Blue Jays Standings & Minor League Mayhem: Fisher Cats’ Historic Inning
Sometimes, a couple of well-timed hits are all it takes to ignite a big inning in baseball. But occasionally, you don’t even need that. On a frigid Tuesday evening in Maine – a chilly 35 degrees Fahrenheit at first pitch – the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays) unleashed a historic offensive explosion, scoring 10 runs on a single base knock against the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox affiliate).
Remarkably, the Fisher Cats tallied their first eight runs before even recording that hit. This begs the question: how rare is such an occurrence? According to Elias Sports Bureau, in the modern expansion era (since 1961), no Major League team has ever scored more than four runs without getting their first hit. The sheer improbability of this event is staggering.
A Historic Second Inning
There have only been 16 instances in American League/National League history of a pitcher allowing five runs on no hits in 1 2/3 or fewer innings. This incredible feat was achieved by two Sea Dogs hurlers by the end of the second inning in this particular game. The inning was a testament to control issues and a relentless Fisher Cats lineup.
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What makes this even more unbelievable? The defense didn’t commit a single error during the chaotic frame. It all began with a walk issued to Sean Keys (the Blue Jays’ No. 17 prospect) and didn’t conclude until five batters in the Fisher Cats’ lineup had each come to the plate twice, and the Sea Dogs had cycled through three pitchers.
Initially, despite the leadoff walk, the situation appeared manageable for Portland’s pitching. The first New Hampshire run didn’t cross the plate until a sacrifice fly, which also recorded the second out of the inning. But the floodgates soon opened.
The Scoring Play-by-Play
If you were keeping score at home, the half-inning – which stretched for 31 minutes – unfolded like this:
- BBBBWPKSF (1-2)
- BBBBBB (2-2)
- HBP (3-2)
- WP (4-2)
- BBHBP (5-2)
- WP (6-2)
- BBBB (7-2)
- WP (8-2)
- 1B (10-2)
- K
To recap: eight walks, two hit batsmen, four wild pitches, one sacrifice fly, and one single, with a staggering 14 men reaching base. This inning was a masterclass in how to score runs without relying on hits.
Impact on Pitching Prospects
The big inning was particularly damaging for Sea Dogs starter Hayden Mullins (Boston’s No. 16 prospect) and reliever Jorge Juan. Mullins struck out the side in the first inning but ultimately was charged with five runs on five walks over just 1 1/3 innings. Juan didn’t record a single out and was also charged with five runs on five walks. Neither Mullins’ line (1.2 IP, 0 H, 5 R, 5 BB, 4 K) nor Juan’s line (0.0 IP, 0 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 0 K) has ever been recorded in a Major League game.
Adding to the irony, the Sea Dogs themselves scored their first three runs of the game without a hit. This game was a truly bizarre and memorable one for both teams, highlighting the unpredictable nature of baseball and the development of future stars within the Blue Jays and Red Sox organizations. Keep an eye on the Blue Jays standings as their prospects continue to develop!
