Fisher Cats throttled in Chris Sale's rehab start at Portland

Portland, Maine – Cam Eden had one of his best games of the season on Thursday night at Hadlock Field, going 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a diving catch in center field. His heroics fell far short, though, as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (0-3, 31-41) lost, 15-4, to the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox, 3-0, 33-39).

The center fielder from Yuba City, California reached on an infield single against Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale in the third inning and scored on a Chris Bec double off the wall in left. Two batters later, Bec tried to tag up from third on a John Aiello flyout but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Sale made a rehab start with the Sea Dogs as he continues to recover from a stress fracture in his rib cage. The lefty World Series champion went 4.0 innings and gave up four hits and a run against New Hampshire. He did not walk any batters and struck out seven.

Trevor Schwecke and Orelvis Martinez tagged Sale with hits, along with Eden and Bec. Schwecke’s base knock was a hard-hit single to left field in the second inning, and Martinez poked a single to the opposite field in right in the fourth.

New Hampshire starter Yosver Zulueta (L, 0-1), ranked the No. 19 prospect in the Blue Jays system, made his Double-A debut after being officially promoted from High-A Vancouver just before the game. He went 1.2 innings and gave up two earned runs with two walks and a strikeout.

Trailing, 2-1, after three innings, Portland would score at least one run in every inning from the fourth through the eighth. Cam Eden homered in the fifth to bring New Hampshire within one, 3-2. In the seventh, Davis Schneider notched his first Double-A hit with a RBI double. Schneider was promoted from High-A Vancouver on June 25 and was named Northwest League player of the week on June 12. His double made the score 6-3, but Portland would dominate the rest of the game.

The Sea Dogs scored nine runs across their final two innings at the plate and won, 15-4. Catcher Ryan Gold came onto the mound to pitch the last of the bottom of the eighth for the Fisher Cats. The 15 runs on 15 hits were season highs allowed by New Hampshire pitching.

The Fisher Cats continues their series against Portland at Hadlock Field tomorrow, July 1 with first pitch at 6:00 p.m.

The Fisher Cats return to Delta Dental Stadium July 4 through July 10 against the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies). New Hampshire will play their only Monday game of the season of July 4 and will celebrate with The Biggest Fireworks Show in Fisher Cats History. 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.