Yard Goats Drop Road Trip Opener 5-3

April 18, 2019
Final: New Hampshire Fisher Cats 5, Hartford Yard Goats 3  
WP: Tayler Saucedo (1-0)
LP: Jordan Foley (1-2)
SV: Kirby Snead (4)
T: 2:58
ATT: 3,267

Yard Goats Drop Road Trip Opener 5-3   
Manchester, NH- The Hartford Yard Goats lost to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats by the score of 5-3 on Thursday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, New Hampshire. On a cold and misty night, the Fisher Cats scored three times in the seventh inning to erase a 3-1 deficit and prevented the Yard Goats from a third straight win.   It was the first game of a two-city six-game road trip. Hartford starting pitcher Rico Garcia registered a season-high eight strikeouts and permitted just one run on two hits. Fisher Cats catcher Alberto Mineo had two hits, including a two-run single in the seventh inning to put New Hampshire ahead for good, and he finished the game with three RBI.  
The Fisher Cats scored the first run of the game in the first inning off Yard Goats starting pitcher Rico Garcia. Santiago Espinal cracked a one out double and Alberto Mineo followed with a double to right field scoring Espinal and giving the Fisher Cats a 1-0 lead.
The Yard Goats scored three runs with two outs in the seventh inning to take a 3-1 lead. Hartford loaded the bases with a double, infield hit and hit by pitch. Manny Melendez then hit a grounder that got by first baseman Kasey Clemens and the error allowed two runs to score putting the Yard Goats ahead, 2-1. Right fielder Chad Spanberger's throwing error allowed a third run to come in and make it a 3-1 game.
However, the Fisher Cats added three more runs in the seventh inning off reliever Jordan Foley. After Kacy Clemens and Brandon Grudzielanek started the inning with singles, Vinny Capra doubled home Clemens to make it 3-2. A walk would load the bases, and then Alberto Mineo ripped a two RBI single scoring Grudzielanek and Capra, giving New Hampshire a 4-3 lead. The Fisher Cats added a run in the eighth inning on Vinny Capra's run scoring single.        
The Yard Goats play the middle game of a three game series against the Fisher Cats on Friday night at 6:35 PM in New Hampshire. The game will be broadcast on FM 97.9 ESPN, AM 1410 WPOP and 100.9 FM and streamed on newsradio.1410.com and MiLB.com.