A prime pitching performance, combined with offensive might, gave the Portland Sea Dogs a 7-2 victory over the Trenton Thunder Friday night at Hadlock Field.
Josh Ockimey and Jhon Nunez homered in the win, which stopped a four-game losing streak.
Matt Kent (5-4) won his second straight decision, holding the Double-A Yankees to one run over six innings. He gave up six hits – including a homer by Mandy Alvarez – and two walks, striking out four. Kent’s 2.69 ERA is sixth-best in the Eastern League.
Sea Dogs first baseman Josh Ockimey points to the sky as he crosses the plate after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning Friday night at Hadlock Field.
Kent had his assortment of pitches – fastball, cutter, slider, curve and change-up – going, along with a 50 mph eephus pitch that got a strikeout.
Reliever Matthew Gorst, promoted Thursday from advanced Class A Salem, pitched two scoreless innings (one hit, one walk, one strikeout). Adam Lau finished it, allowing a walk, double and an unearned run in the ninth.
Danny Mars of the Sea Dogs slides safely into second, stealing the base as Trenton’s Billy Fleming mishandles the throw in the fourth inning.
Portland backed the pitching with a 10-hit effort. Second baseman Nick Lovullo reached base all four times with three singles and a walk. He knocked in two runs.
The Sea Dogs jumped ahead 2-0 in the second inning on a double by Jordan Betts and singles by Johnny Bladel, Tate Matheny and Lovullo.
In the third, Trenton starter Ryan Bolinger (3-3) allowed a leadoff single by Danny Mars, followed by Ockimey’s 11th home run. Ockimey got an elevated inside fastball and smacked it to right-center, sending it 409 feet.
Ockimey, 22, began the season a week late because of hamstring trouble. On May 4, he was batting .196 with one home run. He has 10 homers in his last 42 games. He leads the team in home runs, RBI (37) and batting (.276).
In the fourth inning, Lovullo singled and Nunez followed with his first homer of the year (over the left field wall, 400 feet) for a 6-1 lead.
Despite the loss, the Thunder (41-31) remained in second place in the Eastern League East Division, two games behind New Hampshire. Portland improved to 27-45.
NOTES: The announced paid attendance was 5,681 … Gorst, Portland’s newest right-handed reliever, just got back from the Carolina League All-Star Game. Gorst was a 12th-round draft pick (with a $115,000 signing bonus) out of Georgia Tech in 2016. In Salem, Gorst had a 1.59 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 33 strikeouts/seven walks in 28 innings … To make room for Gorst, Sea Dogs starter-turned-reliever Kevin McAvoy (8.64 ERA) was sent to Salem … Shortstop Jeremy Rivera was back in uniform after missing time to be in Puerto Rico for the birth of his daughter, Leah, on Father’s Day, June 17 … Trenton added former Sea Dogs infielder Wendell Rijo to its roster on Thursday. Rijo, 22, was acquired by the Yankees from the Milwaukee Brewers last week. In July 2016, Boston traded Rijo in the deal to obtain veteran infielder Aaron Hill. Rijo, in his sixth professional season, has yet to play above Double-A.
Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-7411 or:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: @ClearTheBases
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