Cats Ride 30 Scoreless Innings into Friday Night
June 6, 2025 - Eastern League (EL)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats News Release
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (24-30) will try to build on their franchise record of 30 consecutive scoreless innings pitched when they take on the Altoona Curve (24-30) on Thursday night. The Cats are on their longest winning streak of the season, having won four-straight and seven of their last nine games, dating back to last Wednesday, May 28, in Hartford.
LAST NIGHT
New Hampshire's pitching staff entered Thursday night having combined for 21 scoreless innings, dating back to Sunday, June 1, in Hartford. In his third career Double-A go, starter Juaron Watts-Brown (1-1, 3.18 ERA) dealt six, one-hit innings and continued the scoreless streak by shutting down the curve with five punchouts. Watts-Brown brought a no-hitter into the top of the fifth inning before Altoona catcher Wyatt Hendrie poked a two-out single, the first of two hits for the Curve on Thursday. Relievers Nate Garkow and Alex Amalfi (S, 3) split up the final three frames, with Garkow delivering a scoreless top of the seventh and Amalfi handling the final two frames. Amalfi faced the minimum in the eighth before surrendering back-to-back singles with two outs in the top of the ninth. But Amalfi secured the win with a lineout to center field, and it completed the Fisher Cats' 30th inning without giving up a run.
Offensively, second baseman and lead-off man Eddinson Paulino led the way with a pair of extra-base knocks, including a triple to open the bottom of the first inning. Two pitches later, designated hitter Charles McAdoo skied a sacrifice fly to left field to give New Hampshire an early 1-0 advantage. It was the fifth game in a row where the Cats grabbed an early lead, and New Hampshire added to it in the bottom of the fourth. In his first game since being reactivated from High-A Vancouver, left fielder Gabriel Martinez launched a two-out double to left-center field to set up center fielder Devonte Brown's single to bring home Martinez and give the Cats a 2-0 lead. Martinez poked two doubles in his first game at Delta Dental Stadium since May 11 against Hartford.
PITCHING MATCHUP
New Hampshire's Rafael Sánchez (1-3, 5.75 ERA) gears up for his 11th start of the season and first go in the month of June. Sánchez was dominant with a 1.29 ERA across four starts in April, surrendering three earned in 21 innings pitched. The righty suffered three losses and posted a 10.53 ERA in May. After being taken out in the first inning on May 15 in Reading, Sánchez bounced back with a pair of four-inning outings before meeting more struggles in Hartford. His last time out was May 31 against the Yard Goats, where he battled through 3-1/3 innings and allowed eight earned runs on 10 hits, including the first homer he surrendered since April 19 against Harrisburg. The Antilla, Cuba native signed a free agent deal on May 13, 2022, and has logged 320 innings across three years in the Toronto Blue Jays system.
Left-handed Cy Nielson (1-2, 6.00 ERA) is set to make his second start and 16th overall appearance for the Curve this season. Nielson served as the Curve's opener in game two of its doubleheader with Portland on May 25. The lefty opened the game by tossing a scoreless first inning with two strikeouts in fifteen pitches. As a reliever, Nielson owns a 1-2 record with a 6.30 ERA in 20 innings, fanning 32 batters to nine walks. An eighth-rounder to the Pirates in 2022, Nielson is in his second season at the Double-A level after posting a 6.55 ERA in 13 relief outings with the Curve last season. A native of Spanish Fork, Utah, Nielson was named the 2019 Utah Player of the Year as a senior at Spanish Fork High School. Nielson went on to play three years of college baseball at Brigham Young University before becoming the second Cougar to be selected by the Pirates, and the first since Vance Law in 1978. Nielson eyes his first career Double-A win on Friday night.
THIS DAY IN FISHER CATS HISTORY
June 6, 2010- The Fisher Cats won the rubber game of the series with Altoona in Manchester 5-4 with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Adam Loewen knocked in the first run, and Jonathan Jaspe added a two-run single to put New Hampshire up. Danny Farquhar allowed a lead-off single, but came back to record three consecutive strikeouts to earn his 14th save.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Fisher Cats hit the road to take on the Reading Fightin' Phils at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, Penn. New Hampshire finishes the first half at Delta Dental Stadium when it takes on Somerset starting on Tuesday, June 17.
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