TRENTON, N.J. – It was the ultimate professional at-bat.

Portland’s Alex Hassan fouled off six two-strike offerings in an 11-pitch, ninth-inning duel with Trenton reliever Pat Venditte before the pitcher finally relented.

Hassan laced the final pitch, on the inside part of the plate where he wanted it, to left field for a two-run double that provided an important cushion in the Sea Dogs’ 5-2 victory Tuesday at Waterfront Park in front of announced crowd of 5,542 that included 70 bus loads of students on “Educational Day.”

“Once I got two strikes, he was just throwing away, away, away,” Hassan said. “I was just trying to foul it off and wait for a pitch in. Finally, he threw a pitch in and I was able to get to it.”

The double was part of another excellent day for Hassan, who went 3 for 4 with those two RBI and a run scored to help Portland (9-13) snap a four-game losing streak overall and six-game road skid. He raised his EL-leading average to .427 with his 10th multihit game and has hit safely in 20 of 22 contests.

“When he makes an out, he’s a tough out,” Portland Manager Kevin Boles said. “And obviously his numbers since the start of the season … he’s done a tremendous job.”

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Not bad for a 20th-round selection in 2009 who only focused solely on hitting once he left Duke, where he also pitched. The key to his success is all about his approach at the plate.

“Not every day your swing feels good, but every day your approach can be good,” the 23-year-old said. “I just try to have a good approach no matter how I’m feeling.

“Some days you don’t feel good and your swing doesn’t feel good, but if you can keep a consistent plan, that makes a big difference.”

Hassan’s fast start probably is opening some eyes in Boston, but the Quincy, Mass., native focuses on the task at hand.

“My job is to go out and play,” Hassan said. “My job is not to worry about that stuff. Their job is tough and my job is tough, so I just do my job.”

Another Portland player who continues to do his job well is Tuesday’s starter, Alex Wilson. The 24-year-old right-hander continued his consistent season, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out three and walking one in five innings to improve to 4-1 while lowering his ERA to 4.13. It was the fourth time in five starts Wilson has gone at least five innings.

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After going 6-6 with a 5.31 ERA between Class A Salem and Portland in 2010, Wilson is on pace to better those numbers after developing a dependable routine.

“Coming into this year, that was one of my biggest goals, being consistent,” he said. “It’s just the routine. This year I finally found a routine that works for me.

“Each day, day in and day out, I’m doing the same thing over and over again and it’s really paid off.”

Relievers Seth Garrison and Blake Maxwell combined to allow one hit in four scoreless innings, with Maxwell earning his third save.

Vladimir Frias, making his Double-A debut after being called up Sunday from Salem, doubled to left in the fourth for his first Double-A hit and finished 2 for 4 with a run scored.

The Sea Dogs scored two unearned runs in the first on Tim Federowicz’s groundout and Ryan Lavarnway’s single. Portland added a run in the fourth on Mitch Dening’s RBI single.

Trenton got one back in the fourth on Bradley Suttle’s RBI double, and Jose Gil hit his first homer of the season while leading off the fifth to pull the Thunder within 3-2, which is where the score remained until Hassan’s double.

 


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