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Familiar contenders in World Cup quarterfinals

By The Associated Press - | Jul 2, 2018

Japan's Gen Shoji leaves the pitch at the end of the round of 16 match between Belgium and Japan at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Rostov Arena, in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Monday, July 2, 2018. Belgium won 3-2. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Over the weekend, the Red Sox and Yankees engaged in the latest chapter of their endless rivalry while their Double-A affiliates squared off against the Granite State’s own Eastern League squad.

Here’s a look back at some recent items of note for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Davis makes history

For most of the season, the team’s main storyline has been either the continually impending promotion of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., or rumors on his impending return date following a leg injury in early June. That was not the case last Tuesday.

2017 Arizona Fall League MVP and second-year Fisher Cat center fielder Jonathan Davis became the first player in franchise history to hit for the cycle in New Hampshire’s 10-3 victory over Portland.

Davis collected a double in the first, advancing to third on a fielding error, and he followed that with his first home run of the year two innings later.

The single came in the fourth inning and Davis’ triple arrived in the sixth, legging out a warning track shot hit to right-center field, narrowly beating out a throw from Red Sox prospect Danny Mars.

Davis was unaware that no other Fisher Cat had accomplished this feat until after the game, but after his second at-bat he knew he had a shot at the cycle.

“My teammates were like ‘Dang, J! You’ve got the double and the home run, you just need a triple and a single!'”, he said.

Davis also got four hits on June 10 against Bowie, all of them coming as singles.

Six Fisher Cats Named to All-Star Team

Manchester was home to the 2017 Eastern League All-Star Game, but the 2018 edition will still have a distinctly New Hampshire flavor.

Six Fisher Cats will head to Trenton for this year’s game on July 11.

Along with Davis and Guerrero Jr., infielders Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette join starting pitchers Jordan Romano and T.J. Zeuch on the squad.

As of Sunday, Guerrero still leads the league in batting average among qualified batters (.407), while Biggio leads the league in home runs (16), walks (55) and RBI (61), and Davis leads the league in runs scored (64), hits (89), and doubles (22), with Bichette leading the league in stolen bases (26). Bichette is also within striking distance of overtaking Davis in runs scored, hits and doubles.

Romano began the year 8-0, while Zeuch is 6-1 since May 23.

Acquired Red Sox Prospect Unlikely to Become Fisher Cat Soon

This week the Red Sox picked up Blue Jays veteran Steve Pearce in exchange for cash and infielder Santiago Espinal. Pearce, who appeared in a handful of rehab assignment games last season for the Fisher Cats, was hitting .291 with 4 home runs and 16 RBI in 26 games for Toronto this season.

Espinal posted a .313/.363/.477 slash line for Class-A Advanced Salem. However, he isn’t likely to break a crowded New Hampshire infield that now includes the three All-Stars, the red-hot Jon Berti, slugger Juan Kelly, utility man Gunnar Heidt and the recently promoted Nash Knight.

Trading Shutouts

Given the Fisher Cats’ offensive prowess over the first few weeks of the season, a shutout was beginning to seem like an impossibility. Trenton proved it was possible on Saturday.

Michael King threw his first nine-inning complete game in the shutout against New Hampshire, allowing just three hits while striking out 11.

The loss finalized New Hampshire’s June record at 13-14, their first losing month of the year, but they returned the favor on Sunday with a 4-0 shutout of their own, courtesy of seven strong innings from Zeuch.

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