Walden Dazzles in 3-0 Win

MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Fisher Cats received a sparkling outing from Marcus Walden (W, 2-4) in a 3-0 shutout of the first place Portland Sea Dogs on Tuesday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. Walden worked 5.2 innings before allowing his first hit, a clean single up the middle from leadoff hitter Peter Hissey. He ended his day with six strikeouts, a season high.

All the offense he would need was acquired in the third inning, and provided by his outfielders, as Kevin Pillar (3-4, double, run) snapped an 0-13 skid with a double up the left field line to open the inning off Portland starter Drake Britton (L, 3-3). Brian Van Kirk would follow with a ringing RBI single to center, and he would score later in the inning when Brad Glenn singled him in. An insurance run came across in the sixth when Kevin Ahrens scored on an infield single by Pillar.

Walden would give way to John Stilson, who had been activated off the disabled list before the game, after a one-out walk and two-out single put Portland runners on first and second in the eighth. Stilson, a starter most of last season, struck out Hissey to conclude the eighth, stranding the runners. Stilson would work around a two out single to strike out the side in the 9th and earn his first save.

But the story of the day was Walden, who finished his night with 7.2 shutout innings pitched to match the longest outing of his career. He gave up just two hits and a pair of walks to go along with the season high in whiffs. He needed only 86 pitches to get his 23 outs.

Game two of the three game series is tomorrow at 6:35 PM. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Fisher Cats cap courtesy of FairPoint Communications.

The Fisher Cats will send RHP Deck McGuire (2-3, 5.11) to the mound against Sea Dogs RHP Charlie Haeger (1-0, 3.38) and his knuckleball. Coverage with Tom Gauthier and Bob Lipman begins at 6:15 PM on the WGIR Fisher Cats Radio Network and online at www.nhfishercats.com.