Fisher Cats lose series finale against Fightin Phils

MANCHESTER, NH — The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (30-39) lost to the Reading Fightin Phils (31-38) on Sunday at Delta Dental Stadium. The loss marked the end of an 11-game home series for New Hampshire. Gameday No. 69 brings the Cats to the halfway point of the 2024 Eastern League season.

New Hampshire starter Michael Dominguez (L, 2-3) threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits. Dominguez’s first four outs were all strikeouts. Adrian Hernandez, Anders Tolhurst and Justin Kelly combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings as relief pitchers. Hernandez struck out the team for the second time in the series, having done so in the seventh inning on Friday.

Reading struck first, with four batters in the game. First batter Robert Moore walked, got to second base on a balk, then first baseman Carson Taylor singled for Moore, giving the R-Phils a 1-0 lead.

The Fightin Phils scored two more points in the third on two hit batters, a Taylor single and a fielder’s choice ground ball by former Fisher Cat Trevor Schwecke. Reading led 3-0 at the start of the third.

The Fisher Cats offense woke up in the third inning against Reading starter Noah Skirrow. Back-to-back doubles by Miguel Hiraldo and Zach Britton opened the period; Britton brought Hiraldo home for the Cats’ first run. With one out, Ryan McCarty was hit by a pitch. Shortstop Josh Kasevich hit a ground ball back to the mound and Reading starter Noah Skirrow threw the ball to center field, allowing Britton to score. The next batter, designated hitter Alex De Jesus, hit a slow roller up the first base line that Skirrow threw to the left of first base. McCarty scored from second base on Skirrow’s second throwing error. After three innings, the score was tied at 3 runs apiece.

Carlos De La Cruz gave Reading the lead in the fifth inning. The center fielder hit a solo home run over the right-field fence. Three batters later, the Fightin Phils scored another run when Schwecke brought in Taylor with an RBI double. Hernandez replaced Dominguez and ended the inning with a 5-3 Reading lead.

Trailing by two runs, New Hampshire got the tying point on base in the ninth inning. Left fielder Gabby Martinez and Britton hit singles, but the Cats left two runners behind and ended the game.

The conclusion of the Reading series marks the end of the first half of the 2024 Eastern League season. The Hartford Yard Goats (37-30) won the first half Northeast Division title and the Erie Seawolves won the first half Southwest Division title; both have secured playoff spots.

After 69 scheduled games, Kasevich leads the Eastern League with 79 hits. Left-hander Jimmy Burnette is tied for the league leader with 24 hits. Left-hander Trenton Wallace is tied for first with his batting average (.197), and both Wallace and fellow left-hander Adam Macko are in the top five in the Eastern League in strikeouts. Both CJ Van Eyk (May 6-12) and Michael Dominguez (May 27-June 2) were named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week.

Records will be reset for the second half of the season, which begins Tuesday, June 25. New Hampshire travels to Hartford to face the Yard Goats at Dunkin’ Park. First pitch is scheduled for Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. EDT. Both teams’ starting pitchers have yet to be announced.

After nine road games to start the second half, the Fisher Cats return to Delta Dental Stadium for three games on Independence Day weekend (July 4-6) against the Portland Sea Dogs, Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Each game will feature fireworks from Atlas.

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