Portland punches in five runs in the first inning.
PORTLAND – Twelve hours after an emotional walk-off win the Portland Sea Dogs just kept swinging.
The Sea Dogs had six straight hits and scored five times in the bottom of the first inning against Trenton’s Chien-Ming Wang while posting an 11-2 drubbing of the Thunder before a sold-out matinee crowd of 6,975 at Hadlock Field Wednesday.
“That was just what the doctor ordered,” said Portland manager Ron Johnson, whose team had beat Trenton in the second game of Tuesday night’s doubleheader on Sean McGowan’s two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning. “When you have to come right back like that, you never know what you’re going to get. I was pleasantly surprised.”
McGowan had four of the Sea Dogs’ 17 hits, including another two-run home run, and drove in three runs.
Trace Coquillette homered twice and knocked in four runs.
“I was more happy with the five-run first inning, especially against them,” said Coquillette. “We just kind of rolled after that.”
Carlos Leon opened the inning with a single and went to third on Tony Schrager’s double down the left field line.
The Sea Dogs got consecutive RBI singles from Justin Headley, McGowan, Justin Sherrod and Brian Loyd before Wang got Coquillette to bounce into a double play for the first outs of the inning.
Raul Nieves capped off the outburst with a single to center to score Sherrod.
“They didn’t hit three balls hard off of him and they got five runs,” said Trenton manager Stump Merrill. “He’d jam a guy and they’d flip it over the infield. It was just one of those days.”
Wang (6-4), the New York Yankees’ No. 7 prospect according to Baseball America left two batters after giving up a two-run home run to Coquillette in the bottom of the fifth.
The right-hander gave up a season-high 13 hits while walking one and striking out three.
Tim Kester (7-7) threw four-hit ball over five shutout innings while winning for the third straight time.
He got some defensive help in the top of the first when Sherrod threw Dioner Navarro out at the plate when he tried to score on Mike Vento’s two-out single to right field.
It was Sherrod’s league-leading 15th assist of the season.
The Thunder finally broke through with Brian Myrow’s RBI double against Eric Glaser in the top of the sixth.
But McGowan got that back and more with a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning.
McGowan, who joined the Sea Dogs on June 17, has hit .436 (41-94) with four homers and 20 RBIs in his last 24 games.
“I knew once I got my timing down I’d be all right,” said McGowan, who was signed by the Red Sox after being released by the San Francisco Giants. “I’m just kind of going with it right now.”
With the win, the Sea Dogs moved a game ahead of New Haven atop the Eastern League’s Northern Division.
The Ravens lost to Harrisburg, 2-0.
Trenton is in third place, 31/2 games back, after dropping the rubber game of the five-game series.
“The last four games were really exciting,” Sherrod said of Monday’s and Tuesday’s doubleheaders. “But obviously you like to win more in this fashion so you don’t have to have a heart attack.”
Sea Dogs notes: Merrill, whose team had won two of three in New Haven before coming to Portland, got a little testy when a Trenton reporter asked him about his team’s performance in what could be a pivotal game in the playoff race. “We played eight tough ballgames and we have one bad game and everyone thinks the (expletive) season’s over,” said Merrill. “We were .500 on a road trip against the two best teams in the league. The kids are playing their (butts) off every night. Give them a (expletive) break . We’re fine. We’re right where we want to be. All we have to do now is win.”….Kevin Haverbusch will be activated from the disabled list before the Sea Dogs start an eight-game road trip tonight in Binghamton. Haverbusch hasn’t played since he strained his hamstring on June 14 in Akron. Headley, who has been limited to the designated hitter role since July 6 with a sore shoulder, will be placed on the DL….The Sea Dogs will play 17 of their next 21 games on the road.
bfoley@sunjournal.com
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