In a six-inning world, all would have been right for the Fisher Cats on Tuesday night. Alas, outside of a doubleheader, in the Eastern League, it’s a nine-inning affair.
New Hampshire dropped their second straight contest to the Trenton Thunder at Arm and Hammer Park on Tuesday night, 5-1.
The Fisher Cats led for six-and-a-half innings thanks to Tim Lopes’ fifth double of the year in the second, bringing Harold Ramirez across the plate.
Trenton tied the game up in the bottom of the seventh thanks to Monday night hero Mike Ford. On a 1-0 count, Ford grounded into a fielder’s choice to second, reaching base and allowing Rashad Crawford across the plate.
The Thunder added four more in the eighth thanks to RBI singles from Ford, Thairo Estrada and Billy Fleming as well as a sacrifice fly to center by Miguel Andujar.
Trenton’s Justus Sheffield pitched an impressive six innings, allowing just three hits and striking out five, but he would not get the win. That would go to Kyle Haynes, who allowed just two hits in two innings of scoreless relief for the Thunder.
Touted Toronto prospect Sean Reid-Foley continued his recent struggles, avoiding the early inning runs he gave up in his last starts to Binghamton and Reading, but lasting only three innings in the start for New Hampshire.
Alonzo Gonzalez got his first loss of the year thanks to his role in the eighth inning Thunder rally, bringing his ERA up to 8.53 so far this season.
On the bright side, New Hampshire’s two offensive engines continued chugging along despite the loss.
Lopes brought his hitting streak to five games and his multi-hit game streak to a pair of games. He now has a hit in eight of New Hampshire’s 11 games this year.
Anthony Alford has an even hotter bat, now with a hit in every game he’s appeared in so far this season, excluding last Friday’s appearance in Hartford. Even there, he converted a walk and a stolen base into a run for the Fisher Cats. He still leads the Eastern League in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage by significant margins and is just behind Max While for the league lead in stolen bases.
New Hampshire will seek to end their slide on Wednesday in the third game of their four-game set in Trenton, sending Conner Greene (0-1, 4.82) to the mound. Trenton will respond with Chance Adams (2-0, 0.79).
The Fisher Cats return to Manchester on Friday with a 6:35 p.m. tilt against Hartford.
