When Josh Ockimey saw a fastball right down the middle, and did what he usually does with those, all looked well for the Portland Sea Dogs.
Ockimey’s 10th home run of the season put Portland up 3-2 in the third inning, with Sea Dogs starter Dedgar Jimenez settling in.
But Portland managed little offense after that and the pitching unraveled. The Reading Fightin Phils roared to a 12-3 rout of the Sea Dogs on Wednesday night at Hadlock Field.
The Sea Dogs (26-44) dropped their third straight to Reading (29-40). Portland will try to salvage a game in this series at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Portland entered this homestand on a four-game winning streak, including a sweep at Bowie. In the sweep, Jimenez pitched one of his finest games, a seven-inning five-hitter, allowing one run.
But Jimenez’s bugaboo has been the big inning. On Wednesday, he allowed two runs in the second and five of the six runs in the fifth.
Jimenez (2-6) ended the second inning with a strikeout, the first of eight straight he retired.
That put Jimenez in line for the win when Portland scored three in the third, one an a double by Jantzen Witte and two on a homer by Ockimey off Harold Arauz (4-4).
But with one out in the fifth, Jimenez gave up four singles and hit a batter. He exited with Reading ahead 5-3, with two runners on and two outs.
Trey Ball relieved and gave up a two-run triple to Zach Green, and then a RBI single. Reading led 8-3. In the sixth, Ball allowed a grand slam to Austin Listi.
The announced paid attendance was 4,239.
Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-7411 or:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: @ClearTheBases
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