Perez, Fisher Cats Start Final Road Trip of Season in Bridgewater
EL New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Perez, Fisher Cats Start Final Road Trip of Season in Bridgewater

Published on September 2, 2025 under Eastern League (EL)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats News Release


The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (21-35, 50-75) open a six-game series with the Somerset Patriots (29-28, 64-62) at TD Bank Ballpark on Tuesday night. With 12 regular-season games remaining, the Fisher Cats sit 7-1/2 games back of Somerset in the second-half standings. Binghamton, who clinched playoff berth by taking the first-half crown, leads the Northeast division by eight games. First pitch for Tuesday night is set for 6:35 PM EDT.

LAST TIME OUT

New Hampshire dropped its seventh consecutive game on Sunday afternoon to Erie, 4-2. The Fisher Cats loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning but could not muster any offense as the SeaWolves completed a six-game sweep at Delta Dental Stadium.

After Erie took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the Fisher Cats responded with one run in the home-half on a run-scoring hit from Je'Von Ward. New Hampshire's second and final run came across in the bottom of the third inning on Jackson Hornung's sixth Double-A homer to tie the score at 2-2.

In five games against Erie, Hornung led the team in hits by going 6-for-19 with a pair of homers and three runs driven in.

Erie went on to plate two runs in the top of the sixth inning thanks to back-to-back doubles from Josue Briceño and Justice Bigbie, finalizing the score at 4-2.

New Hampshire's Alex Amalfi made his second start of the week and surrendered four runs on five hits through 5-1/3 innings pitched. Relievers Nate Garkow, Yondrei Rojas and Kai Peterson handled the final 3-2/3 frames. Garkow tossed 1-1/3 scoreless innings before Rojas fired 1-2/3 blank frames. Peterson notched the final out of the top of the ninth inning.

The Fisher Cats were outscored 32-14 in the series and plated one run after the fifth inning in six games with the SeaWolves.

PITCHING MATCHUP

New Hampshire's Fernando Perez (0-2, 2.57 ERA) climbs the hill for his fourth Double-A start on Tuesday night. Perez has been tagged for four earned runs on 13 hits with eight strikeouts and six walks over his first three starts with the Fisher Cats. The 21-year-old is coming off his first quality start at Double-A after firing six scoreless innings and allowing two hits with five punchouts to one walk in New Hampshire's 3-2 loss to the SeaWolves on August 27. Perez went 6-4 with a 3.05 earned run average across 20 starts for the Canadians. The righty earned Northwest League Pitcher of the Week honors with 13 strikeouts over 11 innings pitched for July 28 to August 3. Now Toronto's No.18 prospect (MLB Pipeline), Perez had a moderate start to the year, allowing 24 earned runs over 37-1/3 innings for a 5.79 earned run average. Since July, Perez has allowed eight earned runs in 45-2/3 innings pitched with a 2.57 earned run average across nine starts. Native of Rivas, Nicaragua, Perez was scouted while playing baseball on a field that was filled with goats. Last year, Perez became the second Nicaraguan to play in the All-Star Futures Game, representing the Blue Jays at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (3-3, 3.18 ERA) makes his second start against New Hampshire and ninth start for the Patriots this season. Rodriguez-Cruz posted a quality start in his Double-A debut against the Fisher Cats on July 12. The right-hander allowed six runs, three earned, on nine hits over six innings in New Hampshire's 6-3 win at TD Bank Ballpark. Since then, Rodriguez-Cruz has completed at least six innings in five of seven starts, including a pair of seven-inning performances on July 22 and August 5. His last time out was Rodriguez-Cruz's shortest start since joining Somerset on July 11, allowing five runs on four hits across 2-2/3 innings pitched in Binghamton on August 28. Rodriguez-Cruz is 2-2 with a 3.76 earned run average with 36 strikeouts to 11 walks over 26-1/3 innings pitched in August. The 22-year-old is tied with Trey Yesavage for the sixth-most strikeouts in all minor league baseball with 150. Rodriguez-Cruz ranks second amongst Yankees farmhands in strikeouts and is one of seven minor league hurlers to eclipse the 150 strikeout mark this season. A native of Trujillo, Puerto Rico, Rodriguez-Cruz was a fourth-rounder to the Red Sox in 2021, before he was sent to New York in December of 2024 for catcher Carlos Narvaez.

THIS DAY IN FISHER CATS HISTORY

September 2, 2023- The Fisher Cats scored three in the seventh to take the lead and added seven more in the ninth to finish off Reading 12-3 at FirstEnergy Stadium. Rainer Nunez led off the second with a homer, and a two-run shot in the seventh made it 5-3. The Fisher Cats pulled away in the ninth, taking advantage of five walks and three wild pitches. Riley Tirotta had a three-run triple in the frame. Troy Watson tossed 2.1 scoreless innings in relief to earn the win.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Fisher Cats and Patriots continue their series with a 6:35 PM EDT first pitch at TD Bank Ballpark. Right-hander Grant Rogers (6-8, 3.98 ERA) gets the start for New Hampshire. Somerset's starter is to be determined. New Hampshire returns to the Granite State on Tuesday, September 9 and begins its final homestand of the regular season against the Chesapeake Baysox at Delta Dental Stadium.

Check out the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Statistics

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