Sánchez Takes Hill as Cats Eye Seventh Straight
EL New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Sánchez Takes Hill as Cats Eye Seventh Straight

August 6, 2025 - Eastern League (EL)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats News Release


The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (16-17, 45-57) and Reading Fightin Phils (13-21, 38-63) continue their six-game series with a 12:05 PM EDT first pitch on Wednesday. After taking down the R-Phils, 7-6 on Tuesday night, New Hampshire carries a six-game win streak into game two against Reading.

LAST NIGHT

The Fisher Cats jumped out to an early lead thanks to Gabriel Martinez's second homer of the year in the bottom of the second inning. Leading 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, New Hampshire's Je'Von Ward crushed his second Double-A homer, an opposite-field, three-run shot that made it a 6-1 game.

Righty Grant Rogers (W, 5-6) made his 13th New Hampshire outing and picked up his eighth quality start, allowing three earned runs on nine hits and three punchouts in six innings pitched. Relievers Hunter Gregory and Conor Larkin split the final three frames as Gregory allowed two runs in 1-2/3 innings of work. Larkin followed by allowing one hit in 1-1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

PITCHING MATCHUP

Fisher Cats righty Rafael Sánchez (2-5, 5.11 ERA) will make his 20th appearance and 14th start of the season on Wednesday afternoon. Sánchez started each of his first 11 outings of the season before making 7 relief appearances in June and July. His last time out was a start in Chesapeake on August 2 when he tossed three no-hit innings against the Baysox. Sánchez pitched to a 5.50 earned run average in June and dealt a 2.57 earned run average across three relief outings in July. Wednesday will be Sánchez's third time facing the R-Phils this season. In 3-2/3 innings against the R-Phils, Sánchez has surrendered seven runs on 10 hits over one relief outing and one start in Reading. The Antilla, Cuba product was signed by Toronto in May of 2022 and made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League in June. He climbed to High-A Vancouver by the end of the 2023 season before receiving the promotion to Double-A New Hampshire in September of 2024.

Reading's Wil Crowe (2-2, 4.56 ERA) takes the mound for his second start against New Hampshire this season. The righty allowed one run on three hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in five innings against the Fisher Cats on June 13. New Hampshire's lone run in the 11-1 loss came off a Robert Brooks solo homer in the top of the fifth inning. Crowe was signed by the Phillies on May 20 after playing for the Kia Tigers in the Korea Baseball Organization. The Kingston, Tennessee native made his Major League debut on August 22, 2020, with the Washington Nationals. The 30-year-old was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 2nd round of the 2017 MLB Draft and was traded with right-handed pitcher Eddy Yean to Pittsburgh for Josh Bell on December 24, 2020. This year is Crowe's second Eastern League stint after making 21 starts for Harrisburg across the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

THIS DAY IN FISHER CATS HISTORY

August 6, 2023- The Fisher Cats finished a series in Binghamton with an 8-4 win over the Rumble Ponies. Andres Sosa broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth with a single, and Riley Tirotta added an RBI double. Miguel Hiraldo hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning, which had put New Hampshire 4-2 before the Rumble Ponies rallied to tie.

WHAT'S NEXT?

New Hampshire and Reading return for a 6:35 PM EDT first pitch on Thursday night. Righty Trey Yesavage (1-1, 4.68 ERA) gets the ball for New Hampshire against Reading's Griff McGary (0-3, 3.96 ERA).

Check out the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Statistics



Eastern League Stories from August 6, 2025


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