MANCHESTER, N.H. — The Sea Dogs put a little blast from the past on New Hampshire on Sunday and pounded the Fisher Cats, 11-1, at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.

Right-handed pitcher Junichi Tazawa and catcher Mark Wagner, reprising their roles from the 2009 Sea Dogs, led the charge.

Tazawa, who didn’t get out of the first inning in his only other start for Portland this season, allowed one hit in his four innings. He struck out four and walked two.

“Our guys pitched well today, definitely,” said Manager Kevin Boles. “And it started with Taz. He was ready. He was mentally and physically ready to go today and he set the tone for our club.”

Tazawa filled in as a starter for Michael Lee, who filled in for Alex Wilson on Saturday night. Wilson was scratched about an hour before that game because of soreness in his left elbow.

“He knows what to takes to get ready,” Wagner said. “He stuck with his routine and it paid off. He had good command of his fastball and his slider was working real well and every now and then the splitter would come into play.”

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Tazawa, who pitched in Portland two years ago and moved on to pitch with the Red Sox that season, missed all of 2010 after having Tommy John surgery.

On Saturday, Wagner made his first start for the Sea Dogs since 2009. He spent much of last season in Triple-A with Pawtucket, but has been dealing with shoulder problems. He joined the Sea Dogs over the weekend from Single-A Salem and said he’s ready to go.

“This guy’s a prospect,” Boles said. “He looks the part and he is the part. He swings the bat well and has a presence behind the plate.”

The Sea Dogs roughed up four Fisher Cat pitchers for 14 hits and Wagner was one of six batters with two hits. He also had a sacrifice fly for an RBI.

Chih-Hsien Chiang, Will Middlebrooks, Jeremy Hazelbaker, Mitch Dening and Heiker Meneses each had two hits as well. Chiang ran his hitting streak to 10 games.

Portland won the series, its last in New Hampshire this season, three games to one. After winning just two of its first 11 games with the Fisher Cats this season, the Sea Dogs have won eight of the last 11.

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The Sea Dogs are now 41-59 overall and New Hampshire, the Eastern Division leader, fell to 55-45.

The Sea Dogs made the most of their chances to grab a 4-0 lead through the top of the fourth inning. They scored a couple in the sixth and were up 6-1 and then broke it open with five more runs in the seventh.

Sea Dog reliever Charlie Rosario threw three hitless innings with four strikeouts and one walk and got the win. Eammon Portice finished it off, giving up a single over his two innings.

NOTES: The Boston Red Sox signed knuckleballer Charlie Haeger, who has major league experience, as a minor league free agent and placed him on Portland’s temporary inactive list. … The Sea Dogs open a three-game set in Binghamton tonight and return home to start a four-game series with Altoona on Thursday.

 

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