August is over and the 2017 Fisher Cats season is just about over as well. Here’s the state of things on the path 400 miles to Toronto and beyond.
Quick Recap
The Fisher Cats squeaked out their first winning month of the campaign, ending August with a 15-14 record.
That included a sweep of the Hartford Yard Goats and three wins in a four-game road series against the Reading Fightin’ Phils, their only loss coming in the series opener.
Fisher Cats of the Week
Batting: Tim Lopes – An unsung but generally reliable cog in the Fisher Cats machine this year, the 23-year-old California native cooled off during the second half of the Hartford series, only to return to the form he showed during the first half of that series in the road trip to Reading.
He had more hits (7) and walks (6) than strikeouts (5) during that stretch, adding six RBI and three multi-hit games, appearing in each game of both series.
Starting Pitching: Ryan Borucki – Since coming on the scene a few weeks ago, Borucki proved that he is ready for a higher level and his spectacular performance on Saturday drove that point home, so much so that the Blue Jays organization promoted him to Triple-A Buffalo for the conclusion of the International League season.
With Toronto out of the mix in the AL East, he may get a look at Rogers Centre this September.
Relief Pitching: Justin Shafer – After a brief stop at Buffalo last week, Shafer returned to New Hampshire with a vengeance, earning a save in a win in three appearances. In those appearances, Shafer pitched four innings, striking out twice as many batters as he walked.
What’s Next
The Fisher Cats have one more series left before the off-season, a four-game road set against the Portland Sea Dogs.