The Chesapeake Baysox, Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, lost 5-2 to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on September 12, 2025, at Delta Dental Stadium. The Baysox mounted a brief comeback but fell short after an early defensive error and a two-run homer handed the Fisher Cats a four-run lead in the first inning. The defeat dropped Chesapeake’s record to 59-75, fifth in the Eastern League’s Southwest Division, while New Hampshire improved to 54-81, sixth in the Northeast Division, before 3,765 spectators.
The contest started under clear skies at 72 degrees with a light 6 mph wind blowing out to left field. In the bottom of the first, Fisher Cats outfielder Damiano Palmegiani singled, followed by Je’Von Ward’s double off Baysox starter Juaron Watts-Brown. Peyton Williams struck out but reached first on a throwing error by catcher Ethan Anderson, allowing Palmegiani and Ward to score for a 2-0 lead. Shortstop Cade Doughty then homered to left, his fourth of the season, driving in Williams to make it 4-0. The blast capped a three-pitch sequence and marked Doughty’s 33rd RBI.
Chesapeake chipped away in the fifth. Anderson walked to open the frame and advanced to third on a groundout before scoring on Adam Retzbach’s single to left, trimming the margin to 4-1. Retzbach, batting .220, extended his RBI total to 57. The Baysox added a run in the seventh when Anderson again crossed the plate, this time on Tavian Josenberger’s groundout to first. Josenberger reached second on the play after a throwing error by Doughty, but the inning ended without further scoring.
New Hampshire tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. Ward doubled leading off and scored on Williams’ single to left off reliever Logan Neighbors, pushing the score to 5-2. The Fisher Cats’ bullpen closed out the game, with starter Jonatan Amalfi tossing six innings of one-run ball for the win, his sixth against eight losses and a 4.41 ERA. Ryan Gregory worked a scoreless seventh for his fourth hold, and Hunter Yeager earned his first save with two innings of one-run relief. Watts-Brown absorbed the loss, falling to 3-5 with a 3.62 ERA after yielding four runs, three earned, over four innings. Danh Pham, Ryan Long and Neighbors combined for four innings of scoreless relief, though Neighbors allowed the final run.
The Fisher Cats managed five hits, including doubles by Ward and Charles Sharp, while Doughty paced the attack with two RBIs. Williams added an RBI, and the team turned two double plays involving Doughty and Williams to escape jams. Chesapeake collected three hits total, with Retzbach’s single the lone extra-base hit. Anderson scored both runs and drew a walk, but the lineup stranded five runners and went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position. New Hampshire matched that inefficiency at 1 for 6 but capitalized on opportunities, leaving three on base.
The game lasted 2 hours and 19 minutes, with umpires Mickey Smith behind the plate, Nelson Fraley at first and John Grasso at third. Pham drew a pitch timer violation in the fifth. For Chesapeake, the loss highlighted ongoing defensive issues, with two errors contributing to three unearned runs. Anderson’s miscue in the first proved costly, as it turned a strikeout into two runs scored.
The matchup underscored Double-A baseball’s parity, where early miscues often decide outcomes. Chesapeake’s bullpen depth, with Pham’s 3.15 ERA and Long’s 4.08, offers stability, but offensive consistency remains a work in progress.
