Manchester Ink Link is simulating the entire 2020 New Hampshire Fisher Cats season as we wait for the real baseball to return.
Today we enter Week 13.
In case you missed it, here’s are our previous stories on the Fisher Cats’ simulated season so far.
- Pre-season
- Week 1 (end-of-week record: 2-4)
- Week 2 (end-of-week record: 5-8)
- Week 3 (end-of-week record: 9-11)
- Week 4 (end-of-week record: 11-17)
- Week 5 (end-of-week record: 13-22)
- Week 6 (end-of-week record: 16-24)
- Week 7 (end-of-week record: 19-27)
- Week 8 (end-of-week record: 21-33)
- Week 9 (end-of-week record: 23-36)
- Week 10 (end-of-week record: 24-40)
- Week 11 (end-of-week record: 28-45)
- Week 12 (end-of-week record: 31-49)
Saturday, July 4 – Reading 6, New Hampshire 3
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Fisher Cats’ Independence Day was marred by a pair of home runs by Reading right fielder Jose Pujols.
Pujols now has a .333/.357/.537 slash line against New Hampshire over 13 games this year.
Reading’s Rudolfo Duran went deep as well, but so did New Hampshire’s Alfredo Silverio.
Alejandro Kirk also collected his 22nd double of the year in a day that held few highlights for the ‘Cats.
Thomas Pannone (1-6) got the loss, allowing one earned run off four hits over five innings, striking out nine batters. Four of those strikeouts came in the second, with Darick Hall reaching first after a swinging strike three slipped by catcher Riley Adams.
Sunday, July 5 – Reading 2, New Hampshire 0
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Anthony Kay found himself on the wrong side of a pitchers’ duel, falling to 5-5 on the year.
Kay and Adonis Medina both lasted seven innings, but the difference was the leadoff double Kay gave up to Jose Pujols in the seventh.
Pujols would get to third thanks to Josh Stephen’s infield ground out during the next at-bat and Nick Maton’s sacrifice fly to deep left-centerfield was deep enough for Pujols to tag up and score.
Kay gave up just two other hits during his appearance, but Medina allowed just two hits overall, taking a no-hitter into the fifth.
The Fisher Cats had four hits on the day, with two from Josh Palacios and a double from Logan Warmoth.
In other news, reliever Jesse Chavez joined the team earlier in the day after 19 Triple-A appearances this season. Chavez played for a variety of teams from 2008 to 2019.
Monday, July 6 – Reading 8, New Hampshire 2
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Reading finished its Independence Day Weekend sweep of the Fisher Cats with yet another impressive offensive and defensive performance.
The Fisher Cats managed to get just three hits in the contest, with Alejandro Kirk getting two of them.
Kirk also accounted for both runs, coming off a homer in the eighth.
On the mound, Thomas Hatch (2-3) allowed four earned runs over his five innings of work, allowing nine hits and two walks, striking out four Reading batters.
Chandler Shepherd gave up a run while relieving Hatch in the sixth, and James Dykstra gave up the other Fightins’ runs while throwing in the seventh and eighth.
Tuesday, July 7 – New Hampshire 10, Hartford 1
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Ryan Borucki pitched a gem as the Fisher Cats bounced back from their poor Independence Day weekend.
Borucki (2-7) gave up just one hit and one walk over six innings, striking out seven Yard Goats on the way. Hartford’s only run came thanks to a Dieferson Barreto error in the fifth. That was Barreto’s 14th error of the season, tying him with Alec Bohm for the most among Eastern League players.
While the Fisher Cats had enough offense for the win upon Borucki’s departure from the contest, New Hampshire added eight runs in the eighth just to be safe, capping a day that saw eight of New Hampshire’s nine starting batters get at least one hit. The only starting Fisher Cat without a hit, first baseman Ryan Noda, recorded two of New Hampshire’s six walks.
Barreto, Alfredo Silverio, Bene Revere, Alejandro Kirk, Riley Adams and Kevin Smith each had two hits each, with Adams, Kirk and Samad Taylor recording doubles.
Wednesday, July 8 – New Hampshire 5, Hartford 4
MANCHESTER, N.H. – A Ryan Noda grand slam in the second inning gave New Hampshire a lead they would not relinquish.
Riley Adams’ RBI single in the eighth provided much-needed insurance run, with Deiferson Barreto and Alfredo Silverio providing doubles at other points in the contest.
On the mound, Patrick Murphy held the Yard Goats to three runs off nine hits, but was one out short of eligibility for the win. That instead went to Emmanuel Ramirez for his seven outs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Brett Cecil recorded the final out of the game to pick up his seventh save of the year.
Thursday, July 9 – Hartford 9, New Hampshire 6
MANCHESTER, N.H. – With Logan Warmoth’s second-inning RBI, it looked like the Fisher Cats might be on the way to their third straight win. Then Hartford re-discovered its offense.
Three straight Hartford hits in the third gave the Yard Goats a 2-1 lead and then Hartford posted three-run innings in the fifth and sixth to create a comfortable advantage the Fisher Cats couldn’t overcome.
The Fisher Cats did get on base easily enough even if they couldn’t get around them as easily as Hartford, with Josh Palacios and Ryan Noda walking twice and Alejandro Kirk, Mac James and Alfredo Silverio each posting multi-hit days.
Thomas Pannone (1-7) was the loser, giving up five runs off seven hits and a pair of walks, striking out five Yard Goats in 4 2/3 innings.
Batter of the Week: Alejandro Kirk – As the season drags on, the Tijuana, Mexico native has been getting some breaks from his catching duties, but his bat still is vital for the Fisher Cat cause.
During these two series, Kirk went 7-for-16 (.437) with four doubles and a homer in just four games.
Pitcher of the Week: Andrew Sopko – Sopko may get another shot at the starting rotation, but he’s doing well enough in relief, throwing 3 1/3 innings without any earned runs to his credit. He also struck out five batters while walking just one during that time frame.
