Fisher Cats battered by Sea Dogs in return to play

Manchester, New Hampshire – After a four-day All-Star break, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (7-12, 38-50) returned home to Delta Dental Stadium on Friday for a three-game series against the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox, 14-5, 44-44). An early Addison Barger home run was not enough, as 18 Portland hits cemented New Hampshire’s 8-5 loss.

Barger went hit .455 (10-for-22) in his first Double-A series last week at Reading, and he crushed a two-run bomb over the right field wall in his first at bat at Delta Dental Stadium. The big fly put the Fisher Cats up, 2-0, and was the team’s 16th first-inning homer this year, tied for third-most in Double-A.

Portland responded quickly with two earned runs to tie the game in the second. Four singles and a sacrifice fly got the Sea Dogs on the board, and they finished with 18 hits.

Paxton Schultz was solid, lasting 4.1 innings with three earned runs. He walked two and struck out four. Schultz gave up nine hits in Friday’s game, tied for his most in a game all season (April 22 at Altoona).

The top of the Fisher Cats order answered with three hits and two runs in the third. Zac Cook doubled, and Rafael Lantigua laid down a bunt single. After a stolen base and a throwing error scored a run, John Aiello drove Lantigua home with a single, and New Hampshire went up, 4-2.

The top four batters in the Fisher Cats order went a combined 7-for-16 and had all but one of the team’s hits. Lantigua secured his team-leading 22nd multi-hit game with a 3-for-4 night.

Portland’s bats would prove to be too much, though. Kole Cottam slugged two triples and drove in four runs, going 4-for-5 with a run scored. Tyreque Reed was 3-for-5 with a RBI, too. All nine Sea Dogs had hits, and five players had multiple hits.

The Sea Dogs had scored four runs on 14 hits in the first seven innings before they were able to break through with another four runs off Thomas Ruwe (L, 0-3) in the eighth.

The 18 hits allowed by New Hampshire pitching marked a season high. Their previous high was 15 against the Portland Sea Dogs on June 30.

The Fisher Cats continue their home series with Star Wars Night against the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) tomorrow, July 23 at 7:05 p.m. Tickets can be found 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.