Yard Goats Use Four Homers to Beat Fisher Cats
Manchester, NH- The Hartford Yard Goats hit four home runs, including two from outfielder Benny Montgomery, and defeated the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 10-8 on Wednesday night at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was the second game of a six-game series against the first-place Toronto Blue Jays affiliate. The Yard Goats had an 9-0 lead in the eighth inning before the Fisher Cats scored eight runs to pull within one. Benny Montgomery got the home run parade going with a two-run shot in the third inning. GJ Hill had an inside-the-park three-run homer in the fourth inning, followed by Bryant Betancourt’s solo shot later that inning. Montgomery added a solo home run in the ninth. Eiberson Castellano fired seven scoreless innings to earn his third win.
The Yard Goats scored the first run of the game in second inning on a squeeze bunt by GJ Hill, scoring Conner Capel. Hartford added on in the third inning as Benny Montgomery cranked a two-run homer off New Hampshire starter Richard Gallardo to make it 3-0.
Hartford scored four times in the fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead. GJ Hill cracked a ball off the center field fence and raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run, the first for a Yard Goats player since Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle in April 2022. His homer also scored Jimmy Obertop and Zach Kokoska. Later in the inning, Bryant Betancourt connected on a solo shot to make it 7-0. Hartford made it 9-0 with a pair of runs in the fifth inning.
Yard Goats starter Eiberson Castellano fired seven scoreless innings, allowing just three singles, three walks and seven strikeouts. He retired 17 of the final 20 batters faced from the second through the seventh. The right-hander retired the side in order in the third and sixth innings.
The Fisher Cats scored eight runs in the eighth inning to make it a 9-8 game. Jay Harry hit a grand slam, and former UConn catcher Patrick Winkel hit a two-run home run. New Hampshire had two runners on base in the ninth inning when the game ended.
The Yard Goats continue the six-game series on Thursday night in Manchester, New Hampshire. Jake Brooks will start for the Yard Goats and RHP Gage Stanifer will pitch for the Fisher Cats. The game will be broadcast on the free Audacy App, iHeartRadio app, Yard Goats website and streamed on MiLB.TV. The Yard Goats return to Dunkin’ Park for their next homestand next Tuesday night (7:10 PM) to host the Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate, the Altoona Curve.