Fisher Cats offense erupts in series opening win
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, erupted on offense and defeated the Hartford Yard Goats on Tuesday night by a score of 11-8 at Delta Dental Stadium.
MANCHESTER, N.H — The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, erupted on offense and defeated the Hartford Yard Goats on Tuesday night by a score of 11-8 at Delta Dental Stadium.
After being no-hit on Sunday by Portland, New Hampshire (7-13, 42-46) scored 11 runs in the first three innings of the game.
The Fisher Cats scored four in the first on an RBI double by Damiano Palmegiani, a two-run single by Phil Clarke and a fielding error by Yanquiel Fernandez in right field on a fly ball hit by Miguel Hiraldo.
Palmegiani delivered another multi-hit game, his team-leading 20th multi-hit game of the season and his team leading 44th and 45th runs batted in.
New Hampshire added on six runs in the second. In his home debut for the Fisher Cats, Alan Roden laced a two-run triple down the right-field line. The Blue Jays 2022 third round pick has six hits and four RBIs in his first six games at the Double-A level.
Run-scoring hits by Palmegiani, a double by Rainer Nunez, and a single by Riley Tirotta extended New Hampshire’s lead.
Trevor Schwecke led the Fisher Cats with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, including an RBI single in the fifth to give New Hampshire its biggest lead of the game at 11-1.
Hartford (9-12, 38-50) scraped home six runs from the fourth through the eighth and even put the tying run at the plate in Bedford native Grant Lavigne in the bottom of the eighth but right-hander T.J. Brock struck out him looking en route to a four-out save for his sixth save of the season.
Starting right-hander Adam Kloffenstein (5-5) threw five innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits and no walks while striking out six to pick up the victory. The 22-year-old right-hander has thrown five or more innings in 15 consecutive starts. Kloffenstein remains the Eastern League’s active ERA leader at 3.24 and he ranks third in the league in strikeouts (105).
The Fisher Cats continue their home stand against the Hartford Yard Goats tomorrow at 12:05 pm. RHP Sem Robberse (3-5, 3.87 ERA) will make the start for New Hampshire against RHP Case Williams (1-8, 5.96 ERA) for Hartford.