Yard Goats Blast Three Homers in First Inning and Ride Arm of Jarrod Cande to Victory in Portland

Yard Goats Blast Three Homers in First Inning and Ride Arm of Jarrod Cande to Victory in Portland

Final: Hartford 8, Portland 3

WP: Jarrod Cande (3-2)

LP: CJ Liu

S: none

T: 2:43

Portland, Maine- For the second straight game, Yard Goats second baseman Adael Amador led off with a home run as Hartford defeated the Portland Sea Dogs 8-3 on Sunday afternoon at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine. The Yard Goats blasted three homers in the first inning off Sea Dogs starter CJ Liu as Amador, Zach Kokoska and Bladimir Restituyo all went deep helping Hartford to a four-run first inning. Yard Goats starter Jarrod Cande pitched into the seventh inning and allowed just three runs on five hits with five strikeouts while earning his third win. The Yard Goats split the eight-game in six-day series and will return home to Dunkin’ Park to host the Reading Fightin Phils on Tuesday night at 7:10 PM.

The Yard Goats took aim as Sea Dogs righty CJ Liu in the first inning. Amador led off with a homer into the right field pavilion seats. After Ryan Ritter singled, Zach Kokoska belted a two-run homer over the center field fence to make it 3-0. Bladimir Restituyo capped the rally with a solo shot into the Maine Monster in left field, putting Hartford ahead 4-0.

The Sea Dogs got one back in the first inning on Red Sox top prospect Marcello Mayer’s fifth homer, a solo shot over the right field fence off Yard Goats starter Jarrod Cande. The right-hander responded by retiring the next nine batters, including the side in order in the second and third innings. Portland made it a 4-3 game on a two-out double by Eastern League RBI leader Matthew Lugo.

Jarrod Cande retired nine straight batters from the first until the fourth inning, and then sat down eighth of the final nine men faced from the fourth inning until the seventh. He departed with a 7-3 lead after a season-high 6.1 innings. Evan Shawver and Angel Chivilli finished the game and recorded six strikeouts over the next two plus innings.

The Yard Goats will host the Reading Fightin Phils on Tuesday night at Dunkin’ Park (7:10 PM) for the first of a six-game series. RHP Andrew Quezada will start for the Yard Goats. The broadcast can be heard on the free audacy app and Yard Goats website starting at 12:45 PM with the pregame show. The video stream will be available on MLB.TV and MiLB.TV and the Ballys Live App.