It’s May 23, 2021. Here’s what’s been going on lately on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats’ path to the big leagues.
Tuesday, May 18 – Portland 12, New Hampshire 6
Wednesday, May 19 – Portland 3, New Hampshire 2
Thursday, May 20 – New Hampshire 12, Portland 2
Friday, May 21 – New Hampshire 12, Portland 4
Saturday, May 22 – Portland 7, New Hampshire 6
Sunday, May 23 – Portland 7, New Hampshire 2
Weekly Recap
Although Portland left the Granite State with four wins in six games, unlike the series these two teams had earlier in May in Maine, the Fisher Cats felt pleased with the fact that they could have had five wins if not for some issues that still need rectifying.
According to Fisher Cats Manager Cesar Martin, one of those issues is stringing together hits and getting on-base. Martin noted that even though the Fisher Cats lead the Double-A Northeast in stolen bases (23 after Sunday), a base can’t be stolen until the batter gets on base to steal it.
Perhaps the case in point came on Saturday when the Fisher Cats managed just three hits, but all three of them had RBI connected to them.
“The first couple of games were tough, but we started to win and put our bats together,” said Martin. “We weren’t doing a good job getting on base and getting the big hits, but we managed to improve.”
The second big issue is New Hampshire’s bullpen, which continues to struggle. Perhaps the most vexing point of this problem is that the problem reliever can be anyone on any night, even pitchers who do well on other nights.
Perhaps the best example of that came from Brody Rodning, who had a pair of losses stemming from blown saves on Wednesday and Saturday, despite two appearances without giving up a run while the Fisher Cats were in Portland.
“Right now, the bullpen is still kind of searching, they’re kind of up and down. They’ll have a good inning and then go back out and have a tough time,” said Martin. “We’ll continue to work, I think they’ll continue to come along just like the hitters. We just hope it happens soon.”
One final obstacle the Fisher Cats must overcome has impacted the other two and that’s injuries. This week, Brock Lundquist, Mike Ellenbest, Emerson Jimenez and Chavez Young found their way onto the DL, with Elvis Luciano (pictured) likely to join that group after leaving in the first inning of Sunday’s game with what appeared to be back pain.
Martin says Luciano’s injuries appeared minor at first glance, but he would not be surprised if he had to miss a start, or possible one to two weeks after follow-up tests.
Fisher Cats of the Week
#1. – L.J. Talley: This week, instead of going by position, we’re going to pick the top three Fisher Cats of the week ice hockey style, which is only fitting since our first choice was just called up to New Hampshire last week from Canada’s only Minor League Baseball team.
While Talley went 0-for-4 on Saturday and Sunday, he got hits in the other four games, including a pair of doubles on Friday and a pair of home runs in consecutive innings on Thursday. He was just short of a home run on Wednesday as well, in what was ultimately determined to be a ground-rule double.
“Obviously, it was a good week for him even if he didn’t have any hits today or yesterday. But earlier in the series he put in some good at-bats,” said Martin on Talley. “He’s got a nice, easy swing, he’s a guy who’s got a lot of potential and is getting comfortable as he gets more at-bats.”
#2. Gabriel Moreno: The Blue Jays organization has a logjam of young catching talent at the major league and Triple-A level, so fortunately for Fisher Cat fans, it looks like we’ll get to keep watching one of the team’s best bats for a while unless the Blue Jays get hot and are looking for a big trade for a stretch run.
Moreno so far has reached base in each of the 13 games he’s appeared in this season, even when his 12-game hit streak was snapped on Saturday when he managed to grab a walk. He’s hitting .404 after Sunday and heading into Sunday he was in the league’s Top 5 in RBI, hits, on-base percentage, batting average and OPS.
#3. Kyle Johnston: Johnston kept the Sea Dogs scoreless into the sixth on Wednesday; he would have been in line for the win if not for Rodning’s first blown save. While overshadowed by Zach Logue and Simeon Woods Richardson, the Texas native has rebounded after a tough start in Portland, with Wednesday’s performance providing an almost identically impressive score line to the one last week against Somerset.
On Deck
Next week, the Fisher Cats will be in central New Jersey for a re-match against the Somerset Patriots. This week, Somerset swept the Hartford Yard Goats, accumulating ten or more runs in three of their contests. The sweep puts them half a game behind the Bowie Bay Sox for the best record in Double-A Northeast.
