Another day, another great crowd for the Fisher Cats and Sea Dogs. Rain delays of 1 hour, 51 minutes didn’t chase away too many fans. A paid attendance of 6,762 was announced.
“It definitely raises your adrenaline level when you’re running onto the field,” said New Hampshire reliever Sean Stidfole. “In the Florida State League, you’ve got maybe 200 people in the stands, and you can hear every one of them. When you go out there and the stadium is packed, there’s so much more energy. That’s why we play the game, for them.”
On-base machine Zach Daeges drew a four-pitch walk in the first inning against Julio Pinto. Daegas has now reached safely in a league-best 30 straight games. He doesn’t mind talking about the streak, third-best in Sea Dogs history as a Red Sox affiliate.
“I really didn’t start thinking about (the streak) until three or four games ago,” Daeges said. “I try not to think about it. There was a couple games when I didn’t get on base the first two or three times, and I started to think about it a little. It’s something when you’re playing, you try not to think about it. Just go out and try to get a good (at-bat) every time.”
The Fisher Cats will not face Portland starter Michael Bowden in the four-game series. The Sox prospect (4-3, 2.20 ERA) has been dominant for his past seven starts.
NH’s Scott Campbell on Bowden: “When you watch him throw from the dugout, it doesn’t seem like he has anything special. When you get out there, it’s the same look, but he seems to locate every pitch.”
– Iggy Nation is having fun today. Portland SS Iggy Suarez got a cheer from the crowd after twice losing the grip of his bat while taking a swing early in the game. Both times, the bat landed out near the third-base coaching box. On his third swing, a foul, the crowd gave Iggy a loud applause. Iggy smiled and also clapped his hands.
– It’s now 5:50 p.m., in the seventh inning, and manager Gary Cathcart and hitting coach Ken Joyce are scheduled to serve as celebrity bartenders in 10 minutes at the Wild Rover pub.
– The Fisher Cats would like to say thanks to fans who stuck it out through rain showers yesterday. Tickets from the game – used or unused – may exchange for a ticket of equal or lesser value for Monday night’s contest against Portland. Say thanks to President/GM Rick Brenner when you see him.
– NH wins, 12-5. It was the first time ever the Fisher Cats scored double-digit runs in back-to-back games.
Big night here at Merchantsauto.com Stadium for the Fisher Cats-Sea Dogs. Everyone is fired up. Radio men Mike Murphy of the Fisher Cats and Mike Antonellis of the Sea Dogs just got into a fistfight. Man, these teams hate each other. (Kidding. Not sure if the sarcasm came across there.)
– A crowd of 7,325 is here tonight. That’s the 11th-best crowd in NH history. The Sam Adams bar and Hilton Garden Inn patio are packed.
– The Franchise (Travis Snider) is making his first start in right field after serving as DH the past two months.
– OF David Smith was called up to Triple-A Syracuse.
– Sea Dogs RHP Michael Bowden likes to throw sunflower seeds at Union Leader photographer David Lane.
– Vote for Fisher Cats All-Stars here.
– Final: Sea Dogs 15, NH 10. It was a night for the record books.
– Four hours, 9 minutes was the longest nine-inning game in Fisher Cats history. Portland’s 21 hits matched a team record. Jamie Vermilyea gave up a club-record eight runs in relief. Four Fishers were ejected in the eighth and ninth innings: Gary Cathcart, Ken Joyce, Scott Campbell, Chris Gutierrez.
– If you’re a fan of the Red Sox and Fisher Cats, it doesn’t get much better than this.
– Portland’s Zach Daeges reached base for the 29th straight game. Got to love streaks like this.
– The Celtics have just won. The Sam is rocking, and fans are chanting “Beat L.A.”
Break up the Fisher Cats? New Hampshire owns a three-game winning streak entering tonight at Trenton.
– DH Travis Snider is batting .342 with four homers over the past 10 games. What happens if Snider faces Portland reliever Kyle Jackson this weekend? Snider homered twice against K-Jax last week.
– Should be a huge weekend at the Merch as NH opens a 10-game homestand … Check out the band late Friday night at the Sam Adams Bar and Grille.
– Keep an eye on Portland lefty hitter Zach Daeges, who has reached safely in 28 straight games. Here is Daeges pictured in the visiting dugout last homestand:
– Friday night marks a rematch for lefty starters Romero and Kris Johnson, who each worked six innings and allowed one run May 20 at Manchester. Romero (2-3, 5.86 ERA) was the first pitcher drafted in 2005, and Johnson (3-2, 3.40) was selected by the Red Sox in 2006 as a supplemental first-rounder.
– NH shortstop Ryan Klosterman has four homers, more than he had all of last season.
Bill Masse’s 70 wins are safe.
The 2008 New Hampshire Fisher Cats have a 15-32 record, including a 3-20 mark on the road. Seventeen games below .500 is the low-water mark in club history.
The good news? The record doesn’t matter a whole lot to fans. Oh, sure, they’re rooting for NH to win, but they’re not calling the Muttman on WGAM Radio to complain if manager Gary Cathcart plays Kyle Phillips at first base instead of Jacob Butler. This is minor-league baseball, and people mostly want to enjoy a night at the park. On the field, the top storylines are:
1: Travis Snider. When he’s playing in the 2012 MLB All-Star Game, you can say recall watching him at The Merch.
2. Scott Campbell is hitting .331 and chasing a batting title.
3. The Josh Kreuzer Homer Watch. Last year, when Kreuzer was stuck in Single-A, I predicted the big first baseman would arrive in Manchester and earn a spot in the Eastern League All-Star Game. He’s hitting .155 with no round-trippers. When he finally does hit a home run, the Fisher Cats are going to vacate the dugout and hide.
4. The Ryan Patterson doubles-machine (16) rolls on. RP leads the league.
5. Brandon Magee (0-7, 6.56 ERA) was the first pitcher Toronto selected in the 2006 draft. The big guy needs a win.
6. LHP Brett Cecil (0-1, 3.92 ERA) is good.
Making his 29th career start, Jesse Litsch pitched a seven-hitter for his first complete game as the Toronto Blue Jays blanked Kansas City 6-0 Saturday to extend the Royals’ losing streak to a season-high six.
“It’s good to be able to go out and finish one and get that first complete game under my belt,” said Litsch, whose longest previous start was an 8 2/3 innings effort in his major league debut against Baltimore on May 15 last year.
Litsch’s effort came less than 24 hours after Roy Halladay tossed his major league-leading fifth complete game in Toronto’s 7-1 victory Friday.
The back-to-back complete games were Toronto’s first since Chris Carpenter and Kelvim Escobar did it against the New York Yankees, April 21-22, 2000.
Litsch (6-1) struck out three, walked one and won his fourth straight decision. He extended his streak of innings without a walk to 38 2/3, three more than Jimmy Key’s previous Toronto record in 1990. The streak ended with a base on balls to Mark Teahen with two outs in the ninth.
“I try to pound the zone every time I go out there,” Litsch said. “The key to my game is pounding the zone, making contact and using my defense.”
– Associated Press
The last-place New Hampshire Fisher Cats (15-30) have the worst record among every team in Double-A baseball. With Friday night’s loss at Bowie, they’re 3-18 on the road this season.
Andrew Pinckney’s double broke up a tie game in the 11th, and the Portland Sea Dogs won the series opener at New Hampshire, 3-2, on Tuesday night. The Sea Dogs returned to the clubhouse and were locked onto the TV for highlights of Justin Masterson’s performance at Fenway Park. Here’s some postgame reaction from Portland manager Arnie Beyeler.
Jon Lester working on his change-up at The Merch in 2005:
Former Fisher Cats SS Sergio Santos is now property of the Twins. He was claimed off waivers last week and reported to Triple-A Rochester.
Red Sox prospect Justin Masterson will pitch against the KC Royals instead of the Fisher Cats this week.
The Fisher Cats actually picked off Jacoby Ellsbury last season. Chip Cannon trying to chase down Jacoby? Now that’s good comedy.
Many quotes get left on the cutting room floor in this business, but that’s where the blog comes in handy. Here are some leftovers from “Chasing the Dream,” a three-part series that begins Sunday. Blue Jays farm director Dick Scott on the most difficult part of his job, releasing players:
“Some guys get upset. I just tell them as honestly as I can. I don’t candy-coat it. I do it hopefully tactfully and honestly. There’s no sense in trying to make it nicer than it is. If guys have something to say, I’ll let them have their say, and we move on.”
Scott on releasing RHP Kyle Yates:
“That’s one of the hardest cases. Kyle came through our system. He’s a nice guy and a hard worker,” Scott said. “(Releasing a player) is the tough part of the business. Nobody enjoys it.”
Yates: “Manchester is a great town with great ballpark and fans. I don’t have any regrets. I met some great people.”
1B Josh Kreuzer on the tough journey of a minor leaguer:
“I don’t think people realize how many man-hours are put into it. We’re here from 1 o’clock in the afternoon to 10 o’clock at night, seven days a week. We only get one or two days off a month.”
