Manchester, N.H. – Zac Cook gave New Hampshire their record 145th home run of the season on Tuesday night at Delta Dental Stadium, but the Fisher Cats (21-31, 52-69) lost a 9-7 game to start their weeklong series with the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox, 31-21, 61-60).
With the Fisher Cats trailing, 5-4, in the bottom of the sixth, Phil Clarke singled to set up Zac Cook, who delivered a two-run shot to the videoboard in right-center field and gave New Hampshire a one-run lead.
Cook’s homer was his 14th of the season and the 145th by the Fisher Cats, the most in a single season in team history. The previous high was 144 by the 2007 team. Orelvis Martinez leads the 2022 Fisher Cats in homers with a record 28, and four players have 10 or more long balls.
Eight of the nine players in New Hampshire’s order had hits on Tuesday, led by Phil Clarke, who was 2-for-4 with a RBI walk.
After Cook’s go-ahead homer, the Fisher Cats briefly stretched their lead to 7-5 when Clarke drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh.
Early in the game, New Hampshire’s scoring came in steady doses. Zach Britton kicked things off with a double in the bottom of the first to drive in Davis Schneider and make the score 3-1.
Schneider went 1-for-4 and extended his on-base streak to 17 games, tied for the second longest by a Fisher Cat this season. In that stretch, Schneider is batting .353 with three doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs.
The Fisher Cats scored a run in the third, fourth and fifth to pull within one, 5-4. Cook drove in his first run of the night with a sacrifice fly, and Orelvis Martinez and Will Robertson each added RBI singles.
Where New Hampshire brought consistent runs, Portland brought big blows. The Sea Dogs scored three in the top of the first and another four in the top of the eighth to leapfrog back in front, 9-7. The top four in Portland’s order were a combined 8-for-16 with six RBIs, lead by center fielder Wilyer Abreu (3-for-4, three runs, RBI).
The Fisher Cats continue their six-game series against the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) tomorrow, August 31 with first pitch at 7:05 p.m.
