The second season the 2017 season has begun, and there’s been some improvement at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium It’s July 20, here’s the state of things on the path 400 miles to Toronto and beyond.
Quick Recap
It was a tough first half of the season for the Fisher Cats, and returning from the Eastern League All-Star Break, it looked like the second half would be no different.
New Hampshire fell 6-1 to Portland on Thursday on their first game back from the break, but bounced back the next day with a 15-8 victory, their largest run output of the year to date.
New Hampshire then took two of three over the weekend to the Sea Dogs, winning on Sunday and splitting a doubleheader on Saturday.
The Fisher Cats also took two of three against the Reading Fightin’ Phils to complete the homestand, losing on Monday, but rebounding on Tuesday and Wednesday with a barrage of home runs.
Fisher Cats of the Week
Batting: Harold Ramirez: We’re giving this week’s honors to the Ramirez by the slimmest of margins over Lourdes Gurriel, who has been incredibly impressive since promotion from Advanced-A Dunedin earlier this month.
In the Portland and Reading series, Ramirez had a slight edge over Gurriel in hits (10 to 9), RBIs (5 to 4), and strikeouts (2 to 4). Additionally, Gurriel already has one error in his first week and change in New Hampshire, while Ramirez only has two in 68 appearances this year.
Still, New Hampshire manager Gary Allenson predicts a big future for the Cuban infielder based on his first few games in Double-A
“It’s nice to have his bat in the lineup. After (his) first game, he’s done pretty well defensively at second base and shortstop,” said Allenson. “He does a very good job on the bases, he’s very aggressive, which is overlooked these days. For someone in their first year of professional baseball, I think he’ll do pretty good.”
Pitching: Carlos Ramirez: The Dominican righty solidified his strong week on Wednesday, getting his first save of the year. In three appearances during the Portland and Reading series, Ramirez allowed two hits in four innings of work, with a strikeout/walk ratio of 5:1.
New Hampshire’s starting rotation did have some quality over the pair of series, but their inconsistency also continued.
Sean Reid-Foley had a decent, but not spectacular showing against Portland on Sunday, getting the victory thanks in large part to New Hampshire’s bats. Shane Dawson had two wins in those two series, but gave up nine hits each in both of those victories. Connor Greene couldn’t escape the third inning on Monday and Francisco Rios was a hard-luck loser against Portland on Saturday, soon returning to the disabled list following the contest.
The title of New Hampshire’s top starting pitcher over those two series would likely go to Jon Harris, who was masterful in Tuesday’s victory over Reading, but was on the hook for the loss against the Sea Dogs on Thursday.
Who’s Here and Who’s Left
Over the past week, Andrew Guillotte and Andrew Case earned promotions to Triple-A Buffalo while outfielder Jake Thomas and pitcher Alonzo Gonzalez went down to Dunedin.
The Andrews both excelled during their stints this year in Manchester. Case became one of the Fisher Cats’ top relievers, going 4-0 in 21 appearances following his promotion from Dunedin, with only four runs allowed in 28 innings on the mound.
Guillotte also was promoted earlier in the season from Dunedin and proved that he might be close to reaching the majors. During his time in New Hampshire, Guillotte batted .298 in 41 games, adding seven extra-base hits.
This week also saw the return of John Straka, who appeared in five games for New Hampshire last year.
The North Dakota native had 27 appearances for the St. Paul Saints of the independent American Assocation between leaving and returning to Manchester, and he did well in his first game back, allowing two earned runs off seven hits in a five inning performance during the second part of Saturday’s doubleheader.
What’s Next
The Fisher Cats now face the Trenton Thunder, the New York Yankees’ Double-A affiliate. Trenton has had New Hampshire’s number this year, winning all but one game against the Fisher Cats so far this year.
“Trenton’s tough, they’ve got some really great pitching,” said Allenson. “They’ve got some velocity on their staff.”
