PORTLAND (AP) – Chris Durbin had three hits, scored twice and drove in two runs as the Portland Sea Dogs beat the Connecticut Defenders 9-4 Thursday in the Eastern League.

Jake Wald and Nate Schierholtz homered for the Defenders (43-48).

Durbin and Jeremy West both doubled and scored as Portland (53-36) grabbed a 3-0 lead after two innings. The Sea Dogs capitalized on a fielding error to add two in the fifth. Dusty Brown’s double and Durbin’s bases-loaded single sparked Portland’s three-run sixth. David Bacani doubled and scored the Sea Dogs’ final run on West’s single in the eighth.

After Wald belted a solo homer in the third, he added an RBI single in the fifth. Schierholtz’s solo shot came in the seventh.

Portland starter Frank Brooks (1-1) gave up two runs over five innings to earn the win. Connecticut starter James Garcia (2-2) took the loss.

AP-ES-07-13-06 2210EDT