Season-High 17 Hits Fall Short on Saturday

Hartford, CT - Despite home runs from Kevin Smith , Forrest Wall  and Chad Spanberger , along with a four-hit game from Alberto Mineo , the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays Double-A affiliate) were outslugged by the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies) 11-9 on Saturday night at Dunkin Donuts Park, snapping New Hampshire's four-game win streak.
The Fisher Cats (9-14), who produced a season-high 17 hits, took the lead in the top of the first inning when Wall tripled and scored on a single by Santiago Espinal . In his second at bat of the night, Wall homered into the upper deck in right field to give the Fisher Cats a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning.
Smith blasted his team-leading 11th home run in the top of fourth, while Mineo and Spanberger strung together doubles for another run as the Fisher Cats opened a 4-0 cushion.
From that point, it was all Yard Goats. Fisher Cats starter Patrick Murphy  cruised through four innings but left the game in the fifth after two singles and two walks led to a Yard Goats run. Murphy struck out seven batters. Tyler Nevin drilled a two-run single off reliever Willy Ortiz  (L, 3-5) to make it a 4-3 ballgame.
Hartford went ahead for good in the last of the sixth inning, scoring six times for a 9-4 lead. Scott Burcham singled in a run, Carlos Herrera hit a sacrifice fly and Vance Vizcaino beat out an infield single for another. Nevin then blasted a three-run homer for Hartford to give him five RBIs in two innings. Vizcaino hit a two-run shot in the eighth to extend the lead to 11-4.
The Fisher Cats rallied with five runs in the ninth, which included a two-run single by Mineo and a two-run homer by Spanberger, but could not complete the comeback.
Mineo finished 4-for-5 with a double and 2 RBIs, while Smith went 3-for-5 with a home run. Including his two-homer performance on Friday, Smith enjoyed a stretch of three homers over the course of six at bats. 
The final meeting of the season between the Fisher Cats and the Yard Goats will be on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. Top pitching prospect Nate Pearson  is scheduled to start for New Hampshire.

The Fisher Cats return to Delta Dental Stadium on Monday to play the Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox). The first game with Portland is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Game Highlight: an Autograph Session with Chris Carpenter & Tim Schaller, thanks to our friends at Primary Bank. For tickets and information, visit nhfishercats.com.