Yard Goats 8, Fisher Cats 1

MANCHESTER – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (23-18) dropped their third consecutive game to the Hartford Yard Goats on Friday night at Delta Dental Stadium, 8-1. A pair of three-run innings for the visiting Goats helped Hartford trim New Hampshire’s first-place lead to 1½ games in the Northeast.

Box Score

New Hampshire starter Austin Cates (0-2) posted a pair of scoreless innings until Hartford plated the game’s first two runs in the top of the third. Cates bounced back for a 1-2-3 fourth frame before surrendering a pair of singles to begin the fifth to end his night. Fellow righty Aaron Munson struck out three batters of his five outs recorded, and Yondrei Rojas and Caleb Freeman combined for a pair of scoreless innings.

Hartford’s Connor Staine (3-1) notched his fourth 5.0 IP start in his last five outings with four walks and four strikeouts against New Hampshire. Righties Davis Palermo and Fidel Ulloa finished the effort with four scoreless innings and combined for eight strikeouts.

Top takeaways:

• LF Jorge Burgos tallies first home run of 2026, New Hampshire’s lone run
• 3B Sean Keys reached in all four plate appearances with two walks, a single and a double
• Yondrei Rojas posted second consecutive scoreless outing, his fourth in his last five appearances. Rojas in those four outings: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K

The Yard Goats again opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Hartford’s Aidan Longwell plated a pair of runs with an RBI double to give the Goats a 2-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the inning, New Hampshire’s Jorge Burgos launched his first home run with New Hampshire to the opposite field corner to cut Hartford’s lead to 2-1. Burgos signed a minor league contract with Toronto on December 17, 2025, after a six-year stint in the Cleveland Guardians’ system.

Hartford stretched the lead with three runs scored in the top of the fifth inning. After Cates gave up a pair of singles to end his night, New Hampshire’s Munson allowed a sacrifice fly to second baseman Roc Riggio and shortstop Andy Perez. With two outs, center fielder Conner Capel drove in the third run of the inning with a base hit to center field to lead, 5-1.

In his first game back from the 7-Day Injured List, Hartford’s Riggio launched a three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to push Friday’s contest out of reach, 8-1.

The Fisher Cats and Yard Goats press into Memorial Day Weekend at Delta Dental Stadium with a Saturday contest scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m. Fisher Cats RHP Jackson Wentworth (1-4, 5.40 ERA) faces the Yard Goats for the first time in his eighth New Hampshire start. Hartford southpaw Konner Eaton (2-0, 3.54 ERA) climbs the hill for the Yard Goats in his ninth start of 2026. Coverage begins at 12:45 PM on, Bally Live, MLB.tv, MiLB.tv, and the Fisher Cats Radio Network.

*******

Those who would like to help New Hampshire Hardball promote baseball in the Granite State can do so by purchasing a New Hampshire Hardball membership or by making a donation below. Sponsorship inquiries can be sent to nhhardball@gmail.com. Your support is greatly appreciated.