Sauer Shines in Series Finale Win With Immaculate Inning
The Somerset Patriots defeated the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in their regular season finale on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 7-1 at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, NH. With the Patriots’ fourth straight win, they set a Double-A franchise record by finishing 84-53 on the season, besting
The Somerset Patriots defeated the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in their regular season finale on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 7-1 at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, NH.
With the Patriots’ fourth straight win, they set a Double-A franchise record by finishing 84-53 on the season, besting their 2022 regular season record by one win (83-53).
The Patriots end the second half of the season tied with Richmond for the league’s best record of 42-27, ensuring 42 wins in both halves of the season (league-best 42-26 in first half).
The win ensured Somerset’s sixth five-win series of the season out of 13 series wins.
Somerset ends the regular season with a +211 run differential, which is the highest of any team in Minor League Baseball over the last two seasons.
RHP Matt Sauer (6.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 9 K) earned the win in both the series opener and the series finale to finish the season with a career-high six wins.
In the fifth inning, Sauer threw an immaculate inning, striking out three Fisher Cats on nine pitches. Sauer became the second Patriot this week to accomplish the feat (Carlos Gomez, 9/12/23 @NH) and the third this season (Edgar Barclay, 7/15/23 @BNG).
🚨IMMACULATE INNING🚨
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) September 17, 2023
9 pitches, 9 strikes, 3 strikeouts for Matt Sauer, who has the Patriots second immaculate inning of the week and third of the season🎟️🥊 pic.twitter.com/JFppKmX54t
CF Spencer Jones (3-for-5, 2 RBI, R, HR, K) registered his third straight multi-hit game and his first three-hit game at the Double-A level.
Jones opened the scoring with his 16th and final home run of the regular season, his second of the series and third with Somerset.
DH Ben Rice (2-for-4, 3 RBI, R, HR, BB) led the way with 3 RBIs for the Patriots, while adding his 20th multi-hit game out of 48 at the Double-A level.
In the fifth inning, Rice smashed his 16th Double-A home run and his 20th overall on the season in 73 games.
From the day Rice was promoted to Somerset on July 18 through the end of the regular season, he ends the regular season as the Eastern League leader in HR (16), RBI (48), SLG (.651), OPS (1.054), XBH (30), TB (127) and R (40), while ranking third with a .328 BA.
SS Trey Sweeney (2-for-5, 2 R, K) registered his second straight multi-hit game and his team-leading 24th of the season.