Portland made the most of its nine hits. C.J. Chatham homered and doubled. Jarren Duran singled twice with two RBI. Luke Tendler doubled in three runs. Jeremy Rivera homered and singled. Bobby Dalbec (double) and Brett Netzer (single) joined the fun.
It meant plenty of fist-bumps in an 8-4 victory for the Sea Dogs over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Monday night at Hadlock Field.
The Sea Dogs have won seven of their last 10 games and sense a surge coming on in the second half of the season.
“We’ve been playing well,” Tendler said. “If we keep it going, we got a chance (for the playoffs).”
Matt Kent (3-2) pitched a solid seven innings (two earned runs) and his offense did the rest.
The Sea Dogs’ mash-fest was impressive because it came against left-hander Zach Logue (3-4), just named to the Eastern League All-Star Game. Logue had not allowed more than four runs this season. He gave up seven runs Monday and left after 4 1/3 innings, his earliest exit in two months.
The game was close for a while. After an unearned New Hampshire run in the first, Rivera tied it in the third with his fifth home run.
Chatham ended the Fisher Cats’ fourth with a hustling scoop of a grounder up the middle, followed by a 360-spin and accurate throw to first.
Chatham then led off the fourth with his first Double-A home run, clearing the left-field wall.
New Hampshire tied it in the top of the fifth but Portland scored six in the bottom of the inning for an 8-2 lead.
Kent allowed six hits and struck out four with a season-high 110 pitches.
“Just keep throwing it,” Kent said. “Early in the game I had a pretty good cutter and fastball command, and then I could tunnel off of that, and throw sliders and change-ups to keep them off-balance.”
Konner Wade relieved and allowed one run (a Chad Spanberger homer) over two innings.
The announced paid attendance of 4,856 included a group of 140 asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. Many are staying in the Portland Expo, next door to Hadlock. The Sea Dogs provided the tickets and an anonymous donor provided gift cards for the concession stand.
NOTES: Four Portland Sea Dogs were named to the Eastern League All-Star Game – Dalbec, catcher Jhon Nunez, and pitchers Tanner Houck and Dedgar Jimenez. The game will be July 10 in Richmond, Virginia. Houck (7-4, 4.02 ERA) is tied for second in the league in wins. Jimenez is 2-3, 4.00. Dalbec is batting .233 but ranks second in the league in home runs (14), first in walks (45) and fifth in OPS (.838). Nunez is batting .302 with four home runs. Currently on the injured list, he’s expected to be ready for the game.
Before the game, Brock Holt bobblehead dolls were given away to the first 1,000 fans. … Before Tuesday’s game, the Sea Dogs are holding a drive for gently used clothing and household items for Goodwill. … In Triple-A Pawtucket, former Sea Dogs pitcher Darwinzon Hernandez had another tough start, allowing five runs on four hits (two homers) and five walks.
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