See-Saw Game Sees 'Cats Sawed By 'Goats

HARTFORD, CT - The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays) were bested by the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) 4-3 Thursday night at Dunkin' Donuts Park as the 'Goats improved their lead in the Plymouth Rock Assurance Cup standings with their ninth win over the 'Cats in 12 meetings.

The Yard Goats started the scoring with a pair of runs in the first. A lead-off double set up Vince Fernandez, whose two-out, two-run home run put Hartford up 2-0.
A two-run top of the third tied the game. With two outs and a man at first, Kevin Smith doubled off the right field wall to score a run. After a walk, Chad Spanberger singled home Smith to make it 2-2.
New Hampshire took the lead in the sixth with three consecutive singles and a sacrifice fly from Nash Knight, but Fernandez's second home run of the day - a solo shot to left - in the bottom of the inning tied the game 3-3.
Hector Perez matched a season high with six innings of work. The #14 Blue Jays prospect (MLB.com) scattered seven hits, allowed three runs, walked one and struck out three.
Hartford broke a 3-3 tie with an unearned run in the eighth. The first batter reached on a tough-luck error before back-to-back singles scored the eventual winning run for the Rockies affiliate.
Notable Performances:

• Kevin Smith logged a seasonbest three hits in five trips and added an RBI.
• Christian Williams' three hits were the most in his young DoubleA career.
• Brock Lundquist reached base all four times he came to the plate (two walks and two singles).
• Chad Spanberger logged his sixth multihit performance of 2019.

The series continues Friday night at Dunkin' Donuts Park. LHP Zach Logue (2-2, 3.60 ERA) will go for the Gatos Feroces de New Hampshire while RHP Rico Garcia (4-0, 1.69 ERA) is slated to start for the Los Chivos de Hartford on a Copa de la Diversion night in Connecticut. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. and continues with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. on the WGIR Fisher Cats Radio Network.