For a guy playing through pain, shortstop Tzu-Wei Lin still has some pop in his bat.

After doubling twice Thursday, Lin began a nine-run rally in the eighth inning with a three-run homer. That rally pushed the Portland Sea Dogs past the Akron RubberDucks 14-8 before a soldout crowd of 7,368 at Hadlock Field.

Most of the crowd, mainly consisting of school field trips, had left by the eighth inning. And those kids missed a lot.

Akron (26-29) scored five runs in the top of the eighth to take an 8-5 lead.

Then came the bottom of the inning – nine runs, bookended by three-run homers by Lin and Deiner Lopez, and Portland (25-30) led again.

Lin, 23, was enjoying a breakout start to the season – .343 average/.982 OPS – when he went on the disabled list May 10 with a strained left wrist. He came back May 19 but hasn’t been the same.

“My wrist still hurts,” he said. “I try not to think about it. Just swing.”

Lin swung well Thursday. His 3-for-4 day (two walks) bumped his average to .306.

“We put him in the leadoff spot and he set the tone for us,” Portland Manager Carlos Febles said.

His two doubles were two of the nine by the Sea Dogs – a franchise record. Jeremy Barfield and Nick Longhi also hit two doubles apiece.

Sea Dogs reliever Jacob Dahlstrand (5-1) got the win, pitching the final 31/3 innings, including the eighth. Portland starter Kevin McAvoy allowed three runs on four hits and two walks over 52/3 innings. He struck out seven.

McAvoy, who allowed 15 earned run over his last two starts, gave up three hits and a run in the first inning but was unhittable the next four.

“Just keeping the ball down,” McAvoy said. “Last couple of outings, I made some good pitches but not enough quality pitches.”

McAvoy, with a 92 mph fastball, used his cutter effectively, keeping hitters off balance. McAvoy began the sixth sandwiching two strikeouts around a walk. But then he gave up a line drive single and Yu Chang’s two-run bloop single.

“McAvoy was on a mission today, being aggressive,” said Febles, who needed him to get into the sixth because Portland had a depleted bullpen following Wednesday’s doubleheader.

Dahlstrand relieved, loaded the bases on a single and walk, then got a groundout to escape.

Akron catcher Francisco Mejia, the Cleveland Indians’ No. 1 prospect, homered twice – giving him four in two games – including a two-run blast in the eighth that cleared the bullpen in right field.

But Portland came back quickly. A walk and Lopez single brought up Lin. He belted a curveball from Leandro Linares (0-2) over the right-field wall. It was his fourth of the season.

After an out, the hits kept coming – Rafael Devers infield single, Barfield and Longhi back-to-back doubles, Mike Olt single, Cole Sturgeon sacrifice fly, Jordan Procyshen double and Lopez’s homer to right – his second this year.

NOTES: Devers went 2 for 4 with a double. He also was awarded a single from Wednesday (originally ruled an error). Devers is now batting .306. … The Sea Dogs (25-30) play host to the Erie SeaWolves at 7 p.m. Friday.

Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: @ClearTheBases