MANCHESTER, NH – Thanks to a two-run seventh inning, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (3-6, 32-46) defeated the Portland Sea Dogs (3-6, 37-39) at Delta Dental Stadium on Thursday night, 7-5. A Peyton Williams RBI double broke a 5-5 tie in the home seventh, and Rafael Sánchez delivered the final six outs in scoreless fashion for his first save of his career.
Fisher Cats starter Ryan Watson allowed four runs on nine hits and exited with a 5-4 lead. Reliever Nate Garkow allowed one run on one hit and a walk before exiting with one out in the seventh. Grayson Thurman buttoned up the seventh with a pair of strikeouts and picked up his first Double-A win before Sánchez’s six-out save.
Today’s top takeaways:
- 3B Charles McAdoo crushes two-homer in back-to-back games, extends on-base streak to 24 games
- RHP Grayson Thurman picks up first career Double-A win with two Ks
- INF/OF Jackson Hornung moves hit streak to nine games
- Fisher Cats tie franchise record with seven stolen bases
- New Hampshire turns three double plays to match season-high
Portland starter Dalton Rogers struck out seven batters in four innings but allowed four runs on a pair of hits and six walks. Jonathan Brand gave up an unearned run in two innings with two strikeouts. Jorge Juan (L, 0-1) allowed two runs in the bottom of the seventh for New Hampshire pick up its second-straight win.
Portland jumped out in front on catcher Brooks Brannon’s homer in the top of the second inning and designated hitter Allan Castro’s run-scoring groundout in the top of the third to give the Sea Dogs a 2-0 lead.
New Hampshire bounced back when third baseman Charles McAdoo crushed his second homer in as many days in the bottom of the third inning to even the score at 2-2. McAdoo took a low and outside curveball to the opposite field for his seventh homer of the season to extend his on-base streak to 24 games.
The Sea Dogs took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly before New Hampshire regained control in the bottom-half of the frame thanks to second baseman Ryan McCarty’s sacrifice fly. Right fielder Devonte Brown raced home on a wild pitch and the Cats led, 4-3, through four innings.