TRENTON, N.J. — On Friday night, the Portland Sea Dogs scored 12 runs with a season-high 18 hits.

But that was then. One night later the Sea Dogs collected just six hits, struck out eight times and fell 8-2 to the Trenton Thuder at Arm & Hammer Park.

Trenton sent nine batters to the plate in the second inning and scored four runs off Mike Augliera (2-8).

Augliera, a New Jersey native, had little difficulty in the first inning and benefited from a double play. He entered with an 0-2 record against Trenton this year – both shutout losses.

Augliera began to labor in the second as the Thunder batted around.

Trenton (26-24) took a 1-0 lead when Gary Sanchez singled to center with one out, stole second, then came home when Jonathan Roof fielded a grounder at third base, then threw low and wide past first baseman Jantzen Witte.

The Thunder added three runs in the inning – all four were unearned – on four consecutive singles, all of them with two outs.

“The second inning was a killer,” said Sea Dogs Manager Billy McMillon. “Those unearned runs changed the complexion of the game. We got behind and it really took some steam out of us.”

On the other hand, the Sea Dogs (22-28) only mustered a pair of singles through the first three innings off Trenton starter Eric Ruth (3-0), who finished with seven effective innings.

Trenton increased its lead to 6-0 in the fourth when Aaron Judge smacked a two-run homer, a hard-hit shot over the left-field wall.

Augliera left after four innings, throwing 79 pitches and striking out six.

He was replaced by Kyle Kraus, who worked two scoreless innings before allowing a pair of runs in the seventh. Robby Scott struck out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth.

“Mike (Augliera) threw probably 15 to 18 pitches in the second inning, and that hurt him,” said McMillon. “Other than that inning, he didn’t throw badly and had six strikeouts.

“We have had that one big inning too many times and we need to stop the bleeding in those cases.”

Portland scored its first run when Blake Tekotte doubled home Aneury Tavarez in the seventh.

The Sea Dogs added a run in the eighth off reliever James Pazos when Marco Hernandez doubled, then come home on Witte’s single.

NOTES: Joe Gunkle (2-0, 4.05) will pitch against Trenton’s Brady Lalil (2-2, 2.88) in the series finale at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. The Sea Dogs have an off day Monday and will begin a three-game home series against Richmond on Tuesday night. William Cuevas (6-2, 3.02) will pitch the series opener. … Hernandez tied the club record for doubles in a game when he rapped three in Friday night’s victory. … Augliera, who has a 1-4 lifetime record against Trenton, made his 75th professional start. … Mike McCarthy, who got the win in Friday’s game, has a 2-0 record in two relief outings. … Portland’s 18 hits Friday night helped raise its team batting average four points to .260.