BINGHAMTON, NY — The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (8-20, 38-58) dropped game three of six to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (17-12, 52-44) Thursday at Mirabito Stadium, 1-0. New Hampshire had the tying run on base in the ninth but failed to score.
Cats second baseman Josh Rivera collected two singles in his first game with New Hampshire and stole a base. Left fielder Yohendrick Piñango drove a double off the right field wall for his first Fisher Cats hit.
Fisher Cats righty Abdiel Mendoza (L, 6-7), in his third start of the season, tossed five innings of one-run ball. The Panamanian struck out three without a walk. Binghamton scored its run in the third on back-to-back hits; the latter Ponies batter was promptly retired on a double play. Dahian Santos was the first New Hampshire arm out of the bullpen and struck out three through two scoreless innings. Andrew Bechtold punched two tickets and put up a zero in the eighth.
The Rumble Ponies pitched a bullpen game which began with righty Jeffery Colon, who held New Hampshire scoreless for 3 2/3 innings. Nolan Clenney (W, 1-0) relieved Colon in the top of the fourth and kept the Cats in check until the eighth, when TJ Shook (S, 1) took the reins.
The Fisher Cats threatened in the first; Rivera and shortstop Josh Kasevich ripped back-to-back hits, then successfully executed a double steal, but both were stranded. Piñango started the seventh with his double but was retired on a play at the plate two batters later.
Friday’s first pitch between New Hampshire and Binghamton is set for 7:05 PM EDT from Mirabito Stadium. The Cats start right-hander Lazaro Estrada (0-3, 3.41 ERA), and New Hampshire faces Binghamton righty Brandon Sproat (4-1, 2.67 ERA) for the first time.
The Fisher Cats return home on August 6 to face the Erie SeaWolves, Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, for six contests. Promotional nights during the Erie homestand include Love Your Heart night presented by Dartmouth Health, 90s Night with a Fanny Pack giveaway, presented by Fidium Fiber, and postgame Atlas fireworks. The series concludes on Sunday, August 11 with a 1:35 PM EDT first pitch on First Responders Day.