New Hampshire 4-7-1Hartford 2-7-0WP- Zach Logue (3-2)LP- Rico Garcia (4-1)S- Bryan Baker (2)T- 2:35A- 6,711
New Hampshire 4-7-1
Hartford 2-7-0
WP- Zach Logue (3-2)
LP- Rico Garcia (4-1)
S- Bryan Baker (2)
T- 2:35
A- 6,711
HARTFORD- Home runs by Kevin Smith and Chad Spanberger and clutch pitching by Zach Logue lifted the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to a 4-2 win over the Hartford Yard Goats, before 6,711 Friday night at Dunkin' Donuts Park, the eighth sellout of the season. Playing as Los Chivos de Hartford, the Yard Goats three-game winning streak was snapped, evening the four-game series at a win each. Smith and Spanberger each had two RBI.
Smith's seventh-inning sacrifice fly tied the game at 2, while his fourth home run of the season, a ninth-inning blast into the left-field seats, provided insurance. Spanberger's third inning homer staked New Hampshire (19-20) to a 1-0 lead. His RBI-ground out in the seventh put the Fisher Cats ahead to stay.
Logue, a left-hander, out pitched Hartford starter Rico Garcia, who suffered his first defeat after four wins. Logue pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out six.
After Hartford (22-19) took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on a double by Vince Fernandez, a fly out and a sac fly by Arvicent Perez, New Hampshire came back to take the lead for good in the seventh inning. A lead-off triple to dead center by Brock Lundquist and Smith's sacrifice fly tied the game. Christian Williams and Riley Adams followed with singles, before Spanberger's ground out scored Williams from third and chased Garcia.
Throwing nearly 100 MPH, reliever Jackson McClelland entered the game in the seventh, and after walking the first batter he faced to load the bases, struck out the next two hitters with his fast ball to preserve the New Hampshire advantage.
Garcia pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out six.
Colton Welker had an RBI-double for Hartford, while Fernandez added a double and a run scored, his league-leading 29th run scored this season.
Game three of the four-game set is Saturday at 6:05 PM. RHP Ashton Goudeau will pitch for the Yard Goats, while the Fisher Cats will counter with RHP Willy Ortiz. The game will be broadcast on News Radio 1410AM, on 100.9 FM, in Spanish on 1120AM and on the Internet on newsradio1410.iheart.com and on MiLB.com.
