PORTLAND – It will be a while before we know if the 2011 New Hampshire Fisher Cats make an impact with their parent club, the Toronto Blue Jays.

For now, these Cats are celebrating.

The Portland Sea Dogs watched New Hampshire pass around the high-fives Saturday night after the Fisher Cats beat Portland 11-0 before 6,594 at Hadlock Field.

The Fisher Cats had more home runs (five) than Portland had hits (four).

New Hampshire (75-65) clinched the East Division and will play the Sea Dogs two more times, then take a day off before the playoffs begin Wednesday.

Portland (59-80) will be done with baseball after Monday. The Sea Dogs need to win their last two games to avoid the worst record in franchise history.

On Saturday, New Hampshire showed its pitching and hitting strength, as well as the depth of the Jays’ minor league system.

“It’s a combination of youth and some veterans — and obviously they’re talented, very talented,” said New Hampshire Manager Sal Fasano, whose team wins despite roster changes.

“Our goal in our organization is to have interchangeable parts. We lost three guys to the big leagues and they were replaced by three quality guys.”

Fisher Cats starer Nestor Molina, 22, called up from Class A three weeks ago, held Portland to one hit over three innings, striking out four.

The Blue Jays are limiting Molina’s innings at the end of the year. In five starts with New Hampshire, he has a 0.41 ERA.

New Hampshire’s bullpen kept the shutout. Reliever/spot starter B.J. LaMura (6-5) gave up two hits over three innings.

The Fisher Cats used a different reliever each of the last three innings, retiring 9 of 10 Sea Dogs.

Portland’s best chance came in the second inning when Jeremy Hazelbaker lined to deep right-center for a one-out triple. A shallow fly to right field and a fly to center followed.

First baseman Reynaldo Rodriguez had two doubles.

Portland starter Jeremy Kehrt (3-2) gave up three homers in five innings with five strikeouts.

Eammon Portice relieved and struck out three over two innings, allowing five runs.

Reliever Josh Fields, the reliever obtained from the Mariners in the Erik Bedard deal, struck out four, while yielding a solo home run.

NOTES: Sea Dogs radio announcer Mike Antonellis broadcast the Triple-A Pawtucket game Saturday night and got to see Will Middlebrooks’ first Triple-A homer, a grand slam in the first inning. Ryan Lavarnway also homered. … Antonellis will return today, don his knickers and host the Field of Dreams festivities before the game.

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: ClearTheBases

 

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