While Felix Doubront of the Boston Red Sox comes to Portland on a rehab assignment Thursday, another left-hander dominated Wednesday night at Hadlock Field.

Henry Owens put in his longest performance as a professional, throwing a two-hitter over eight innings in the Portland Sea Dogs’ 5-1 win over the Erie SeaWolves.

Owens (7-3) allowed no runs and only two ground singles. He walked two batters and struck out six.

“First time I’ve ever (gone eight innings) so it was a pleasure, to say the least,” Owens said.

It was Owens’ third straight scoreless outing (22 innings). In his past five starts he’s given up one run and 11 hits. His ERA lowered to 2.24.

“Same as every time, he goes out there and competes and controls the strike zone with all three pitches,” catcher Blake Swihart said.

“He’s pitching to contact … get them in swing mode and get them out.”

Owens, 21, began with mostly fastballs (65) and eventually mixed in change-ups (34) and a smattering of curves (eight). Owens induced 14 ground-ball outs and four in the air.

“Absolutely (efficient),” pitching coach Bob Kipper said. “He established his fastball. Obviously we saw an exceptional change-up. He threw his curveball well.”

The 107 pitches (73 for strikes) were the most thrown by Owens in a game.

He didn’t seem to be tiring. He threw 13 pitches in the seventh inning, all for strikes.

“We look for fatigue, a guy losing his stuff, losing his ability to command the strike zone. We saw none of that from Henry tonight,” Kipper said.

“It was a wonderful outing.”

With Portland up 2-0, Aaron Westlake of Erie led off the eighth with a single. Noe Ramirez was warming up in the bullpen but the Sea Dogs stuck with Owens.

“Touch and go there but he earned the right to get through that inning,” Sea Dogs Manager Billy McMillon said.

With Westlake on third and two outs, Owens got Jamie Johnson to fly to left.

Ramirez entered in the ninth, allowing one run on two hits.

The Sea Dogs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when the leadoff batter, Bo Greenwell, swatted a fastball from Jeff Ferrell (4-5) over the right-field wall.

Portland made it 2-0 in the fourth when Jonathan Roof tripled and Derrik Gibson singled him in.

The Sea Dogs scored three in the eighth.

Gibson got his second RBI when his fielder’s-choice groundout scored a run. With the bases loaded and two outs, Swihart’s infield pop fly dropped in when the third baseman slipped, making for a two-run single.

NOTES: Owens has made 18 starts in Double-A, counting six last season. He’s a combined 10-4 with a 2.10 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 1022/3 innings. … The announced paid attendance was 3,218 …

Earlier Wednesday, the Sea Dogs’ players visited patients at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center. … Doubront went on the disabled list May 21 with shoulder fatigue. He has pitched bullpen sessions since. Thursday will be his first rehab appearance.

Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or at:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: ClearTheBases