Yard Goats Win 5th Consecutive Game & Arrive in First Place
Yard Goats Win 5th Consecutive Game & Arrive in First Place WP: Jake Sommers: (1-2) LP: Kolby Allard: (0-1) SV: Seth Halvorsen: (1) Time: 2:32 Hartford, CT- Yanquiel Fernandez had four hits, and Braiden Ward had two RBI as the Hartford Yard Goats beat the Reading Fightin Phils, 6-4 in
Yard Goats Win 5th Consecutive Game & Arrive in First Place
WP: Jake Sommers: (1-2)
LP: Kolby Allard: (0-1)
SV: Seth Halvorsen: (1)
Time: 2:32
Hartford, CT- Yanquiel Fernandez had four hits, and Braiden Ward had two RBI as the Hartford Yard Goats beat the Reading Fightin Phils, 6-4 in front of a sellout 7,093 on Friday night at Dunkin’ Park. Jake Sommers earned his first win of the season pitching two scoreless innings with four strikeouts. The Yard Goats bats heated up against Kolby Allard driving in four runs in four innings against the former big leaguer. Allard pitched 69 games in the Major Leagues with the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. The Yard Goats have now won five games in a row and sit atop the Eastern League's Northeast Division. Hartford has claimed the series winning the first four games of the six game set.
In the top of the second inning, the Fightin Phils scored the game’s first run. With runners on first and second base with one out, Trevor Schwecke hit an RBI double off of Yard Goats starter Evan Shawver that brought in Carlos De La Cruz across home plate to bring the score to 1-0.
The Yard Goats answered in the bottom half of the second inning with three runs. Fernandez led off the inning with a single. After a Warming Bernabel groundout, Bladimir Restituyo hit a single into right field that scored Fernandez from second base and tied the score at 1-1. Following a Braxton Fulford strikeout Ronaiker Palma drove in Restituyo with an RBI single to give the Yard Goats a 2-1 lead. Braiden Ward then tripled to left center field to drive in Palma and bring the score to 3-1.
The Fightin Phils made the score 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning after Trevor Schwecke led off the frame with a double and he stole third and was awarded home plate on a fielder's interference call.
The Yard Goats tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth inning as a two-out single by Ward drove home Fulford and made the score 4-2.
Hartford struck again in the bottom of the fifth inning as with one out Cristopher Navarro worked a walk and then Fernandez doubled to right field. Bernabel followed the Fernandez double with a single that scored Navarro and made the score 5-2. Restituyo followed with a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 6-2.
The Fightin Phils made a comeback effort in the eighth inning as Kendall Simmons led off the inning with a single, followed by a Bryce Ball double. Schwecke then drove in Simmons from third base with an RBI groundout and brought the score to 6-3. A two-out Yard Goats error scored Ball and made it a 6-4 ballgame.
The Yard Goats will continue its series against the Philadelphia Phillies affiliate, The Reading Fightin Phils on Saturday, June 1st (6:10 p.m.), at Dunkin’ Park. RHP Jarrod Cande will start for the Yard Goats and LHP Matt Osterberg will start for the Fightin Phils. The game will be live-streamed on MiLB.tv and broadcast on the free Audacy app.