Yard Goats 4, Fisher Cats 3
- Updated: August 25, 2024
MANCHESTER — The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (18-30, 48-68) lost a nail-biter to the Hartford Yard Goats (26-23, 64-52) at Delta Dental Stadium on Saturday, 4-3. The Cats left 11 runners on base in the loss and finished 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
New Hampshire catcher Robert Brooks collected his second three-hit game of the season, his first at Double-A. After a base hit recorded in the second, Brooks cut away at an early deficit with an RBI double in the fourth and tied Saturday’s game with a single in the sixth.
Righty starter Devereaux Harrison made it through four innings and struck out four Hartford hitters, one per inning. Harrison allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks. Righty Kevin Miranda made his Double-A debut and struck out two in two scoreless frames. Nick Fraze (L, 1-2) retired five straight after he allowed a decisive solo home run in the top of the seventh. Righty Johnathan Lavallee pitched a flawless ninth for the Fisher Cats.
Hartford’s Collin Baumgartner (W, 4-1) gave up a run on one hit in the bottom of the sixth to fall in line for the win. Yard Goats southpaw Sean Sullivan struck out three batters in three innings and gave up a solo home run to New Hampshire’s Ryan McCarty in the bottom of the third. Right-hander Anderson Bido struck out three Fisher Cats batters in two innings and surrendered one earned run on three hits. Juan Mejia held the Fisher Cats quiet with a scoreless seventh inning and Zach Agnos (S, 5) survived a late New Hampshire push.
The Yard Goats plated the game’s first run in the leadoff inning: Second baseman Adael Amador stole second and third after a leadoff single and came in on a Sterlin Thompson sacrifice fly. Hartford stretched their lead in the top of the third inning on a two-run triple from Braxton Fulford.
New Hampshire’s first run came on McCarty’s solo home run in the bottom of the third inning – his eighth with the Fisher Cats – to move the deficit to 3-1. The Cats inched closer on a run-scoring double the catcher Brooks, his second hit of the game. Brooks knocked his third hit in run-scoring fashion: shortstop Michael Turconi and right fielder Garrett Spain walked with one out in the bottom of the fourth before Brooks plated Turconi with a single to tie Saturday’s game at 3-3.
Hartford’s Fulford delivered another run scoring hit – a decisive solo home run in the top of the seventh inning – to put the Yard Goats in the driver’s seat late. After a scoreless bottom of the seventh from Mejia, Agnos mailed in his fifth save with the Goats with a scoreless eighth and ninth. Agnos walked Turconi to lead off the bottom of the eighth before a double from Spain to put two runners in scoring position with two outs. Agnos locked in with back-to-back strikeouts before McCarty flew out to center field to strand two in scoring position.
Sunday is the final matchup of the season series between New Hampshire and Hartford. Right-hander Abdiel Mendoza (8-8, 3.69 ERA) takes the hill for manager Cesar Martin’s crew. Yard Goats RHP Connor Van Scoyoc (5-6, 5.13 ERA) is scheduled for his second appearance at Delta Dental Stadium.
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