6/18 -- Baysox Eliminate Yard Goats With 2-0 Shutout

HARTFORD - A two-run Ademar Rifaela home run was all the offense Bruce Zimmermann needed to complete a 2-0 shutout of the Hartford Yard Goats in the series opener Tuesday night.
Following a 49-minute rain delay, the Baysox (30-38) got the bats going early, jumping on top in the first inning. Mason McCoy (3-for-4) led off with a single on an 0-2 pitch from starter Jack Wynkoop. After a pair of outs, Rifaela lined a two-run home run off the railing just above the right field wall.
His team-leading eighth long ball of the year was part of a fourth consecutive multi-hit and game and extended his current hitting streak to seven games.
Meanwhile, Zimmermann ended a streak of five games with a no-decision by tossing a complete-game shutout to earn his second victory of 2019. The lefty tossed a career-high nine innings, allowing four singles and striking out nine batters, two shy of his season-high 11 punchouts.
The lone Hartford (37-30) rally attempt came in the third inning, when the first two Goat batters singled. Zimmermann then got Manuel Melendez to ground into a 3-6-3 double play before striking out Tyler Nevin to end the threat.
Alan Trejo singled in the fourth inning to represent the last Hartford base runner, as Zimmermann retired the final 17 batters to officially eliminate the hosts from playoff contention on the final day of the First Half.
The 2019 Second Half of the Eastern League begins Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. in game two of the three-game series. As was the case in the season opener, RHP Marcos Molina (4-5, 3.39) starts for the Baysox against Hartford RHP Brandon Gold (6-4, 3.76) as the records reset to 0-0.