PORTLAND — Dedgar Jimenez again walked a tightrope but stayed upright.
While he put up zeros, Jantzen Witte put up the runs, knocking in four.
Jimenez won his fourth straight decision, and Witte went 3 for 4 with a home run, as the Portland Sea Dogs beat the Harrisburg Senators 6-0 Monday night before 5,161 at Hadlock Field.
Witte’s RBI double in the fourth broke a scoreless tie. His two-run homer in the sixth provided insurance. He finished his night with an RBI-single.
“Felt pretty good,” said the low-key Witte.
Jimenez (6-6) allowed five of the first 10 Harrisburg batters to reach, and still pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and three walks, striking out seven.
Jimenez has been up-and-down this year. He’s currently up with 17 2/3 straight scoreless innings.
“I’m getting better with my change-up so I’m throwing it more,” Jimenez said.
In the past seven games, Sea Dogs starters have allowed a total of two earned runs.
Portland (41-58) has won five of those games (four shutouts). Harrisburg (51-49) lost its second straight.
Matt Gorst relieved Jimenez in the sixth, with runners on first and third and two outs. He escaped – with right fielder Danny Mars providing the sliding catch. Gorst pitched a scoreless seventh, keeping his ERA at 0.00 (16 1/3 innings).
Josh Taylor and Jordan Weems finished with scoreless innings.
Jimenez, 22, utilized his improved change-up, along with a 90-mph fastball.
In the first inning, he gave up two harmless singles. In the second he allowed a single and two walks and a single to load the bases. Jimenez got shortstop prospect Carter Kieboom to ground out, ending the inning. That was the first of seven straight batters that Jimenez retired.
Witte’s home run was his ninth for Portland, and boosted his OPS to .810.
Josh Ockimey and Austin Rei added RBI singles.
Ockimey leads the lead with 52 RBI. Witte has 43.
NOTES: Third baseman Michael Chavis (sore wrist) still has not played since July 14. He took batting practice and continues to be listed as “day-to-day” … Harrisburg lefty Ryan Harper (brother of Bryce) relieved in the seventh. Harper missed last year with Tommy John surgery … Former Sea Dogs pitcher Michael Tejera returned to Hadlock Field as the Senators’ first-year pitching coach. Tejera, 41, pitched three seasons for the Sea Dogs (1999 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year) and five seasons in the majors … Once again, the Portland Sea Dogs were listed among the top 25 minor league teams in merchandise sales. No ranking is presented. Other Eastern League teams on the list are the Trenton Thunder, Hartford Yard Goats and Reading Fightin Phils … Fans began showing up for Monday’s 7 p.m. game at 3 p.m., starting a line for the Dustin Pedroia bobbleheads given away to the first 1,000 fans. When the gate opened at 5:30, the line was past the Portland Expo … The Sea Dogs have two more bobblehead giveaways this season, Rafael Devers (Aug. 1) and Xander Bogaerts (Aug. 18).
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