PORTLAND
When left-handed pitcher Dedgar Jimenez arrived in Portland last July, his impact was immediate — Eight games (seven starts), 5-0 record, 2.91 ERA.
This season, after taking another loss Sunday, Jimenez is 1-5 with a 5.81 ERA.
A couple of pitches, here and there.
Jimenez, 22, struck out seven and walked one Sunday, but also allowed a pair of two-run homers in the Sea Dogs’ 7-2 loss to the Akron RubberDucks before an announced sellout crowd of 7,368 (minus a few hundred no-shows) at Hadlock Field.
Jantzen Witte homered for the Sea Dogs (22-39). Akron remains the Eastern League West Division leader at 36-27.
Jimenez, with a deceiving 90 mph fastball, cutter and effective slider, can pitch his way through a lineup. But he can’t afford mistakes.
Jimenez allowed two harmless singles in the first inning. He then retired seven straight batters and had an 0-2 count on Mark Mathias with two outs in the third – but walked him.
Joe Sever followed with a blast into the right-field pavilion.
In the fifth, Jimenez surrendered a leadoff double and then faced Tom Ka’ai. Jimenez wanted to sneak in a fastball, but it was launched to the clubhouse roof in right-center.
Reliever Trey Ball allowed two runs over two innings and Travis Lakins gave up an unearned run in the ninth.
Akron starter Sean Brady (3-3) also struck out seven, allowing one run over 6 2/3 innings.
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