EL1 New Hampshire Fisher Cats

McGuire's Best Effort Ends with Extra-Innings Loss

Published on May 20, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats News Release


READING, Pa. - Deck McGuire struck out nine over a season-high eight innings on Tuesday night, but the Fisher Cats late-game woes continued in a 4-3 loss in 12 innings. Brock Stassi provided the winning blow with a two-run homer of Blake McFarland (L; 0-1) to send New Hampshire to its tenth straight loss.

Both teams got on the board in the second inning. Ryan Schimpf led off the New Hampshire half with a ringing double to right field. Two pitches later, Jacobo crushed his fourth home run to deep left-center to put the Fisher Cats on top 2-0. Jacobo now has 12 RBI in his last 10 games.

Reading answered back on the first pitch in the bottom of the inning. Sebastian Valle's first home run landed in nearly the same spot as Jacobo's to cut the score to 2-1.

From there, the Fisher Cats were the team with better opportunities. After the Jacobo home run, Andy Fermin bounced into a double play with runners at first and second. Two innings later, Jacobo was thrown out at home on a double by Andy Burns, and then Burns was stranded at third when Kevin Nolan fouled out to end the inning.

In the fifth, with perhaps their best scoring opportunity, Anthony Phillips made a diving stop of an A.J. Jimenez grounder and started a 5-4-3 double play to end the frame. A sliding catch in deep right-center by Zach Collier ended the sixth with runners at second and third.

McGuire (ND) took the 2-1 lead through eight innings, allowing just three base runners after the Valle home run. He was in line for the win until Tony Davis surrendered a run in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings tied at 2-2.

It stayed tied until the 12th when Jon Berti singled to begin the inning. Kenny Wilson sent him to second on a sacrifice, and then Jimenez moved him to third on a single. With Schimpf batting, a passed ball allowed Berti to score and give the Fisher Cats a 3-2 lead.

McFarland came out in the 12th to begin his second full inning of work. He had come on in the tenth in his Double-A debut, keeping the game tied at two when he stranded two runners from Davis.

After a scoreless 11th, McFarland began his 12th with his first Double-A strikeout. The next batter, Anthony Hewitt, flared a single to shallow right, which led to the walk-off homer by Stassi to send the Fisher Cats to the tenth straight defeat. The losing streak has tied the longest stretch in team history dating back to a ten-game skid in July of 2005.

The series continues on Wednesday night with Scott Copeland (3-3, 3.71) taking the ball against Reading righty Mike Nesseth (0-3, 7.78) at 6:35 p.m. Radio coverage begins at 6:15 p.m. with Tom Gauthier on WGIR 610 AM and www.nhfishercats.com.

The Fisher Cats return home after the short road trip for their first home series against the Future Red Sox, the Portland Sea Dogs, on Friday night. The four-day holiday weekend series features two fireworks shows, a Sunday hat giveaway, and a Memorial Day matinee. Tickets are available at www.nhfishercats.com, at the Fisher Cats ticket office, and by calling (603) 641-2005.

Check out the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from May 20, 2014


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