Errors Aid Hartford’s Offensive Explosion on Saturday

HARTFORD, CT – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (20-30) fell to the Hartford Yard Goats (25-25) at Dunkin’ Park on Saturday night, 14-5. A new single-game franchise high of six errors helped the Yard Goats eclipse the double-digit mark on Saturday night.

Box Score

Fisher Cats center fielder Devonte Brown sent his first homer of the season to left-center field to cut into the Yard Goats’ steep advantage in the top of the fifth, 12-2. Shortstop Eddinson Paulino also left the yard with a lead-off solo shot in the top of the eighth, his third homer of the season, to make it 14-3.

Hartford's Sean Sullivan (W, 3-1) posted a quality start by allowing three earned on five hits and striking out seven. After New Hampshire’s Yohendrick Piñango doubled, Paulino singled him in two pitches later to give the Fisher Cats an early 1-0 lead. Sullivan, however, settled into his Saturday start by retiring next 11 batters faced and tallied his first quality start of the year.

Fisher Cats righty Rafael Sánchez (L, 1-3) labored through 3-1/3 innings, surrendering eight earned runs on 10 hits to suffer his third loss of the season, all in May. Right-handed Kevin Miranda followed Sánchez and made his first appearance of the season in New Hampshire. Miranda lasted 1-2/3 innings while allowing two earned runs on a homer to Hartford second baseman Dyan Jorge in the bottom of the fourth.

New Hampshire reliver Grayson Thurman and Nate Garkow tossed the final three frames, with Thurman surrendering two earned in two frames. Garkow polished off the eighth by striking out the side and has now collected 11 punchouts through his first four innings with the Fisher Cats this year.

New Hampshire jumped in front in the top of the first inning after Piñango led off the game by tucking a double down the right field line. Piñango faced four pitches and was replaced by pinch-runner Peyton Williams at second before Paulino cracked a single to right-center field that plated Williams and gave the Cats a 1-0 lead.

Hartford came roaring back in the bottom of the first by hitting around the order and putting five runs on the board. After center fielder Braiden Ward’s lead-off double, New Hampshire’s Sánchez responded with an out. The flood games opened after that as the Yard Goats put five straight runners on base, including run-scoring hits from first baseman Zach Kokoska and Jorge. Sánchez got out of the first inning with two consecutive strikeouts as the Yard Goats led, 5-1.

The Yard Goats capitalized on a New Hampshire fielding error that allowed one unearned to come across in the second inning. Third baseman Nic Kent reached on a sailed throw from shortstop before left fielder Juan Guerrero’s single to make it a 6-1 game through two innings.

The Goats plated six in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a pair of three-run home runs from Guerrero and Jorge to put Hartford up through four innings, 12-1.

The Goats added runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings, including Guerrero’s run-scoring double to complete a 4-for-5, four RBI night.

New Hampshire trailed 14-4 going into the ninth before Brown opened the frame by knocking a double off the right-center field wall for his second extra base hit of the game. The Cats pushed one more run across when Williams singled to plate Brown and finalized the scoring at 14-5.

The Fisher Cats and Yard Goats wrap the series on Sunday, June 1 with a 1:10 PM EDT first pitch. New Hampshire’s Grant Rogers (0-1, 2.45 ERA) squares off against Hartford’s Blake Adams (1-3, 6.89 ERA) for the second time this week in the Sunday rubber match, with both teams taking three games from each other this week.

New Hampshire returns to Delta Dental Stadium on Tuesday, June 3 to host the Altoona Curve, Double-A affiliates of the Pittsburgh Pirates, for a six-game series.

Fans can purchase 2025 multi-game memberships and single-game tickets at nhfishercats.com, via email at [email protected], by phone at (603) 641-2005, and in-person at the Delta Dental Stadium box office on 1 Line Drive in Manchester.

About the New Hampshire Fisher Cats

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays and play their games at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. Over 160 former Fisher Cats have reached the Major League level. The Fisher Cats have raised millions of dollars for various charities through the Fisher Cats Foundation and continuously strive to improve the quality of life for Granite State residents. The organization has been recognized as New Hampshire Business Review’s “Best Sporting Event to Take Clients to”, Parenting New Hampshire Magazine’s “New Hampshire’s Favorite Sporting Event for Families”, and New Hampshire Magazine’s “Best New Hampshire Sports Team”. For more information on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, please visit nhfishercats.com, call (603) 641-2005, or contact Chris Jared via email at [email protected].