Pitching stellar in shutout victory
Manchester, N.H. – Pitching stepped up on Friday night, as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (26-28) won, 4-0, over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets, 20-34). The shutout win was New Hampshire’s fifth of the season and was jumpstarted by 7.0 combined scoreless innings from Hayden Juenger and Nick
Manchester, N.H. – Pitching stepped up on Friday night, as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (26-28) won, 4-0, over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets, 20-34). The shutout win was New Hampshire’s fifth of the season and was jumpstarted by 7.0 combined scoreless innings from Hayden Juenger and Nick Fraze.
Juenger, the No. 26 prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system according to MLB.com, has not allowed a run in his last three appearances. He went 4.0 shutout innings on Friday, allowing one hit. He threw 48 pitches, 34 of them for strikes.
The righty also walked one and struck out five, tied for his second-most strikeouts in a game this season.
Nick Fraze (W, 2-4) picked up right where Juenger left off. He threw 3.0 scoreless inning with four strikeouts. The only baserunner he allowed was on a bunt single. Fraze made eight starts for the Cats across April and May but has come out of the bullpen in two straight appearances. He is third on the team in WHIP (1.08) among pitchers with at least 15 innings of work.
The duo of Cam Eden and John Aiello were the magic combination for the Fisher Cats at the plate. Eden scored three runs and was driven home by Aiello each time. Hitting on the two hole, Aiello had RBI singles to score Eden in the fifth and seventh innings. In the ninth, Aiello hammered a double off the left field wall to score Eden from first. Aiello finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs in his first three-hit game of the season.
Spencer Horwitz also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with a walk. The first baseman has a seven-game hit streak and a 10-game on-base streak. Horwitz is 9-for-23 with three doubles, one homer and 10 RBIs this month.
Relievers Trey Cumbie and Sean Rackoski each threw a perfect inning to complete the shutout. Cumbie struck out two batters, and Rackoski retired the New York Mets top three prospects, preserving the 4-0 win.
The Fisher Cats return home to Delta Dental Stadium on June 14 for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch against the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees). The Patriots are in second place in the Northeast division of the Eastern League at 34-19. Tickets can be found at NHFisherCats.com, via email at [email protected], over the phone at (603) 641-2005, or in-person at the Fisher Cats box office at 1 Line Drive in Manchester.