EL New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Woods Richardson (4 IP, 8 K) Impresses in Double-A Debut

Published on May 6, 2021 under Eastern League (EL)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats News Release


Portland, ME - Blue Jays No. 2 pitching prospect Simeon Woods Richardson lived up to his lofty expectations in his first Double-A outing, but the Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox Double-A affiliate) swept the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays) in Thursday night's doubleheader, 9-6 and 4-3.

Game 1: 9-6 Portland

Woods Richardson, the 48th overall pick in the 2018 draft, struck out eight batters in four innings while scattering four hits and one walk. He had six strikeouts through three one-hit frames, until Portland took advantage of a sloppy fourth inning and scored three runs (one earned) to mount an impressive comeback.

New Hampshire had jumped in front with a five-run rally in the opening frame, powered by an RBI double from C Gabriel Moreno and three-run triple from 1B Nick Podkul in his first Double-A at bat.

The Fisher Cats chased starter Frank German from the game before the end of the first inning, but Portland's bullpen responded with dominant pitching the rest of the way. Dominic LoBrutto, Enmanuel De Jesus (W, 1-0), and Jose Adames (S, 1) combined to allow just one run on two hits over the final 6.1 innings of the opener.

Meanwhile, Portland produced nine unanswered runs - three in the fourth and six in the fifth. Ryan Fitzgerald's two-run double and a pair of two-run singles from Jack Lopez and Tanner Nishioka made the difference for Portland. A pair of costly errors allowed each rally to continue, resulting in seven unearned runs for the Sea Dogs.

Game 2: 4-3 Portland

Elvis Luciano, a member of the Blue Jays 40-man roster, showed flashes of his big-league stuff with six strikeouts in four innings, but staked Portland to three runs on a pair of wild pitches and a run scoring ground out.

The Fisher Cats clawed their way back to tie the game at 3-3 on a bases-loaded walk, a run-scoring error, and an RBI single from 1B Kevin Vicuña.

Jon Harris struck out four batters in two nearly flawless relief innings, but his one mistake was hit over the left field fence by Johan Mieses in the bottom of the sixth. Portland's first homer of the year broke the 3-3 tie and ultimately decided the game.

New Hampshire continues the season-opening road trip at Hadlock Field through Sunday, with a 6 p.m. first pitch scheduled for Friday night.

The Fisher Cats home opener is set for May 11 at 6:35 p.m. against the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees Double-A affiliate) at Delta Dental Stadium. Fans can enjoy a spectacular Atlas Fireworks show after the game, with a Magnet Schedule Giveaway from Eastern Propane & Oil.

Opening Night kicks off a six-game homestand from Tuesday through Sunday at Delta Dental Stadium, followed by another six-game series in Manchester against the Future Red Sox from May 18-23.

All 120 games will be broadcast live on the Fisher Cats flagship station, AM 610 WGIR.

Check out the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from May 6, 2021


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