Sánchez, Hess Headline Thursday Night Battle in Bridgewater

PREVIEW

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (21-37, 50-77) and the Somerset Patriots (31-28, 66-62) play the third game of their series starting at 6:35 PM EDT at TD Bank Ballpark on Friday night. After falling in game two on Wednesday night, 8-4, New Hampshire looks to snap a nine-game losing skid and a seven-game slide against the Patriots.

LAST NIGHT

The Fisher Cats cashed in four runs in the top of the fourth inning but went scoreless after that, falling to Somerset on Wednesday night, 4-0. Each of New Hampshire’s four runs scored with two outs in the fourth as Cade Doughty and Eddinson Paulino singled in runs. Gabriel Martinez followed by doubling in Doughty and Paulino to give the Fisher Cats a 4-0 lead.

New Hampshire starter Grant Rogers (L, 6-9) took the loss after allowing six earned runs in 4-2/4 innings of work. Right-handers Conor Larkin and Geison Urbaez each picked up three punchouts in one inning of relief.

Somerset's Kyle Carr made his Double-A debut and tossed three scoreless innings but could not escape the top of the fourth, finishing with four runs across 3-2/3 frames. Five Somerset relievers kept the Fisher Cats to one hit over 5-1/3 innings as right-hander Hayden Merda (W, 3-1) took the Wednesday night win.

PITCHING MATCHUP

New Hampshire’s Rafael Sánchez (2-7, 5.42 ERA) toes the rubber for his 19th start and 25th appearance of the season. Sánchez is 0-2 with a 6.27 earned run average over three starts and six total outings against the Patriots this season. His last start against Somerset was on June 22 in Manchester, where the righty allowed five runs on eight hits in 3-2/3 innings pitched. The June 22 start was his last start until August, as each of Sánchez’s last six appearances have been starts. After taking on a bullpen role in June, Sánchez rejoined the rotation in August, pitching to an 0-2 record with a 5.64 earned run average last month. Sánchez has found more success at home, where he boasts a 4.37 earned run average, compared to a 6.54 mark in road games. Toronto inked Sánchez to a free agent deal in May of 2022 and the Antilla, Cuba product is in his fourth season in the Blue Jays’ system. Sánchez has already posted more appearances in a single season in his career with 24, but remains 26 innings shy of his career-high in innings pitched, 114, set in 2023. Sánchez began the 2024 season with Vancouver before joining New Hampshire in August. He dealt a 2.28 earned run average across four starts with the Fisher Cats in August before being shut down at the end of the month.

Somerset's Ben Hess (2-1, 3.16 ERA) will make his sixth start since joining the Patriots from High-A Hudson Valley on August 5. Hess made 15 starts for the Renegades and boasted a 3.51 earned run average over 66-2/3 innings pitched with 94 strikeouts to 33 walks. Through five starts for the Patriots, Hess is 2-1 with a 3.16 earned run average across 25-2/3 innings pitched. Hess was a first-round draft pick by the Yankees in the 2024 MLB Draft and is in his first season of professional baseball. Ranked as the Yankees’ No. 6 prospect (MLB Pipeline), Hess enjoyed an illustrious three-year career at the University of Alabama. Hess owns the Alabama career record for strikeouts per nine innings with 205 punchouts in 138-1/3 innings pitched for a 13.34 K/9 rate. Hess makes his first career start against the Fisher Cats on Thursday night.

THIS DAY IN FISHER CATS HISTORY

September 4, 2011– In Portland, the Fisher Cats won 7-0 behind a combined two-hitter by four pitchers. Drew Hutchison improved to 3-0, allowing just one hit in five innings while striking out eight. Offensively, Danny Perales homered in the second, Mark Sobolewski went deep in the fourth, and Mike McDade made it 6-0 with his 16th homer, a two-run shot in the sixth.

WHAT’S NEXT?

New Hampshire and Somerset are set for another 6:35 PM EDT first pitch at TD Bank Ballpark on Friday night. The Patriots send Yankees No. 2 prospect (MLB Pipeline) Carlos Lagrange (5-6, 3.74 ERA) to the hill for his third career start against the Fisher Cats. New Hampshire’s Friday night starter is to be determined.