It’s June 28, 2021. Here’s what’s been going on recently with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
Series Recap
Tuesday, June 22 – New Hampshire 10, Bowie 5
Wednesday, June 23 – New Hampshire 10, Bowie 3
Thursday, June 24 – New Hampshire 10, Bowie 2
Friday, June 25 – New Hampshire 10, Bowie 8
Saturday, June 26 – Bowie 10, New Hampshire 0
Sunday, June 27 – Bowie 8, New Hampshire 2
This week, the Fisher Cats travelled to Maryland for their only series this season against the Bowie Bay Sox, the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.
New Hampshire and Bowie have been near the top of the Double-A Northeast in most offensive categories this season and that showed this week in what ultimately felt like two separate series.
In the first, “weekday” series, the Fisher Cats were dominant while Bowie hurlers Ofelky Peralta and Grayson Rodriguez shut down New Hampshire’s bats during the “weekend” series.
Although Fisher Cats Manager Cesar Martin was disappointed with the two weekend losses, he was satisfied overall with his team’s performance.
“It was good getting four out of six against this team, one of the best better offensive teams,” he said. “Scoring ten runs in multiple games and getting all those hits, I’d say overall we were pleased with the series we had.
Perhaps the highlight for Blue Jays fans came on Thursday when the Fisher Cats contributed to what was a 7-0 day for Toronto and its minor league affiliates, with the five teams combining to score 73 runs.
New Hampshire’s Achilles Heel this season (and for that matter, the parent club’s as well), has been their bullpen, but this week it was not a significant problem. Probably the bullpen’s worst night came on Friday where it gave up four runs, but Brody Rodning came in to eventually record the final out, earning his second save on the year.
Originally, the Fisher Cats were ready to go without a bonafide starting pitcher on Sunday and let a to-be-determined opener take the mound instead, but new signing Reilly Hovis took the mound instead in what was his first appearance in affiliated minor league ball since 2018. In 2019 and earlier this year, Hovis had been playing independent league ball, most recently with the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League.
Given the shifting rosters of minor league baseball as well as the needs of the parent club and Simeon Woods Richardson’s possible absence later this summer during the Olympics, Martin says his club is ready to go with a less than full starting rotation again if needed.
Fisher Cats of the Week
#1. Jordan Groshans: Two home runs in a series is a good series, but two home runs in a single game is something special. Groshans got two dingers on Thursday, tallying six RBI for the day.
#2. Jon Harris: In recent years, Harris has languished as a workhorse near the back of the Fisher Cats’ starting rotation, but this year he’s become one of the Fisher Cats’ more reliable relievers. This week he put in scoreless outings on Wednesday and Sunday. He hasn’t given up a run since the June 12th Portland game, and that was his first earned run since May 13.
#3. Vinny Capra: Another Fisher Cat veteran, Capra struggled like everybody else on Saturday and Sunday, but did well during the rest of the week.
Overall, he collected four singles, a triple and a home run during the series, also scoring twice and driving home three runs. So far during the month of June he’s hit .452 (19-for-42).
On Deck
The Fisher Cats return home to face the Portland Sea Dogs yet again. Portland managed to take just two of six against the Somerset Patriots last week.
