Season-High 14 Hits Not Enough on Saturday

Manchester, NH - Even with a season-high 14 hits, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays Double-A affiliate) were overpowered by the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies), 12-4, on Saturday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. 
Nash Knight  finished a triple shy of the cycle for New Hampshire, and Santiago Espinal  collected three hits, but Hartford hit four home runs in the game, including two by Colton Welker.
The Yard Goats (8-9) took the lead in the top of the second inning on a single by Mylz Jones and a double by Willie Abreu against Fisher Cats starter Patrick Murphy (L, 0-3), Ryan Metzler would follow with a single to put the Yard Goats up 2-0.
The Yard Goats hit a pair of consecutive solo homers to start the third inning -- one by Bret Boswell and another by Welker -- and then tacked on another two runs for a 6-0 lead.
The first run for the Fisher Cats (7-9) came in the bottom of the third inning. They put together three singles for the run. Knight opened the inning with a single to center and moved to third on a single by Forrest Wall. The third hit of the inning, by Vinny Capra , cut the lead to 6-1.
Hartford extended the lead to 7-1 with two outs in the top of the fifth inning. Abreu tripled and scored on a single by Metzler.
Knight led off the bottom of the fifth with his first home run of the season, a long fly to left to make it 7-2. The Yard Goats responded with homers by Brian Serven and Welker in the top of the sixth inning.
Espinal singled to start the bottom of the sixth inning and Knight doubled home a run as Brandon Grudzielanek  reached on an error to bring New Hampshire to within 9-3.
Gunnar Heidt  added an RBI single for the Fisher Cats in the bottom of the seventh inning. He had two hits in his return to New Hampshire.
Scott Burcham had an RBI single for Hartford in the eighth, and Welker completed his fine night with a two-run double to make it 12-4.
Notes: Murphy left after 2.2 innings in which he allowed seven hits, six runs (five earned). It was his shortest outing of the season.
Winning pitcher Jack Wynkoop (W, 1-3) beat New Hampshire for the first time in seven career starts against them.

Five New Hampshire players had multiple hit games. In addition to Knight and Espinal, Vinny Capra, Gunnar Heidt and Forrest Wall each had two hits.