Yard Goats Homer Their Way to Series Win

May 9, 2019
Final: Hartford Yard Goats 7, Reading Fightin Phils 3
WP: Brandon Gold (3-2)
LP: Connor Brogdon (0-1)
SV: Heath Holder (2)
T: 2:26      
ATT: 7,489

Yard Goats Homer Their Way to Series Win
Reading, PA- Yard Goats starting pitcher Brandon Gold hit a home run and turned in a quality start as Hartford won its fifth straight rubber game this season, downing the Reading Fightin Phils 7-3 on Wednesday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Yard Goats righty became the first ever Yard Goats pitcher to hit a home run and pitched six innings with five strikeouts for his third win. It was also Gold's first career hit in professional baseball. The Yard Goats scored all seven runs on home runs, blasting four in the game, while winning for the seventh time in nine games. Alan Trejo had two hits, including a three-run home run. Hartford went 5-2 on its road trip and will return home tomorrow night at Dunkin' Donuts Park to take on the Harrisburg Senators.
Brandon Gold helped himself out by cranking a solo home run in the third inning off Reading starter Mauricio Llovera to give the Yard Goats a 1-0 lead. The home run sailed over the left field fence and was the first of four hit by Hartford. Gold made Yard Goats history, becoming the first ever Yard Goats pitcher to hit a home run. It came in the Yard Goats 451st all-time game.
Gold got off to a great start on the mound and retired 12 of the first 13 batters with the only Fightin to reach on an error. He hit Darak Hall to start the fifth and Hall eventually scored on a sacrifice fly tying the game at 1-1. Reading scored its first run before it has its first hit. However, Raul Rivas followed with a two out single to centerfield and Llovera singled putting runners at the corners. Mikey Moniak then stroked a two-run double scoring Rivas and Llovera and gave Reading a 3-1 lead.     
   
Hartford tied the game in the sixth inning on Vince Fernandez' two-run home run. Fernandez ripped a pitch from Llovera into the left field party deck seats to make it 3-3. It was his team leading sixth homer of the season. Yard Goats catcher Brian Serven hit the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning to make it 4-3. The line drive rocket to left came with two outs off reliever Connor Brogdan who just joined Reading today.
Alan Trejo collected Hartford's fourth homer of the afternoon, a three-run blast in the eighth inning against lefty Jakob Hernandez to make it 7-3. Hartford reliever Heath Holder was impressive in three scoreless innings with six strikeouts as he recorded his second save.  
The Yard Goats open a 3-game weekend series against the Harrisburg Senators at Dunkin' Donuts Park on Friday night at 7:05 PM. The game will be broadcast on AM 1410 WPOP and 100.9 FM and streamed on newsradio.1410.com and MiLB.com.