Hartford, CT – Trailing 5-4 after seven innings and a 91-minute rain delay, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays Double-A affiliate) stormed back for a 10-5 win over the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies) on Wednesday night at Dunkin’ Donuts Park.
New Hampshire scored four runs in the decisive eighth inning. LJ Talley grounded the first post-rain delay pitch into right field, and Vinny Capra followed with a go-ahead two-run homer over the left field fence three pitches later. Tanner Kirwer and Chavez Young added RBI singles to give the Fisher Cats an 8-5 lead.
Capra homered again in the top of the ninth, launching another two-run blast to right field after a double from Talley.
Capra finished 2-for-3 with two home runs and 4 RBIs, and has driven in nine runs over the last two games.
Fitz Stadler (S, 1) recorded the final six outs of the ballgame with three strikeouts and no hits surrendered. Emerson Jimenez (W, 1-1) picked up the win in his first Double-A appearance since May 18.
Otto Lopez (2-for-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI) kept the Fisher Cats in the game early. He started the scoring with an RBI double in the first and came home on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 after half an inning. With New Hampshire trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Lopez delivered a go-ahead two-run double into the right field corner to put the ‘Cats in front 4-3.
Hartford grabbed the lead back just before the rain delay in the bottom of the seventh, with two runs scoring with two outs on a mishandled pop up between first base and the pitcher’s mound.