His fastball does not register above 90 mph, but left-hander Dedgar Jimenez, only 21, knows how to pitch.

“Tempo, tempo, tempo,” said Sea Dogs Manager Carlos Febles. “He gets the ball and he throws it. He has the ability to work both sides of the plate.”

Jimenez was dominant for six innings Wednesday night in a 6-1 win over the Altoona Curve, before a sold-out crowd of 7,368 at Hadlock Field.

Josh Ockimey led Portland (58-61) with two RBI singles. Jeremy Barfield added two doubles.

Jimenez (4-0) allowed three hits and no runs through six innings. With two outs in the seventh, he gave up four straight singles and one run.

His ERA in five Double-A starts is 2.83.

Jimenez signed with Boston when he was a 16-year-old in Venezuela. He has worked his way through the system and was 10-3 for Class A Salem before his promotion to Portland.

His 14 total wins is best among Red Sox minor leaguers, and second best in minor league baseball.

He mixes a curve and change-up with his deceiving fastball.

“His fastball plays pretty well,” Febles said. “He has such a smooth delivery and a short arm. The ball comes out of his hand – it’s 88-90 mph and it looks 95.”

Jimenez did not walk a batter and struck out one.

In the seventh, with the bases loaded and two outs, reliever Ty Buttrey stranded the runners with a strikeout. He then pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, and Bobby Poyner did the same in the ninth. Poyner’s ERA is 0.28.

Portland took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on back-to-back doubles by Henry Urrutia and Danny Bethea.

Michael Chavis and Barfield each hit an RBI double in the third, and the Sea Dogs were on their way.

Urrutia and Danny Mars each had two hits. Urrutia is batting .357 (10 for 28) this month. Mars was 2 for 5, raising his average to .313, second-best in the Eastern League.

NOTES: Wednesday’s sellout was the 10th of the season for the Sea Dogs. … Thursday’s game is a noon start with Trey Ball on the mound for Portland … Poyner has allowed one earned run in 22 Double-A appearances (32 innings). … Bethea has had limited playing time but has been effective (.325, 13 for 40). He also threw out a base stealer Wednesday.

Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: ClearTheBases