New Hampshire Wins Eastern League Championship
Published on September 21, 2004 under Eastern League (EL1) News Release
PORTLAND, ME â The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, won the Eastern League Championship during their first season of existence, defeating the Altoona Curve, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, three games to none. The third and deciding game of the series was won by the Fisher Cats by a score of 2-0 in Manchester, New Hampshire on Saturday night.
Following the game, Eastern League President Joseph McEacharn presented the New Hampshire Fisher Cats with the Eastern League Championship trophy and banner. He also named New Hampshire pitcher Brandon League the Eastern League Playoff Most Valuable Player and gave him the MVP trophy for his outstanding efforts. League had a record of 2-0 and earned one save in four appearances, including one start, during the playoffs. The 21-year old right-hander recorded 10 strikeouts and had a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings of work during New Hampshire's championship run.
The Fisher Cats took a 1-0 series lead on Tuesday, when they defeated the Curve in Altoona, 5-4. New Hampshire scored single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings of the game to rally from a 4-2 deficit and take a 1-0 advantage in the series. Tyrell Godwin scored the game-winning run for the Fisher Cats on an RBI double by Dominic Rich, who went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple, two RBI and one run scored. Brandon League pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win for the Fisher Cats and Jordan DeJong pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn a save.
The Fisher Cats also won the second game of the series by a score of 5-4, to take a commanding 2-0 series lead on Wednesday night at Blair County Ballpark. Maikel Jova's lead off home run in the top of the seventh inning broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Fisher Cats the win. Tyrell Godwin drove in a season-high four runs for the Fisher Cats, including a three-run homer off Curve starter Bryan Bullington in the fifth inning that gave New Hampshire a 4-1 lead. Chris Baker earned the win for the Fisher Cats, allowing four runs, two earned, in six innings of work. Jordan DeJong pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his fourth save of the postseason. The Curve were paced offensively by third baseman Tom Evans, who had three hits, and rightfielder Ray Sadler, who went 2-for-3 and scored a pair of runs.
After game two, the series shifted to Gill Stadium in Manchester, New Hampshire. Following a rain out on Friday night, the Fisher Cats closed out the series a 2-0 victory in front of a crowd of 3,994 fans on Saturday night. The Fisher Cats clinched the win behind the pitching of Francisco Rosario, Jamie Vermilyea and Brandon League, who combined to throw a four-hit shutout in the third and final game of the series. Rosario pitched six scoreless innings to pick up the win for the Fisher Cats and League pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn the save. New Hampshire third baseman John Hattig blasted a two-run homer into the Altoona bullpen in the bottom of the third inning to give the Fisher Cats all the offense they would need.
Eastern League Stories from September 21, 2004
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