Manchester, New Hampshire -The Portland Sea Dogs (10-6)(45-39) took down the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (9-7)(43-34) 7-5 on Friday night, scoring all of their runs on home runs for the second time this week, and tying the series, 2-2.
The Sea Dogs hit four home runs in the game including two by Ronald Rosario, his fourth career multi-home run game. Will Turner and Brooks Brannon also hit home runs, marking the third time this week that the Sea Dogs have hit three or more homers in a game. RHP Patrick Halligan earned his team-leading sixth save of the season, and is now 6-for-7 on save opportunities this season.
Eddie Micheletti Jr. started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning with a two-run home run off RHP John Holobetz. Will Turner cut the lead to one with a solo shot in the top of the third. Micheletti Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to drive in another Fisher Cats run, pushing the lead to 3-1.
Rosario hit his first two run home run of the night to tie the game 3-3 in the top of the fourth. Cade Doughty doubled to put the Fisher Cats in front by one in the bottom of the inning, before Brooks Brannon’s two-run shot in the fifth gave Portland the lead for the first time.
Doughty tied the game at 5-5 with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the sixth. After a scoreless seventh, Rosario blasted his second two-run home run of the night in the eighth inning to give Portland the 7-5 lead.
RHP Patrick Halligan came in with two outs in the eighth inning, and retired the final four batters in order with a pair of strikeouts.
LHP Jeremy Wu-Yelland (1-0, 8.64 ERA) earned the win, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched. The losing decision went to Kelena Sauer (1-2, 6.98 ERA), allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts in 2.0 innings pitched. RHP Patrick Halligan earned his sixth save of the season, and is the new team leader in that category.
Saturday night, the Sea Dogs and Fisher Cats meet again for game five of this week’s series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:03 pm at Delta Dental Stadium, with two-time reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Week RHP Blake Wehunt (4-4, 3.38 ERA) set to face RHP Chris McElvain (3-4, 6.51 ERA).