Goodman homers twice as Sea Dogs pick up two from Yard Goats

Game 1 Final: Portland 5, Hartford 4

WP: Brian Van Belle (2-2)

LP: Austin Kitchen (2-1)

S: Luis Guerrero (7)

Game 2 Final: Portland 8, Hartford 2

WP: Jacob Webb (4-1)

LP: Mike Ruff (0-3)

S: None

Hartford, CT– The Portland Sea Dogs (26-13) captured both games of a doubleheader against the Hartford Yard Goats (19-19) on Sunday afternoon, proving victorious 5-4, and 8-2. Behind 17 strikeouts by the Sea Dogs’ pitching staff and three home runs, Portland concludes its road trip to Connecticut with three straight wins. Hunter Goodman extended his home run lead atop the Eastern League, shooting a ball over the right field wall twice to bring his total to 15 on the season.

In his eighth start of the season, Hartford’s Game 1 starter Case Williams was sensational. He sat down the first eight Portland batters he faced highlighted by six strikeouts. The righty finished the game with a season-high seven punchouts, allowing four hits and no earned runs in 5.1 innings of work.

Five hits in the second and third innings combined for the Goats propelled Hartford to a 4-0 lead. Warming Bernabel smashed a three-run home run over the right field wall in the second inning. His second home run in 2023 gives him a hit in four out of his last five contests. Goodman drove another ball out of Dunkin’ Park an inning later to add to the Hartford advantage.

The league’s best offense responded in the sixth inning, using three hits including a Nathan Hickey two-run home run off Goats’ left-handed reliever Austin Kitchen to take a 5-4 lead. It was Hickey’s second two-run shot and seventh RBI of the series.

In game two, Tennessee native Goodman picked up right where it left off. After Kyle Datres got on base by way of an error in the first inning, the Goats’ No. 35 sent his second long shot over the right field wall. His first-inning homer was his seventh in Connecticut’s capital this season. The Sea Dogs answered immediately, scoring six runs in the top of the second inning which included two solo home runs by Chase Meidroth and Niko Kavadas apiece off Hartford starter Mike Ruff. In the fifth inning, the away side added another two to their total as Kavadas’ second hit of the ballgame drove in right fielder Philip Sikes.

Hartford’s bullpen retired the final six Sea Dogs of the game. Evan Justice, Dylan Spain, Will Ethridge, and Nick Kuzia combined to allow just one hit while striking out eight in five innings of work. Justice has allowed just one run in nine innings pitched so far in 2023. It was Spain’s third relief appearance of his last four in which he collected three or more strikeouts.

The Yard Goats head to Pennsylvania on Tuesday to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate the Altoona Curve (18-19) at Peoples Natural Gas Field with first pitch at 6:10 pm. RHP Andrew Quezada will start for the Yard Goats while Sean Sullivan will take the mound for Altoona. The game can be heard on AM 1410 WPOP, FM 100.9 and the iheart radio app. The Yard Goats return home to Dunkin’ Park on Tuesday, June 6 (7:10 PM) to host the New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots for Pride Night. It is the first of two home sets against the Patriots this season for Hartford.