MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — The Portland Sea Dogs couldn’t capitalize with runners in scoring position and dropped a 7-2 decision to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in an Eastern League contest Thursday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.
Portland finished the game 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners. After the Sea Dogs scored in the third on an RBI groundout by Oscar Tejeda to plate Manuel Margot and take a 1-0 lead, New Hampshire would follow with seven unanswered runs.
Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart batted second and served as designated hitter for Portland on a rehab assignment and went 2-for-3 with a double and also reached on an error.
Portland’s Justin Haley (3-11) allowed three earned runs on three infield hits in 2 ⅔ innings, walking four and striking out three. Simon Mercedes worked three innings of relief and allowed three earned runs, two of which came on a home run from Dwight Smith Jr. in the sixth inning.
Williams Jerez went 1 ⅓ scoreless innings for Portland, and Jorge Marban pitched a scoreless eighth.
Casey Lawrence (9-8) earned the win for the Fisher Cats, allowing an earned run on four hits in six innings and striking out six. The Sea Dogs added their second run in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Jake Romanski off of Chad Girodo.