MANCHESTER, NH – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (7-14, 36-54) dropped the series opener to the Hartford Yard Goats (13-9, 49-42) at Delta Dental Stadium on Tuesday night, 4-2. Relievers Alex Amalfi, Grayson Thurman and Justin Kelly combined to hold Hartford to one hit and no runs over six innings, and second baseman Eddinson Paulino cracked a solo homer in his first game back in New Hampshire’s lineup since July 4.
Tonight’s top takeaways:
- Starter Michael Dominguez allows all four runs in first inning, capped with two-run homer
- Relievers Alex Amalfi, Grayson Thurman and Justin Kelly combine for six Ks in six scoreless innings, one walk and one run
- CF Victor Arias records two-hit night, 1B Jackson Hornung tallies first triple
- DH Eddinson Paulino homers in ninth, RF Gabriel Martinez doubles with two outs to bring tying run to the plate
New Hampshire starter Michael Dominguez (L, 0-2) surrendered four runs on three hits with three walks and one strikeout in three innings of work. Amalfi took over in the top of the fourth inning and went on to fire three scoreless innings of relief with one hit and four strikeouts. Thurman then tossed two shutout frames with one strikeout, and Kelly dealt a struck out one in a blank top of the ninth inning.
Hartford starter Sean Sullivan (W, 8-4) made his third start against the Fisher Cats this year and tallied nine strikeouts over 6-2/3 innings, with one run on five hits. Reliever Collin Baumgardner replaced Sullivan in the bottom of the seventh inning before allowing one hit in 1-1/3 innings of work. Goats reliever Welinton Herrera (S, 6) surrendered one run on two hits in the bottom of the ninth inning and closed out Hartford’s 4-2 win.
The Yard Goats rattled off four runs in the top of the first inning when center fielder Cole Carrigg led off the game with a double and came around to score on a grounder from first baseman Charlie Condon. Catcher Bryant Betancourt collected a run on a single that made it 2-0 before scoring on third baseman Braylen Wimmer’s two-run shot to give Hartford an early 4-0 advantage.
New Hampshire responded in the bottom of the first inning after first baseman Jackson Hornung led off with a triple and scored on center fielder Victor Arias’ single to make it a 4-1 game.
Despite holding the Yard Goats to one hit in the last eight innings, New Hampshire could only muster across one more run on Paulino’s homer and fell, 4-2.