Fisher Cats 5, Yard Goats 4

MANCHESTER – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (21-32, 55-65) utilized a pair of two-out doubles in the bottom of the eighth to take down the Hartford Yard Goats (19-33, 58-62) at Delta Dental Stadium on Wednesday night, 5-4. With two outs, shortstop Eric Snow and center fielder Mathieu Vallee each doubled to break a 4-4 tie and help the Fisher Cats take their first game of the series.

After a four-inning start by New Hampshire’s Mason Olson, the Fisher Cats bullpen held Hartford scoreless over the final five innings. Alex Amalfi allowed one hit in two scoreless innings, Gage Stanifer struck out four in two innings and Yondrei Rojas (S, 4) struck out the final batter of the game to secure the Wednesday win.

Box Score

Hartford starter Sam Weatherly allowed three runs, two earned, in 1-1/3 innings. Reliever Cade Denton followed with 2-2/3 innings of one-run ball. Victor Juarez and Hunter Mann combined for three shutout frames with five punchouts and Carlos Torres (L, 6-6) allowed the go-ahead run to score in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Top Takeaways:

• RHP Gage Stanifer picked up his fifth win of the season, thanks to two scoreless frames and four strikeouts.
• RHP Yondrei Rojas records fourth save of the season, third in August.
• OF Mathieu Vallee delivers clutch go-ahead double in the eighth.
• OF Carter Cunningham smacks two extra-base hits, hits first homer since August 9
• INF Adrian Pinto reached four times in the win and drew three walks.
  • Three walks tied Pinto’s Double-A single-game high
• OF Alexis Hernandez’s ten-game hit streak ended with 0-for-2 night.

New Hampshire struck first on Wednesday. With one out in the first, center fielder Victor Arias reached on a three-base error. The next batter, first baseman Dub Gleed, ripped an RBI single to make it 1-0.

Hartford answered immediately in the top of the second. Right fielder Braylen Wimmer walked, and first baseman Jack O’Dowd singled. Following a double steal and popout, second baseman Roynier Hernandez cracked a sacrifice fly. Catcher Cole Messina laced an RBI single and pushed the Yard Goats ahead, 2-1.

In the bottom of the second, the Fisher Cats threatened with back-to-back walks. Two batters later, left fielder Carter Cunningham smashed an RBI double. The Cats loaded the bases on another walk and took the lead on a fielder’s choice hit by Arias, 3-2.

Trailing by a run, the Goats retook the lead. With two runners in scoring position and two outs, a Wimmer singled, coupled with an error made it 4-3 Hartford.

The Fisher Cats tied the game again in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run from Cunningham (7) which evened the score at 4-4.

With the game tied at four in the bottom of the eighth, Snow and Vallee’s doubles helped the Fisher Cats take the game’s final lead at 5-4.

New Hampshire and Hartford continue their six-game series on Thursday with first pitch slated for 6:03 p.m. Toronto’s No. 3 prospect (MLB Pipeline) Johnny King (0-1, 3.00 ERA) will start for the Fisher Cats, and the Yard Goats will counter with lefty Bryson Hammer (1-1, 4.05 ERA). Coverage begins at 5:43 PM on WKXL, MLB.tv, the Bally Sports Live app, and the Fisher Cats Radio Network.