Rain delay No. 3 did the trick Tuesday night.
The Portland Sea Dogs beat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2-1 at Hadlock Field in a game called in the sixth inning because of rain.
Mike Olt’s two-run homer in the second inning was all the Sea Dogs needed.
The game began 19 minutes late because of rain, then was delayed for 23 minutes in the second inning.
Finally, in the bottom of the sixth, after Olt singled with two outs, the umpires waved the players off the field.
After waiting 38 minutes with rain still coming down, the umpires called it.
The Sea Dogs won their second straight game against New Hampshire and improved to 34-38. The Fisher Cats feature the worst record in the Eastern League at 31-45.
Taylor Grover (2-3) picked up the win with four innings of relief. Shane Dawson (1-8) pitched the whole abbreviated game for New Hampshire.
Travis Lakins started for the Sea Dogs. He gave up one hit but it was a leadoff double to Jonathan Davis. A groundout advanced him to third base and Davis scored on Danny Jansen’s sacrifice fly to right.
Lakins yielded only a walk in a scoreless second.
In the bottom of the second, Michael Chavis led off and singled on Dawson’s first pitch, lining a fastball to left. Olt came up and worked a 2-0 count, then sent a fastball into the right-field pavilion for a 2-1 lead.
Two outs later, the players left and the tarp came back on the field.
When play resumed, Grover came on to pitch. In his four scoreless innings, he allowed two hits and one walk, striking out three.
When Grover struck out Davis to end the top of the fifth, it became an official game.
In the top of the sixth, Grover gave up a leadoff double to Richard Urena, who was stranded after a strikeout and two groundouts.
NOTES: The announced paid attendance was 3,803. … Third baseman Rafael Devers missed a second straight game with a sore knee. … Chavis played third and went 1 for 3. He’s batting .333 (6 for 18). … Olt’s home run was his 10th, which is second on the team to Devers’ 14. … Lakins was activated Tuesday off the inactive list and catcher Danny Bethea went on the disabled list. … Fans coming to the game Wednesday night are asked to bring gently used items to be donated to Goodwill. … The Sea Dogs announced that their games on July 7 and July 21 are now doubleheaders that will start at 5 p.m. Minor league doubleheader games are seven innings. … In Triple-A, Pawtucket outfielder Bryce Brentz hit two home runs, giving him four in three games. Brentz, who played in Portland in 2012, has 17 home runs, 10 in June. … Pablo Sandoval made a rehab appearance with the PawSox and went 2 for 4. … Former Sea Dogs infielder Heiker Meneses went 3 for 5 for the PawSox, hitting his first home run. He has a 314 batting average.
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