Yard Goats Use Five-Run First Inning to Beat Fightin Phils

*Hartford 5, Reading 4 *

WP- Zach Matson (2-1)

LP- Francisco Morales (3-13)

T- 2:49

A-6,142

Hartford, CT- The Yard Goats scored five runs in the first inning and held on to defeat the Reading Fightin Phils 5-4 on Sunday afternoon at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford. Yard Goats reliever Zach Matson worked 2.2 scoreless innings, and retired MLB veteran Matt Joyce to end the game and earn the win in the finale in the six-game series. Rockies right-handed pitcher Peter Lambert started for the Yard Goats on a Major League rehab assignment and pitched 2.2 innings, allowing a run on one hit, no walks and recorded five strikeouts.

The Yard Goats scored five runs in the first inning and chased Reading starting pitcher Francisco Morales from the game. The first three batters reached on a pair of singles and a walk which loaded the bases for Michael Toglia. Toglia walked and Jameson Hannah scored the first run of the game. Willie Abreu followed with a bases loaded walk, scoring Sean Bouchard to make it 2-0. Morales retired the next two batters before Manny Melendez cracked a two-out single, scoring Coco Montes and giving Hartford a 3-0 lead. On the same play a throwing error allowed Toglia and Abreu to score, making it 5-0 Yard Goats.

Lambert, recovering from Tommy John surgery, retired the first seven batters including four strikeouts. In the third inning, he hit Jack Conley with a pitch before striking out the next batter. With two outs, Matt Kroon cracked a single on an 0-2 pitch. Lambert then hit the next two batters, including Matt Joyce with the bases loaded, which allowed Conley to score to make it 5-1.

Reading made it a 5-3 game on Chris Cornelius’ two-run homer in the fourth inning off reliever Ian Clarkin. The Fightin Phils added a run in the seventh inning on Grenny Cumana’s RBI double, scoring Matt Kroon to make it 5-4.

The Fightins had some opportunities to tie the game but reliever Zach Matson got double play grounders in the seventh and eighth innings to end the threat. Matson got MLB veteran Matt Joyce to pop to second to end the game.

The Yard Goats continue the homestand on Tuesday evening (6:05 PM) against the New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots. Tickets are available by visiting the website, yardgoatsbaseball.com. The game will be broadcast on AM 1410 WPOP and FM 100.9 FM and newsradio1410.iheart.com and the video stream available on MiLB.TV.