'Cats and 'Dogs Split Double Dip in Portland

PORTLAND. ME - The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays) and Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox) split a doubleheader at Hadlock Field Wednesday. New Hampshire took game one 7-1 but fell 3-2 in the second tilt.

GAME ONE
A first-inning RBI double started the scoring for New Hampshire after Santiago Espinal tagged the 37-foot high wall in left field with a ringing two-bagger.
Joey Curletta homered to lead off the bottom of the fourth, but Jon Harris (W, 2-1) was otherwise superb. The right-hander worked five innings, allowed one run on three hits, issued no walks and struck out five.
Five runs in the sixth sealed it for the 'Cats. New Hampshire sent nine men to the dish and scored five on three hits, two walks, a hit batter and an error to lead 6-1. A bases loaded walk forced in the seventh and final run of the game in the top of the seventh.
Dany Jimenez and Will Ouellette tossed perfect innings of relief to secure the win.
GAME 2
A lead-off triple and a run-scoring single in the bottom of the fourth proved to be the difference in the second contest. Leading 2-0 thanks to a C.J. Chatham two-run home run in the third, Luke Tendler raced to third base on a ball off the right field wall before Brett Netzer scored him with a single.
New Hampshire made it interesting in the sixth. The first two men of the inning reached before back-to-back outs brought Kevin Smith to the plate. The East Greenbush, NY native poked a single into centerfield to score two and shave Portland's lead to one.
The 'Cats brought the go-ahead run to the plate twice in the top of the seventh but came up empty in a 3-2 defeat.
NOTABLE

• Forrest Wall, Josh Palacios and Kevin Smith each logged two RBI over the two games.
• All nine starters reached base in game one.

Thursday night has New Hampshire in Trenton to take on the Yankees affiliate. RHP Yennsy Diaz of the 'Cats will be opposed by Thunder right-hander Garrett Whitlock. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. with the Fisher Cats Pregame Show and continues with first pitch at 7:00 p.m. on the WGIR Fisher Cats Radio Network.