Eastern League Eastern Division Playoffs Game 3 Preview

GAME 3 (Best of 5 series)
Trenton leads series 2-0

Trenton Thunder (Manny Banuelos 0-1, 3.52)
vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Scott Richmond 0-0, 2.70) @ 6:35pm

Preview - It's do-or-die time for the Fisher Cats tonight! The pitching has obviously not been an issue for either team. In 21 innings of play, the two staffs combine have only allowed 3 runs and 23 hits and have struck out an astonishing 54 batters. Unfortunately for New Hampshire, they have not plated any of those 3 runs and now find themselves with their backs against the wall. Manny Banuelos will look to shut the door on the Cats as he takes the mound for Trenton tonight. Much like Game 1 starter Dellin Betances, Banuelos has only had 3 AA starts after spending much of his fantastic season in Single A. Banuelos did face the Fisher Cats in his first AA appearance and the Cats bats showed up that night, popping 7 hits and plating 6. But Banuelos did not allow a run in either of his following two starts and is seemingly back on track. The Fisher Cats were the convenient recipient of Scott Richmond who was sent down to "rehab", in what was an obvious salvo to the Thunder starting Andy Pettitte yesterday. Earlier today the Cats benefited from another "timely" move when they announced that Edwin Encarnacion would start his rehab stint in New Hampshire tonight. So, the Cats can no longer complain about the "Pettitte factor", which was not a factor at all, seeing as Zach Stewart went toe-to-toe with him and then some! But the main core of the lineup is what is needed tonight. Darin Mastroianni has to set the plate from the top of that order, Hechavarria needs to chip in as well and in turn the slumping meat of the order (Eric Thames, Shawn Bowman and David Cooper) may snap out of it and put some wood to the Thunder sweep effort.

LINEUPS
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
CF - Darin Mastroianni
SS - Adeiny Heccavarria
LF - Eric Thames
3B - Edwin Encarnacion
DH- Shawn Bowman
1B - David Cooper
C - Jonathan Jaspe
RF - Adam Loewen
2B - Callix Crabbe

Trenton Thunder
CF - Austin Krum
3B - Justin Snyder
RF - Daniel Brewer
C - Austin Romine
1b - Marcos Vechionacci
DH - Rene Rivera
LF - Damon Sublett
SS - Luis Nunez
2B - Matthew Cusick

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