PORTLAND, Maine — The Harrisburg Senators scored twice in the first inning and led wire to wire to beat the Portland Sea Dogs 5-2 in an Eastern League baseball game in front of 6,344 fans on Thursday night at Hadlock Field.
Making his Double-A debut, Portland’s Jalen Beeks struck out a career-high 10 batters in five innings, but was saddled with the loss. Beeks allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits and one walk. Seven of the eight hits allowed by Beeks were singles, including two bunts.
The Senators (39-32) got on the board on an RBI single by Isaac Ballou in the first. He piled up 10 RBI in the series. Chris Bostick hit a sacrifice fly two batters later to score Wilmer Difo and make it 2-0 Harrisburg.
The Senators added another run in the third on a dropped by ball by Aneury Tavarez that allowed Difo to score from first base. They extended the lead in the fourth on an RBI safety squeeze from Rafael Bautista to score Zach Collier and make it 4-0.
Tavarez led off the bottom of the fifth for Portland (26-45) with a solo homer, his second of the season.
Senators’ starter Phillips Valdez (1-1) kept the Sea Dogs offense at bay with just one run allowed on four hits in five innings, walking two and striking out six.
Mauricio Dubon also made his Double-A debut tonight for Portland and finished 1-for-3 with a triple, a walk and a run scored on an RBI groundout by Andrew Benintendi.