First inning dooms Fisher Cats in defeat

MANCHESTER, N.H — The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, did not get out of the first inning smoothly in a 3-2 defeat to the Somerset Patriots on Friday night at Delta Dental Stadium.

Somerset (40-27, 82-53) scored all three of its runs in the first inning with two outs against starting left-hander Ricky Tiedemann (0-5). After a walk, Yankees top prospect Spencer Jones went deep for a two-run homer. After two more walks, Eduardo Torrealba singled in a run to give Somerset a 3-0 lead after the first.

The Blue Jays No. 1 prospect finished the night going two innings, allowing three runs on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts, receiving the loss. The southpaw ends the season with 58 strikeouts over 32 innings pitched at Double-A.

New Hampshire (27-37, 62-70) scored its first run of the game in the fifth on an RBI fielder’s choice by Victor Arias. The 20-year-old collected his first Double-A hit and RBI in his debut after earning promotion from Single-A Dunedin on Wednesday.

Somerset starting right-hander Richard Fitts (11-5) struck out a career-high 11 over 6.2 innings to pick up the win.

Right-hander Davis Feldman threw four scoreless and hitless innings in relief from the third through the sixth with four strikeouts in his home debut. After earning promotion from Single-A Dunedin on September 7, the 25-year-old has not allowed a run or hit in 6.1 innings pitched so far.

Right-hander Adrian Hernandez threw two shutout innings with three strikeouts while right-hander Joe Jones threw a scoreless ninth. The bullpen has allowed just three runs in its last 22.2 innings pitched.

In the bottom of the ninth, Devonte Brown inched the Fisher Cats closer with a solo homer to right-center. Brown already has four homers at Double-A and nine of his 14 hits at the level have gone for extra bases.

After Phil Clarke doubled, Michael Turconi had a chance to either tie or win the game but he flew out to center to end the night.

It’s the eighth one-run game between New Hampshire and Somerset this season in 16 total meetings.

The final home stand of the regular season for the Fisher Cats continues tomorrow night against the Somerset Patriots at 6:35 pm. RHP Michael Dominguez (1-0, 3.82 ERA) will get the start for New Hampshire against RHP Yoendrys Gomez (0-3, 3.69 ERA) for Somerset.

Promotions for the weekend include Rock N’ Roll Night Saturday with an Orelvis Martinez bobblehead giveaway, presented by Delta Dental, and Fan Appreciation Day Sunday with Kids Run the Bases Postgame, sponsored by the N-H Liquor Commission Division of Enforcement.

Tickets are available at NHFisherCats.com, via email at [email protected], over the phone at (603) 641-2005, or in-person at the Fisher Cats box office at 1 Line Drive in Manchester.