MANCHESTER – New Hampshire Fisher Cats lefty Brett Cecil had Portland’s number.

So, too, did first baseman Mike McDade.

Cecil mowed down the Sea Dogs through his 5 2/3 innings to kick-start a three-pitcher no-hitter for New Hampshire, which won 6-0 in the opener of a four-game series at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.

New Hampshire improved to 17-25, snapped its three-game losing streak and sent the Sea Dogs (15-28) to their third straight loss.

Cecil walked three and struck out eight.

“He just commanded the zone and he had a good mix going,” said Portland catcher Dan Butler, who was back in the lineup after missing a little more than a week because of a hamstring injury. “When he’s throwing all three pitches — he’s got four pitches actually — for strikes, it makes it a little tough.”

Sea Dog batters struck out 11 times overall. They had five walks, but never had a runner reach second base.

Danny Farquhar followed Cecil with 2 1/3 innings. Ronald Uviedo walked the first batter in the ninth before closing it out.

Cecil, who won 15 games with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010, set the tone.

“He’s got the good cutter, a good two-seam mix with a feel for a changeup,” said Portland Manager Kevin Boles. “He was pretty impressive tonight.

“I thought their bullpen pitched with quality, also. They attacked the zone.”

Sea Dogs righty Anthony Ranaudo struck out McDade with a runner on first to end the first inning. But McDade had a double and two singles for three RBI after that.

The Fisher Cats jumped in front 3-0 against Ranaudo in the bottom of the third, then doubled their lead with three more in the fifth against Ranaudo and reliever Chris Martin.

Ryan Goins hit an infield single to knock in Brian Jeroloman with New Hampshire’s first run. McDade drilled a double to center field to score the next two.

A McDade flair over shortstop Derrik Gibson made it 4-0 in the fifth inning and ended Ranaudo’s night. Mark Sobolewski singled to greet Martin, and Brian Bocock, another former major league, cracked a two-run double.

The Sea Dogs, meanwhile, were getting nothing off Cecil.

He walked Heiker Meneses to open the sixth and then struck out Ryan Dent and Kolbrin Vitek to end his impressive outing after 86 pitches. Farquhar came on and struck out Juan Carlos Linares to end the inning.

It was the third no-hitter in Fisher Cats history, and first by a combination of pitchers.

The Sea Dogs have been no-hit five times, most recently by Binghamton’s Miguel Pinango on July 23, 2006, at Hadlock Field.

 

NOTES: Corner infielder Koby Clemens, son of Roger, was sent down from Manchester to Single-A Dunedin on Monday. Clemens was hitting .148 with 18 hits in 54 at bats. . . . New Hampshire had seven hits. Second baseman Bocock had a double and a single. . . . Martin caught his cleat on the mound while delivering a pitch in the sixth inning and left the game after throwing a couple practice pitches. He will be evaluated today.