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Fisher Cats 15, Sea Dogs 8

MANCHESTER – Fresh off a doubleheader split, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (9-6, 43-39) blasted their way to a Thursday night win at Delta Dental Stadium against the Portland Sea Dogs (9-6, 44-39), 15-8. The Cats clobbered four home runs, and five players notched a multi-hit game in the win.

The Fisher Cats started the game with a pair of two runs blasts in the first inning from designated hitter Arjun Nimmala and catcher Aaron Parker. Nimmala’s two-run homer in the first came as his second in the last two nights. Nimmala hit his first Double-A home run on July 8 in game one of Wednesday’s doubleheader.

In the fourth inning, first baseman Jorge Burgos hit the second New Hampshire grand slam of the season. In the eighth, third baseman Dub Gleed hammered an opposite field three-run home run.

Center fielder Victor Arias had a night to remember in Manchester. The Cats leadoff hitter laced five hits, which tied New Hampshire’s single-game record, and reached base in all six of his plate appearances.

New Hampshire starter Danny Thompson Jr. allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits with six strikeouts in 3-2/3 innings. Reliever Aaron Munson (W, 3-2) was tagged for three runs in 2-1/3 innings but secured his third win of the season. Right-handers Yondrei Rojas and Sam Gardner recorded the final nine outs of the game with four strikeouts. Sea Dogs starter Gage Ziehl suffered the loss after three innings of eight-run ball.

Box Score

Top Takeaways

  • OF Victor Arias became the first New Hampshire hitter since 2022 to notch a five-hit game.
  • OF Jorge Burgos walloped the second Fisher Cats’ grand slam of the season in the fourth inning.
  • INF Arjun Nimmala has homered in consecutive games since returning to Double-A
  • New Hampshire smacked four home runs, the most in a game since May 29 at Somerset.

New Hampshire struck first on Thursday. In the bottom of the first, the Cats scored four runs on a pair of two-run home runs from Nimmala (2) and Parker (11).

Portland quickly rallied. In the second, first baseman Brooks Brannon singled, advanced to second on an error, and moved to third on a wild pitch. The next batter, catcher Johanfran Garcia ripped an RBI single. In the fourth, a two-run homer by Brannon (13) and RBI double from left fielder Caden Rose tied the game at four.

The Fisher Cats retook the lead in the fourth. After the Cats loaded the bases, Burgos (6) slugged a grand slam and made it 8-4. Following a pitching change, Parker walked and stole second. Two batters later, left fielder Hedbert Perez laced an RBI double which gave the Cats a five-run advantage.

The Sea Dogs made it a ballgame again on a fifth-inning three-run home run from designated hitter Nate Baez, but New Hampshire blew the game open in the eighth. Highlighting the frame was a three-run homer from Gleed and a two-run double by Parker. A Portland run scored in the ninth, but the Fisher Cats secured a Thursday win, 15-8.

New Hampshire and Portland continue the series on Friday with a 6:03 p.m. first pitch. Right-hander Jackson Wentworth (4-5, 4.59 ERA) will start for the Cats against Sea Dogs’ starter John Holobetz (4-3, 4.57 ERA). Coverage begins at 5:43 PM on WKXL, Bally Live, MLB.tv, MiLB.tv, and the Fisher Cats Radio Network.

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