Anthony Alford Reaches Base Five Times in Monday’s 9-7 Loss
Blue Jays No 3. prospect now has nine hits in first 12 Double-A at bats
Manchester, NH – Anthony Alford reached base five times and Ryan McBroom drove in three runs to fuel New Hampshire’s comeback attempt, but the Fisher Cats wound up on the wrong end of a 9-7 final against the Reading Fightin’ Phils.
Trailing 9-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Fisher Cats sent seven batters to the plate, and scratched across three runs with a bases-loaded walk from Alford, an RBI single from McBroom, and a wild pitch that scored Richard Urena. With the lead narrowed to 9-7, Reading’s Yackel Rios (S, 1) struck out Emilio Guerrero and Reese McGuire to close out the game.
The teams traded runs in the first few innings, with New Hampshire scoring on an RBI single from Ryan McBroom and a solo home run by Gunnar Heidt, but Reading opened up a 6-2 lead after four innings thanks to home runs from Kyle Martin, Jiandido Tromp, and Chase Numata.
McBroom’s first RBI got the Fisher Cats on the board with a single in the first, and Gunnar Heidt went deep for the first time with a solo shot in the second. In the fifth inning, Alford and McBroom followed a Roemon Fields single with back-to-back hits to bring New Hampshire within 6-4.
Alford, the Blue Jays No. 3 prospect according to MLB.com, is now batting 9-for-12 with three walks, three runs and a stolen base.
Carlos Ramirez relieved starter Jon Harris (L, 0-1) with three scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out four batters and allowing a pair of doubles. Reading added three pivotal insurance runs in the top of the ninth, taking advantage of an RBI double from Andrew Pullin and a throwing error on a play at the plate.
Tuesday night‘s game is scheduled for 6:05 p.m., featuring a networking mixer in the Samuel Adams Brewhouse, presented by TD Bank. The Fisher Cats will send Shane Dawson to the mound for his first start of 2017. Tickets are available online at NHFisherCats.com or 603-641-2005.
