Mike Antico Steals 200th Career Base in Yard Goats Loss
Bridgwater, NJ- Outfielder Mike Antico recorded his 200th career stolen base but Reading starter Rory Fox was tough on the Yard Goats and fired 7.2 scoreless innings as Reading defeated Hartford 3-0 on Thursday night at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, New Jersey. After winning 4-0 on Wednesday, the Yard Goats managed only one hit against Fox and two relievers. Braylen Wimmer had Hartford’s only hit. The Yard Goats did bat the potential tying run in the eighth inning but Tony Rossi retired Hartford’s home run leader GJ Hill to end the threat.
Somerset scored a pair of runs in the second inning off Yard Goats starter Jackson Cox. Josh Moylan led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a hit by DJ Gladney. Morales scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by Manny Palencia, giving the Patriots a 1-0 lead. Connor McGinnis followed with a double and Palencia scored from first base to make it 2-0. Cox went three innings, allowed two runs on four hits, no walks and had three strikeouts in his second start since returning from the Injured List.
Josh Moylan opened the third inning with a home run against reliever Fisher Jameson, his 16th of the season to make it 3-0. Jameson worked 3.2 innings and allowed just the one run on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
The story of the game was Patriots starter Rory Fox who took a shutout into the eighth inning. After starting the game with a 1-2-3 first inning he worked around two baserunners in the second inning. Braylen Wimmer singled and Dyan Jorge reached on an error but the Yard Goats could not push a run across the plate. Fox went on to retire 17 of 18 batters from the second through eighth innings before departing after a walk and hit batsman. Toni Rossi came in and struck out GJ Hill to end the threat. The Yard Goats went down in order in the ninth.
The Yard Goats continue the six-game road trip against the Somerset Patriots on Friday night (6:35 PM). LHP Konner Eaton will start for the Yard Goats and RHP Bryce Cunningham will start for the Patriots. The game will be broadcast on the free Audacy App, iHeartRadio app, Yard Goats website and streamed on MiLB.TV. The Yard Goats will host Game Two of the ELDS next Thursday, September 17th (6:30 PM) at Dunkin’ Park.