MANCHESTER, N.H. — Stephen Fife must wait a bit longer still.

The right-handed starter went looking for win No. 11 again Friday night and pitched well, but the Sea Dogs managed to do little with New Hampshire starter Zach Stewart and lost 2-1 to the Fisher Cats at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.

Fife was not involved in the decisions in his last two starts and took the loss in this one.

He went six innings and gave up two runs on four hits and fell to 10-4. He walked four and hit one batter.

“He was outstanding,” said Portland Manager Kevin Boles. “We had the one double play we didn’t turn for him and the run scored. He did his job. He did everything he needed to do.”

The Fisher Cats snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 55-43.

Portland, which had won two straight, fell to 39-59. The four-game series is even at a game apiece and resumes tonight.

The Fisher Cats scratched for a run and the lead, helped by the Sea Dogs, in the second inning.

Catcher Travis d’Arnaud opened the inning with a walk and with one out moved to second when Yan Gomes walked. John Tolisano hit a grounder to Portland second baseman Oscar Tejeda. Tejeda threw to shortstop Heiker Meneses to force Gomes, but when Meneses tried to double up Tolisano, the throw was off the mark and got past the first baseman. Meneses was charged with an error and d’Arnaud scored.

New Hampshire doubled its lead in the bottom of the fifth when Justin Jackson, who had walked, scored on Adeiny Hechavarria’s sacrifice fly to center.

The Sea Dogs finally got to Stewart in the top of the eighth. Jon Hee led off with a double to deep center. Zach Stewart got the next two batters on grounders to short and then Ryan Khoury doubled off the wall in right to score Hee.

Rey Gonzalez came on for Stewart and got Chih-Hsien Chiang to ground to second to end the rally.

Stewart gave up six hits, struck out eight and walked one in 72/3 innings. He evened his record at 5-5.

“He was keeping us off balance and throwing a lot of off-speed stuff,” said Sea Dog catcher Tim Federowicz. “He had a good fastball when he needed it, but he really commanded his off-speed stuff. It was kind of hard to time him up.”

Portland threatened again in the ninth. New Hampshire closer Bobby Korecky struck out Will Middlebrooks and Tim Federowicz to start it, but Oscar Tejeda worked a walk.

Mitch Dening hit a long fly out to center field, but Anthony Gose tracked it down to end the game.

“He took a real good pass at the ball,” Boles said. “Gose just ran it down. He’s pretty impressive.”

NOTES: Catcher Mark Wagner is back with the Sea Dogs. He spent 2008 and 2009 with Portland and last year was up with Pawtucket where he dealt with injuries. He was assigned to advanced Class A Salem this season and Friday got the call back to Portland and was put on the roster. … Catcher Matt Spring was assigned to Salem, opening a roster spot for Wagner. … Dogs outfielder Alex Hassan missed his fifth straight game with a sore foot.