MANCHESTER, NH – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats notched their fourth walk-off win of the 2018 season on Sunday, a 3-2 win over the Hartford Yard Goats.
Hartford got onto the scoreboard first, beginning with a Ryan Metzler RBI single in the first that brought Omar Carrizales across the plate in the top of the first.
Neither side could find much after that until Mylz Jones led off the sixth with a line drive double, putting him in position to record Hartford’s second run of the game two at-bats later.
That run came courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Scott Burcham, his sixth of the year and first against the Fisher Cats in three contests this season.
New Hampshire starter Patrick Murphy would not return for the seventh, but he kept it close enough for New Hampshire’s potent offense to eliminate Hartford’s lead.
The Fisher Cats put in four straight singles of Yard Goat starter Jesus Tinoco, resulting in a pair of runs and the end of Tinoco’s day.
Carrizales would leave the game along with Tinoco, with Burcham taking his place in center and slugger Brendan Rodgers filling in for Burcham at second base, but Hartford prevented further bleeding after that point.
The Yard Goats would make further defensive switches in the seventh and hold New Hampshire scoreless again in the eighth, but couldn’t capitalize at the plate, stranding a man in the seventh, eighth and ninth.
That deadlock finally came to an end in the ninth, sparked by Andrew Guillotte’s single off a 2-2 Scott Nolin fastball.
Nolin’s balk sent Guillotte to second and a Connor Panas infield single would send him to third. He’d come home one pitch later, with Gunnar Heidt laying a bunt down the first-base line, reaching safely and giving Guillotte the opportunity he needed to come home.
The win went to Drew Muren (1-0), marking his Fisher Cats debut after the Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 2017 Rule 5 draft. Muren allowed one hit in one inning of relief while Nolin (0-1) recorded two outs as the losing pitcher of record.
Murphy, also making his first Fisher Cat appearance, allowed just four hits and three walks in his appearance, while Tinoco allowed seven hits and a walk in his 5 1/3 innings of work.
Guillotte and Jonathan Davis had two hits each, with New Hampshire getting a hit from everyone in their lineup except for Saturday hero Juan Kelly.
Mundell was the only Yard Goat with a multi-day hit day, with Muren and Zach Jackson combining to allow just three total baserunners after Murphy’s departure.
Hartford and New Hampshire return for a 1:35 p.m. start on Memorial Day, with New Hampshire’s TJ Zeuch (1-2, 4.76) facing off against Hartford’s Peter Lambert (3-1, 2.57 ERA).
Monday will mark the first time Zeuch has faced the Yard Goats while Lambert got an early hook against the ‘Cats in Manchester on April 14, a three inning performance that is his shortest of the season to this point.
