features just seven home games in April, the fewest since the Sea Dogs’ inaugural season in 1994.

There were highlights – a no-hitter, a three-homer game, players called up – but Portland finished with the third-worst record in the Eastern League.

Daniel McGrath is promoted, so instead of a pitching duel, New Hampshire dominates with Yennsy Diaz’s near no-hitter.

Jeremy Rivera, 24, has shined in the field but has struggled to hit in the wake of injuries.

In an otherwise stellar season, left-hander Daniel McGrath serves up a pair of homers and is pinned with a 7-0 loss, his first of the season.

A superb outing by the Portland right-hander goes by the wayside in a game eventually canceled because of heavy rains.

The Sea Dogs second baseman has an RBI single in an 8-7 loss to Reading.

Several players, including slugger Bobby Dalbec, will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft unless Boston elevates them to its 40-man roster.

The soft-throwing lefty improves to 5-0 as Portland completes a 4-2 homestand.