TRENTON, N.J. — During their last trip to Trenton this season, the Portland Sea Dogs managed just 13 runs in a four-game series.

In the opener of a three-game series Friday night, they nearly matched that total.

Portland erupted for seven runs in the top of the seventh inning and went on to win a wild 12-10 slugfest against the Trenton Thunder at Arm & Hammer Park.

“We kept hitting the ball all night and we keep telling the guys to play 27 outs,” Sea Dogs Manager Billy McMillon said. “We’ve seen guys lately taking that to heart. We just kept hitting the ball hard tonight and it’s nice when you get 18 hits.”

Portland’s seven runs in an inning and 18 hits in a game were both season highs.

Keury De La Cruz, who had four hits, and Marco Hernandez, who had three, each hit a two-run double in the seventh as Portland (22-27) rallied from a 9-5 deficit.

Reliever Mike McCarthy replaced starter Luis Diaz in the third and picked up the victory, quieting an early Trenton surge. He allowed three hits and a run with four strikeouts and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Madison Younginer pitched a scoreless seventh but got into trouble in the eighth, allowing two doubles as Trenton got within two. Pat Light came on to strike out Dan Favorito and end the threat.

Light allowed a two-out walk in the ninth before Aneury Tavarez made a diving catch in right to end the game.

Blake Tekotte gave the Sea Dogs their fourth run when he launched a one-out shot to right in the fourth inning for his third home run.

Jonathan Roof, Jantzen Witte, Oscar Tejeda, and Tavarez each had two hits apiece.

Trenton (25-24) jumped on Diaz for eight runs during the first three innings.

“Diaz didn’t have a lot of control and it wasn’t a good night for him,” McMillon said. “We got a lift from the bullpen and they did a solid job overall. Diaz wasn’t getting his secondary stuff over the plate and he is a work in progress.”

Diaz, winless in 19 starts dating to last July, allowed 11 of 18 batters to reach in a 61-pitch outing.

Trenton, which manufactured a run in the first inning, scored three in the second off Diaz to take a 4-2 lead.

De La Cruz nearly made a diving catch in left that would have saved a run.

Portland closed the gap to 4-3 in the top of the third when Witte led off with a single to left-center and moved to second on an error.

One out later, De La Cruz followed with an RBI single to center.

But the Thunder chased Diaz in the third. Francisco Arcia’s two-run single made it 6-3, and after a walk loaded the bases, McMillion went to McCarthy.

McCarthy struck out the first batter before Ali Castillo’s single to center brought home two inherited runners. He retired the next batter on a fly out.

NOTES: After starting their six-game trip by taking two of three in Binghamton, the Sea Dogs are now 10-5 on the road in May. … De La Cruz’s four-hit game was his first of the season and his eighth multihit game. Hernandez had his third three-hit game and eighth multihit game of the season.

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