Matt Sauer Sets Patriots Single-Game Strikeout Record
Official Somerset Patriots Press Release/Steven Cusumano Bridgewater, NJ — Somerset Patriots pitcher Matt Sauer struck out a franchise-record 17 batters in a 4-3 extra innings loss (71-45) to the New…
Official Somerset Patriots Press Release/Steven Cusumano
Bridgewater, NJ -- Somerset Patriots pitcher Matt Sauer struck out a franchise-record 17 batters in a 4-3 extra innings loss (71-45) to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (51-66) on Thursday night at TD Bank Ballpark.
The game began with five perfect innings for Sauer, who left after a career-high eight innings with a 2-1 lead in tact.
Sauer's bid for a perfect game came to an end on the first pitch of the sixth inning, when Sebastian Espino (12) hit a solo home run to cut into Somerset's two-run lead.
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Everson Pereira (4) gave Sauer and the Patriots the lead on a two-run home run with two outs in the third inning. Pereira ended the day with his seventh multi-hit game at the Double-A level.
After Sauer left the game, Carson Coleman was tagged with his second blown save of the season, allowing a run in the top of the ninth inning. The inning ended on a home run-robbing catch in center field by Pereira that preserved the 2-2 tie and sent the game to extra innings.
Espino struck again for the Fisher Cats with a one-out, two-run single that gave New Hampshire the game's decisive runs. Steven Jennings (3-3) was tagged for the loss, while Jimmy Burnette (4-3) earned the win.
Jennings struck out Cam Eden for the second out in the 10th inning, matching Somerset's franchise record with the Patriots' 20th strikeout of the night--their most in a game as the Yankees' Double-A affiliate.
Max Burt laced an RBI-single to give the Patriots' the game's final run in the bottom of the 10th, but Somerset ultimately wound up having its three-game win streak snapped, 4-3.
The loss marked Somerset's eighth extra innings defeat of the season, falling to 4-8 in such games.
The 2022 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford will continue at home on Friday night with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at TD Bank Ballpark.
Blue Jays No. 2 prospect LHP Ricky Tiedemann (No. 34 overall MiLB prospect) will get the start for New Hampshire, opposite Yankees No. 16 prospect RHP Randy Vasquez for Somerset.
