Fightin’ Phils beat Fisher Cats twice

MANCHESTER – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (21-13) suffered a pair of close losses on Friday night at Delta Dental Stadium, falling to the Reading Fightin Phils (18-18) in Game 1, 4-2, and in Game 2, 3-2. In game one, New Hampshire’s Gage Stanifer (TOR No. 6, MLB Pipeline) struck out a season-high nine batters, including five in a row between the first and second inning.

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

Following Stanifer’s strong outing, reliever Mason Olson (L, 0-1) allowed two earned runs in the seventh and suffered his first loss of the season.

In his first outing at Delta Dental Stadium, game two starter Austin Cates (L, 0-1) struck out three in 4-1/3 innings. He was tagged for three earned runs on three hits and four walks. RHP Aaron Munson pitched a perfect seventh inning as the San Antonio, Texas native has not allowed an earned run in five appearances in Double-A.

Top takeaways:

• Stanifer sets new Double-A high with nine Ks in game one; most Ks from a Fisher Cats starter

• Jay Harry wallops second HR of the year, both this week

• Arjun Nimmala singles in each game, fourth multi-hit game in Double-A

• Aaron Munson has not allowed an earned run in his first five appearances with New Hampshire

Game One

Reading struck first in game one. In the first, infielders Bryan Rincon and Aroon Escobar reached on hits. An error from Stanifer on a pickoff allowed Rincon to scamper home for the first run of the game. In the third inning, Escobar laced an RBI single which extended Reading’s lead.

New Hampshire tied the game in sixth. With a runner at first, Victor Arias (3) mashed a two-run blast.

Locked in a 2-2, the Fightin Phils took the lead in the seventh. With one out and a runner on, designated hitter Austin Murr mashed a go-ahead two-run home run which gave Reading a 4-2 lead.

Game Two

The Fisher Cats opened the scoring in the second. Following back-to-back strikeouts, Jay Harry (2) walloped a solo home run and put New Hampshire ahead 1-0.

The R-Phils answered in the bottom of the frame. With first baseman Alex Binelas at first, right fielder Dylan Campbell tied the game on an RBI double.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the fifth. Reading worked consecutive walks to open up the inning. Two batters later, Binelas cracked a two-run double and made it 3-1. The Cats scored a run in the sixth on an RBI groundout, but they could not muster anything in the seventh and fell 3-2.

New Hampshire and Reading continue the series on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. RHP Jackson Wentworth (1-3, 5.61 ERA) will start for the Fisher Cats, and the Fightin Phils will counter with LHP Adam Seminaris (2-3, 2.86 ERA) start. Coverage begins at 12:45 PM on Bally Live, MLB.tv, MiLB.tv, and the Fisher Cats Radio Network.

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