Summer is here just in time to greet the first-place Fisher Cats.

New Hampshire (41-27), owner of the best record in the Eastern League, opens a six-game homestand against the Altoona Curve tonight at 7:05 at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. The Curve (34-35), Double-A affliates of the Pittsburgh Pirates, are trying to reach the .500 mark after losing three of four games to Western Division-leading Harrisburg over the weekend.

New Hampshire fans have the opportunity to see Conway native Jeff Locke pitch as a professional for the first time in his home state. Originally scheduled to pitch Friday, after the conclusion of the Curve-Fisher Cats series, Locke was moved up in the rotation to Thursday's finale of the three-game set.

Locke, selected by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2006 first -year player draft before being dealt to the Pirates in 2009, is 5-6 with a 4.65 ERA in 14 starts this season with the Curve. In his shortest outing of the season against Harrisburg Saturday, he lasted three innings, allowing four runs (three earned), four hits and three walks, and fanning two.

Overall he has allowed 75 hits, five homers, 31 walks with 72 strikeouts in 71-2/3 innings. Locke is on the Pirates' 40-man roster.

Fisher Cats followers will get to see the top two run producers in the Eastern League.

Shortstop Jordy Mercer of Altoona leads the circuit with 48 RBIs, one ahead of New Hampshire first baseman Mike McDade. Mercer was named the Eastern League's Player of the Week (week ending June 19), as he hit .346 (9 for 26) with three homers and eight RBIs in six games. The third-round pick of the Pirates in 2008, Mercer has 12 RBIs in his last eight games. He is batting .267 with 13 homers, which is ranked fourth overall in the Eastern League.

The Curve, in fourth place, 5-1/2 games behind Harrisburg, is also led by centerfielder Starling Marte, batting .336, which is third highest in the league.

McDade, who had two homers and five RBIs in New Hampshire's 14-1 win Saturday against Erie, is hitting .312 with nine homers. Teammate Moises Sierra is hitting .284 with 11 homers and 42 RBIs, sixth best in the Eastern League.

The Fisher Cats announced that outfielder Danny Perales was transferred back to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday. He started the season there, hitting .316 with 17 RBIs. In six games with New Hampshire, he batted .333 with two homers and six RBIs. The transaction leaves New Hampshire with 23 active players.

The Fisher Cats, 20-13 at home this season, will start righty Henderson Alvarez (3-2, 2.75) against righthander Mike Colla (4-2, 3.54). New Hampshire is coming off a 4-2 road trip and Alvarez started the trek with a solid seven-inning performance last Wednesday at Akron in a 3-0 win. He allowed five hits and one earned run.

Chad Jenkins (1-1, 3.86) gets the starting nod Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. for the Fisher Cats.

Jenkins earned his first Double-A win on the road trip against Akron. Toronto's top draft pick in 2009 (20th overall) retired 14 straight batters during his seven-inning outing. He allowed five hits, four runs, one walk with five whiffs.

All three games against the Curve are 7:05 p.m. starts. The Portland Sea Dogs visit Manchester for three games, Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon.