SOMERSET, N.J. – In what is becoming a recurring theme this season, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats’ bullpen couldn’t come through, ultimately providing the Fisher Cats with a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Somerset Patriots on Tuesday night.
If Fisher Cats starting pitcher Kyle Johnston had been allowed to go nine full innings, it might have been a different story. Unfortunately, he left after 81 pitches, holding Somerset to five scoreless and almost hitless innings in the process.
To be fair to New Hampshire’s bullpen as a whole, Mike Ellenbest and Connor Law managed to retire the Patriots in order during their appearances in the sixth and seventh, respectively. It was ultimately James Dykstra that was the goat on this night.
In what was his second appearance since demotion from Triple-A, Dykstra immediately gave up a hit to Matt Pita in the eighth. While he would strike out the next two batters he faced, he then walked Michael Beltre on four straight pitches. Consecutive singles by Donny Sands and Dermis Garcia brought Pita and Beltre home and that was enough for Somerset.
However, New Hampshire didn’t go quietly in the ninth. Austin Martin and Otto Lopez began the final frame with singles of their own and Gabriel Moreno brought Martin home with a first-pitch sacrifice fly to center field. Unfortunately for the Fisher Cats, L.J. Talley and Samad Taylor both struck out swinging, eliminating any chance of a comeback.
Martin’s single was his third hit of the night, marking his fourth multi-hit game so far this year.
Dykstra fell to 0-1 this year in Double-A action while J.P Sears rose to 2-0 with his 4 2/3 inning relief performance. Greg Weissert recorded the final out for his third save of the year.
In the Wednesday 7:05 p.m. rematch, Troy Miller makes his 2021 Fisher Cats debut against Somerset’s Glen Otto (2-1, 3.78 ERA)
