Goats Bite Ducks for First Connecticut Win
NORWICH, CT- The Hartford Yard Goats won their first-ever game on Connecticut soil Wednesday afternoon, hanging on for a 4-2 victory over the Akron Rubber Ducks at Dodd Stadium.
Fittingly, the Goats first in-state win came with a Connecticut native nailing down the victory, Berlin's Matt Carasiti. With runners at second and third and one out in the top of the ninth for the Indians' affiliate, Alex Monsalve flied out to right fielder David Dahl, whose throw home was cut off by first baseman Ryan McMahon, who doubled off the runner at second to end the game. It also halted Hartford's (24-15) six-game losing streak.
After the Rubber Ducks, with the league's best record (28-11), jumped out to a 2-0 lead, the Yard Goats came back to score three runs in the fourth on Dahl's league-tying 10th home run of the season, a wild pitch and an RBI-single by Jackson Williams. McMahon's sacrifice fly in the sixth accounted for the Goats' final run, setting the stage for the exciting finish.
The Yard Goats managed seven hits in the game by seven players and received a solid start from Carlos Hernandez. The veteran left hander allowed two runs over six innings and did not issue a walk, while striking out four and scattering five hits.
Hartford begins a three-game series in New Hampshire on Friday night at 6:35. German Marquez (3-2, 1.82) will pitch for the Yard Goats against Casey Lawrence for the Toronto affiliate. The game will be broadcast live on News Radio 1410 WPOP.