Yard Goats Win Third Straight Game to Take Series

May 5, 2019
Final: Hartford Yard Goats 7, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 1   
WP: Rico Garcia (3-0)
LP: Zach Logue (2-2)
SV: none
T: 6,576     
ATT: 2:34

Yard Goats Win Third Straight Game to Take Series    
Manchester, NH- Yard Goats right-hander Rico Garcia was dominant over seven innings and won his third straight start, as Hartford topped the New Hampshire Fisher Cats by the score of 7-1 on Sunday afternoon at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, New Hampshire. Garcia allowed just one run on three hits and recorded seven strikeouts as the Yard Goats put together their first three-game win-streak of the season. Colton Welker had three hits, including a double, RBI and run scored, and Brian Serven enjoyed his 24th birthday with an RBI double in the victory.
Hartford took three of four in New Hampshire to win its six series in seven tries and improved to a game over .500 for the first time since last July 2 (41-40). The Yard Goats 16 wins are tied for the most in the Eastern League's Eastern Division.  
Yard Goats starters had pitched 33.2 consecutive innings (5 plus starts) without allowing an earned run before the Fisher Cats scored a run in the fourth inning against Garcia this afternoon. Hartford pitching lowered its Eastern League leading team ERA to 2.93.
The Yard Goats scored the first run of the game in the first inning off Fisher Cats starter Zach Logue. Manny Melendez led off the game with a bunt single and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Colton Welker followed with an RBI single, scoring Melendez and giving the Yard Goats a 1-0 lead. It was the third straight game that Hartford scored the first run and the Yard Goats are now 12-2 when they score first.
Hartford added a run on a pair of doubles in the fourth inning to take a 2-0 lead. Colton Welker led off the inning by scalding a double to right field. After Logue retired the next two batters, Brian Serven delivered on his 24^th birthday and cracked a liner over the head of left fielder Brock Lindqust, scoring Welker to make it 2-0 Hartford.    
The Fisher Cats scored a run in the fourth inning to make it a one-run game. New Hampshire got its first hit off Garcia with a leadoff single by Santiago Espinal in the fourth inning. Alberto Mineo followed with a single putting runners at first and second base. After Garcia retired Kevin Smith, Brock Lunquist doubled to left, scoring Espinal to make it a 2-1 game. The righty retired the next two batters to get out of the jam.
The Yard Goats scored five more runs to open the game up to a 7-1 lead. Hartford got an RBI triple from Vince Fernandez in the sixth inning followed by a runs scoring single by Alan Trejo as Hartford made it 4-0. The Yard Goats added another run in the eighth and two more in the ninth.      
The Yard Goats are off on Monday and begin a three game series in Reading, Pennsylvania on Tuesday night at 6:45 PM against the Phillies affiliate. The game will be broadcast on AM 1410 WPOP and 100.9 FM and streamed on newsradio.1410.com and MiLB.com.