READING, Penn. — The Sea Dogs (18-10) celebrated Cinco de Mayo by scoring all eight runs with two outs as they took the series opener from the Reading Fightin Phils (14-13) 8-1 on Monday night at First Energy Stadium.  Portland has won three straight after losing the first two games of the trip.

Shortstop Deven Marrero (2-for-4) knocked home a career-high four runs, blasting a two-run homer in the second. Marrero added the final two runs with a single in the eighth. Second baseman Mookie Betts extended his on-base streak to 57 straight games (62 including the playoffs), going 2-for-3 with an RBI, two walks and three runs scored. 

Portland wasted no time off losing pitcher Mike Nesseth (0-2), scoring twice in the first. Betts led off the game with a single to left field on a 3-1 pitch. Marrero worked a walk, but Nesseth retired the next two. Catcher Blake Swihart, who wears #5 and bats fifth, gave the Sea Dogs a 2-0 lead with a double to left-center field.

Nesseth would last one more inning, giving up three runs in the second. Betts drew a walk and Marrero smashed a two-run homer to right. Travis Shaw followed Marrero’s blast with a line-drive homer to left-center. The back-to-back homers were the first for the Sea Dogs this season. The Cinco de Mayo tied in with Shaw, who played position No. 5, hit his 5th homer and knocked in the fifth run.

Portland starter Keith Couch took a no-decision, battling through four innings on seven hits and one run. Reading made it 5-1 in the third when Cesar Hernandez tripled and scored on a ground out by Cameron Perkins. In the fourth, the Fightins had two on and two outs, but Carlos Alonzo was picked off at second base ”“ Perkins was at the plate with a 3-1 count.

Robby Scott (3-1) worked 2.2 scoreless innings in relief of Couch to earn the win. Scott gave up just one hit, one walk and fanned one. Michael Olmsted recorded the final seven outs to notch his first save of the year.

The two-out party continued in the eighth inning, as former Red Sox farmhand Nefi Ogando issued two walks. Reading’s pitchers issued 10 walks, a season-high for an opponent. Peter Hissey and Shannon Wilkerson drew walks, setting up Betts’ run-scoring single to right.