Thunder can’t handle the heat, fall to Fisher Cats
TRENTON » The fans who opted for a dip in the pool on a 98-degree afternoon instead of a trip to the ballpark made the right call.
The Thunder missed an opportunity to take over sole possession of first place in the Eastern League East Division and were blanked, 4-0, by New Hampshire at Arm & Hammer Park on Sunday.
The Thunder (46-35) won the first two games of this extended five-game set to move within a half game of first, but the Fisher Cats (47-33) bounced back behind seven solid scoreless innings from T.J. Zeuch.
The right-hander limited the Thunder to five hits, struck out four and walked two to pick up his sixth victory.
Trenton ended the day with four errors.
“We played poorly,” Thunder manager Jay Bell said. “There were a lot of things that went on ... nobody covering first base on a bunt, out of position on a couple other situations and throwing a ball away on an easy doubleplay. As bad as we were today, to only give up four that was pretty impressive, but on days where we fail defensively, we have to pick it up offensively.”
New Hampshire went up 2-0 in the third after Eduard Pinto led off with a homer against starter Trevor Stephan and Max Pentecost doubled home another run.
Jonathan Davis knocked in Nash Knight with a sacrifice fly in the fourth for a 3-0 lead.
Stephan lasted four innings, giving up three runs on eight hits.
Some shoddy defense in the eighth gifted the Fisher Cats another run after reliever Jordan Foley airmailed a throw that would have been a doubleplay and led to an RBI bunt basehit by Gunnar Heidt on the next pitch.
“These games are bound to happen at every level from rookie ball to the big leagues,” Bell said. “That’s why every once in a while you see a position player pitch. It’s funny, but at the same time, it’s not really funny for the manager.”