Fisher Cats 6/3, Sea Dogs 1/1
- Updated: September 5, 2024
MANCHESTER — The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (21-37, 51-75) tamed the Portland Sea Dogs (36-23, 72-54) twice at Delta Dental Stadium Wednesday, 6-1 and 3-1. New Hampshire has strung together three wins for the first time since August 2-4, when the Fisher Cats took down Binghamton in three straight contests.
In game one, Kevin Miranda (W, 1-0) went the distance. The right-hander pitched a seven-inning, six-strike out complete game shutout. Miranda retired 15 batters in order from the second through sixth innings. He allowed a solo homer in the top of the seventh, then buckled down and retired the side.
The Fisher Cats started slow against Portland starter Wikelman Gonzalez (L, 4-3) but got the wheels turning in the third. Catcher Robert Brooks began the rally with a one-out single. Two batters later, second baseman Ryan McCarty singled, helping Brooks to third. Brooks scored the Cats’ first run on a throwing error, as Gonzalez wildly threw to first in an attempt to nab McCarty. After third baseman Charles McAdoo walked, Rainer Nuñez singled in McCarty and the Cats took a 2-1 lead.
New Hampshire tacked on two more in the fourth. Josh Rivera singled, then Robert Brooks smoked his second Double-A home run over the right-field fence to make it 4-1.
Two more runs crossed for the Cats in the sixth. Designated hitter Devonte Brown led off with a single, right fielder Gabby Martinez walked and Rivera singled. With the bases loaded, Brooks walked to score Devonte Brown, then left fielder RJ Schreck singled in Martinez for New Hampshire’s sixth run.
Mikey Romero’s seventh-inning solo homer was Portland’s only tally in game one.
Right-hander Dahian Santos logged his first Double-A start in game two and fired three scoreless innings. Relievers Nick Fraze, Andrew Bechtold (W, 1-5) and CJ Van Eyk (S, 1) held the Sea Dogs offense in check to help nab Wednesday’s second game.
The Sea Dogs scored the first run in the top of the fourth inning on a broken-bat single by Allan Castro. The Fisher Cats rallied with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. After a Martinez single, center fielder Garrett Spain laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached second on a throwing error by Portland’s Brendan Cellucci (L, 7-3). Catcher Nate LaRue walked, and with the bases loaded, Martinez scored on a Dasan Brown hit-by-pitch to tie game two at 1-1. New Hampshire took the lead in the next at-bat, a Devonte Brown sacrifice fly to plate Spain from third.
New Hampshire doubled their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Nunez led the effort off with a walk; McCarty entered as a pinch-runner. Martinez doubled and Spain grounded out to second to bring McCarty in and stretch the New Hampshire advantage to 3-1.
In his Double-A debut, New Hampshire infielder Drew Jemison roped a double off the top of the right-field wall in his first at-bat. Jemison signed with Toronto as a Minor League free agent after spending 2023 with the Staten Island Ferry Hawks in the independent Atlantic League.
The Fisher Cats and Sea Dogs battle at 6:35 PM EDT on Thursday night. New Hampshire’s Devereaux Harrison (4-7, 4.85 ERA) makes his 25th Double-A start, and Portland’s Juan Daniel Encarnacion (0-5, 11.24 ERA) is scheduled for his seventh start this season.
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