MANCHESTER, NH – Big offensive nights from Patrick Winkel and Jay Harry powered the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (20-11) to a 9-5 Tuesday night win against the Reading Fightin Phils (16-17) at Delta Dental Stadium. Winkel and Harry both mashed their first home run of the season.
New Hampshire RHP Chris McElvain (W, 2-0)tossed five innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits and he struck out five. The righty has tossed at least five innings in four straight starts. Reliever Conor Larkin secured the final four outs of the game and struck out two. Reading starter Gabriel Barbosa (L, 0-2) went 4-1/3 innings and was tagged for five earned runs on seven hits. He gave up a pair of home runs.
Tonight’s top takeaways:
- Jay Harry crushed his first home run of the season and the ninth pinch-hit homer in franchise history.
- Chris McElvain has tossed at least five innings in four straight outings.
- Arjun Nimmala totaled three hits in his first game at Delta Dental Stadium.
- Patrick Winkel slugged his first New Hampshire home run in the win.
- Every New Hampshire batter reached base in the Tuesday night win.
Trailing 3-2, New Hampshire stormed back in the fourth. Center fielder Victor Arias doubled, and right fielder Eddie Micheletti Jr. walked. Two batters later, Winkel (1) walloped a three-run blast.
Reading added a run in the sixth. Following back-to-back strikeouts, catcher Kehden Hettiger (4) hammered a solo home run and made it 5-4.
The Fisher Cats pulled away in the bottom of the frame. Three straight singles loaded the bases, and second baseman Adrian Pinto cleared them with a double to right field, which extended New Hampshire’s lead to 9-4.
The Fightin Phils scratched across a run in the seventh. With two away and a runner at second, shortstop Bryan Rincon lined an RBI knock and cut the R-Phils deficit to four. Relievers Irv Carter IV and Larkin did not allow a run in the final two innings and the Fisher Cats recorded their 20th win of the season.
Reading struck first in the series opener. With one out in the top of the first, Rincon (7) laced a solo blast and put the Fightin Phils ahead.
New Hampshire answered in the bottom of the first. Shortstop Arjun Nimmala blooped a one-out single. After outfielder Jace Bohrofen exited the game with an injury, Harry(1) crushed a pinch-hit two-run home run and gave the Cats a 2-1 advantage.
The Fightin Phils quickly responded. Right fielder Raylin Heredia (5) led off the second with a solo home run. In the third, left fielder Cade Fergus and center fielder Dante Nori doubled. With two runners in scoring position, Rincon rolled an RBI groundout and gave the R-Phils a one-run lead.