Pimentel Leads Sea Dogs to Fourth Straight Win

Portland, Maine- Stolmy Pimentel was nearly perfect for seven innings and the Portland Sea Dogs offense matched a season high with 18 hits as the Sea Dogs (40-54) won their fourth straight game with a 9-1 victory of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (36-57) before a crowd of 6,584 fans at Hadlock Field on Saturday night. The Sea Dogs out-hit the Fisher Cats 18 to 2.

Pimentel (3-4), a member of the Red Sox 40-man roster, retired the first 15 batters he faced. Brad Glenn reached on an infield single to lead-off the sixth inning to break-up the perfect game. Glenn would score when Kenen Bailli followed with a double.

The 22 year-old allowed just three base runners over seven innings; the two hits in the sixth and a seventh inning walk to Mike McDade. He recorded six strikeouts tossing 88 pitches, 62 for strikes.

Meanwhile, the Sea Dogs had no problems reaching base collecting 18 hits. Marquez Smith led the way with a 4-for-5 performance. Dan Butler was 3-for-5 and had a game high three RBI. Eight of the nine Portland starters collected at least one hit.

The Sea Dogs exploded for four runs on five hits in the fourth inning. Singles by Reynaldo Rodriguez, Bryce Brentz, Butler, Derrick Gibson and a double by Zach Gentile along with a RBI ground out off the bat of Peter Hissey produced four runs. All of the damage came off New Hampshire starter Chad Jenkins (4-9).

Rodriguez blasted his team leading 13th home run in the fifth inning, a two run shot that went over the Dunkin Donuts scoreboard in left-center field of Jenkins that extended the Sea Dogs lead to 6-0. The home run was the first for Rodriguez since June 9th.

The Sea Dogs put the game out of reach in sixth striking with three more runs. Butler had a two run single and Hissey picked-up his second RBI of the game with a single to score Butler.

Aaron Kurcz pitched two no-hit innings with three strikeouts to close out the game.

Jackie Bradley Jr. broke out of a 0-for-17 slump with a third inning single and added a double in the seventh inning.

It is the first four game win streak for the Sea Dogs since June 1 through June 5, 2011 when the team won five straight.

The Sea Dogs will look to sweep the five game series with a 1:00 PM game on Sunday. Eastern League All-Star Chris Hernandez (4-7, 3.10), who sports the Eastern League's sixth best ERA will get the start for the Sea Dogs. The Fisher Cats will send righty Fernando Hernandez (3-6, 4.67). The action can be heard live on 95.5/ 95.9 FM WPEI. Tickets are available and can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 207-879-9500 or order online at www.seadogs.com.