Belichick plays no role in Patriots’ win over Fisher Cats, because it’s the baseball Patriots

SOMERSET, N.J. – Normally, New Hampshire sports fans are happy when they hear about a Patriots win. But not in May.

In a Tuesday matinee, the Somerset Patriots, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, defeated the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 8-7.

New Hampshire started the contest with five unanswered runs before the answer finally came, first a Michael Beltre grand slam in the bottom of the second and then a rally in the bottom of the fourth that saw all nine starting Somerset batters head to the plate en route to another four runs.

Sebastian Espino took a first-pitch offering deep in the ninth to bring the game back within one for the ‘Cats, and the visitors later seemed poised to score after Zac Cook’s one-out bunt that put Steward Berroa into scoring position. However, Orelvis Martinez lined out into a 7-4 double play, ending any home of a comeback.

In addition to Espino’s homer, Cook and Martinez also went deep earlier in the game. Cook and Luis De Los Santos and Cook each recorded two hits for New Hampshire will Tanner Morris had three.

Joey Murray (1-1) was the losing pitcher for the Fisher Cats, allowing all eight runs off four hits and four walks, striking out three Patriots over 3 1/3 innings of work.

Neither Bill Belichick nor any of the Patriots that New Hampshire fans normally hear about were involved in the win for these other Patriots.

Tomorrow both teams will play again at 6:35 p.m., with Nick Fraze (1-2, 2.84 ERA) starting on the mound for New Hampshire.