Early six-run lead disappears in extra innings loss
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, could not hold their six-run lead, falling to the Hartford Yard Goats 9-8 in 11 innings on Wednesday afternoon at Delta Dental Stadium.
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, could not hold their six-run lead, falling to the Hartford Yard Goats 9-8 in 11 innings on Wednesday afternoon at Delta Dental Stadium.
New Hampshire (7-14, 42-47) is now 1-9 in extra-inning games this season.
With the game tied 7-7 and neither team able to score in the ninth or tenth, Hartford’s Niko Decolati hit a two-run go-ahead opposite field homer off right-hander Troy Watson (1-4) in the top of the 11th. It would prove to be just enough runs for the Yard Goats to even the series a game apiece.
The Fisher Cats made it a one-run game in the bottom of the 11th on an RBI single by Alan Roden. Roden has hits in five of his first six Double-A games with five RBIs.
Will Robertson came up to the plate with the winning runs in scoring position but struck out swinging to end the game.
For the second straight day, New Hampshire scored six or more runs in the first three innings with two in the first and four in the second.
Rainer Nunez opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first into the Samuel Adams Brewhouse, his fourth long ball at the Double-A level, before Sebastian Espino hit a three-run shot on top of the Brewhouse in the second inning to lead the Fisher Cats with three RBIs on the day.
Hartford (10-12, 39-50) answered with seven runs between the fifth and seventh innings to take a 7-6 lead with Kyle Datres hitting a three-run homer in the fifth and Jordan Beck doubling in the go-ahead run in the seventh.
The Fisher Cats tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single to center off the bat of Robertson, one of his game-high three hits on the day and his fourth three-hit game of the year.
Starting right-hander Sem Robberse threw five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks while matching a season-high eight strikeouts in a no-decision. It’s the third time this year that Robberse has struck out eight hitters in a start. The 21-year-old Netherlands native now ranks second in the Eastern League in WHIP (1.17) and fourth in the league in innings pitched (88.2).
Watson entered the game in the eighth with two outs and the bases loaded and picked off Decolati at second before even delivering a pitch. The 26-year-old pitched a season-long 3.1 innings on the day and received the loss.
The Fisher Cats continue their home stand against the Hartford Yard Goats tomorrow at 7:05 pm. RHP Chad Dallas (3-1, 4.63 ERA) will make the start for New Hampshire against LHP Joe Rock (1-6, 4.53 ERA) for Hartford.