NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — Right-handed prospects Stolmy Pimentel of the Portland Sea Dogs and Deolis Guerra of the New Britain Rock Cats hooked up in search of consistency.

Both are on their 40-man rosters. Pimentel had yet to win an Eastern League game. Guerra endured four horrific starts, including a 10-run mess in Portland on May 7, when he couldn’t get out of the second inning.

The search continues for Pimentel.

The Rock Cats knocked him out in the fifth with five runs on eight hits Saturday night en route to a 6-3 victory in the first game of a twi-night doubleheader at New Britain Stadium.

Three New Britain pitchers yielded just three hits in the second game as the Rock Cats completed the sweep with a 4-0 victory. They’ll go for a sweep of the five-game series today.

New Britain (22-13) has won five straight and seven of its last eight. Portland (11-23) has lost five straight and 14 of 17.

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The Rock Cats touched up Pimentel (0-5) on successive doubles by Chris Parmelee and Evan Bigley with one out in the fifth as they extended a one-run lead to a commanding 6-1 advantage. Pimentel, 21, yielded eight hits and five runs, walked two and struck out one after tossing six scoreless innings in his previous start.

“We’re very excited about Stolmy Pimentel,” Sea Dogs Manager Kevin Boles said. “He didn’t have as good command as we’ve seen in the past as far as establishing his fastball. His off-speed was a little off tonight and he didn’t show much of a feel at times. He made some pitches but it was a little too inconsistent. He burned through too many pitches.”

Guerra (2-4) enjoyed his best start since opening day, yielding a run on two hits in five innings.

Alex Hassan gave Portland an edge when he crushed his second homer of the year with the bases empty in the first inning.

The Rock Cats tied it in the second on a two-out single by ninth hitter Mark Dolenc, after Yangervis Solarte doubled and took third on a swinging-bunt single by Deibinson Romero.

New Britain took a 2-1 lead with a two-out rally that started when Pimentel hit Parmelee and walked Bigley. On a single to right by Solarte (2 for 2, walk), the throw by Chih-Hsien Chiang had legs but was cut off by first baseman Jorge Padron and Parmelee crossed the plate unchallenged.

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“I thought we had a chance to get him at the plate, but I don’t know what Padron heard,” Boles said. “(On a play like that) we just don’t say anything and let it go through. I thought Chiang made a heck of a throw.”

The Rock Cats blew open the second game on a two-run homer by Chris Hermann in the third inning.

New Britain spot starter Brett Jacobson, who pitched three hitless innings, walked the first two hitters in both the second and third but escaped unscathed.

“We gave away some at-bats tonight,” Boles said. “We chased a lot of off-speed out of the zone and I didn’t think we managed our strike zone very well.”

Hassan broke up the no-hit bid with two outs in the fifth when he ripped a double off the center-field wall against left-hander Ryan Mullins.

Portland right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (0-1), promoted from high Class A Salem for the start, surrendered four runs on seven hits. Mullins (1-0) allowed two hits and a walk, striking out two in three innings.

Oscar Tejeda and Vladimir Frias had the other Portland hits.

 


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