Rabago Delivers as Yard Goats Earn Split
Published on May 26, 2018 under Eastern League (EL1)
Hartford Yard Goats News Release
MANCHESTER, NH- The Hartford Yard Goats staged a seventh inning rally to beat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 5-3, in the first game of a double header Saturday night. The first place Fisher Cats salvaged a split, winning the nightcap 4-1.
The Yard Goats survived an unassisted double play in the seventh inning and rallied for three runs to win the first contest. Hartford (26-23) loaded the bases with no outs against lefty reliever Kirby Snead on a lead-off double by Brian Mundell, a walk and an error. Batting against a drawn in infield, Nelson Molina pulled a line drive to first baseman Juan Kelly for the twin killer. New Hampshire, however, opted to pitch to right handed hitting Chris Rabago with a left-handed hitter on deck, and Rabago laced a 2-2 double into the left field corner to give Hartford the lead. Omar Carrizales followed with an RBI-single.
Matt Pierpont pitched the seventh inning for his league-leading 14th save. Starter Ryan Castellani (3-2) notched the win with six innings of work. He allowed three runs on six hits, walked four and struck out one.
Yonathan Daza had given Hartford a 2-1 lead with a two-run home run in the third inning, but Kelly's two-run homer in the fourth put the Fisher Cats back on top, setting the stage for the Yard Goats' last inning heroics.
In addition to Rabago's two-run double, Daza had a home run and two RBI and Carrizales two hits and an RBI.
New Hampshire (29-18) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of game two, against Hartford starter Craig Schlitter of Guilford. An RBI-single by Cavan Biggio and sacrifice fly by Andrew Guillotte scored the runs. Hartford cut the lead in half in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Carrizales, but New Hampshire put the game away in the third inning, when Kelly blasted this second two-run home run of the twin bill and his third of the season against the Yard Goats.
Schlitter, who suffered the loss, pitched three innings and allowed four runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out three. Mundell had two hits for the Goats.
Game four of the five-game set will be Sunday afternoon at 1:35. RHP Jesus Tinoco will pitch for the Yard Goats. New Hampshire's starter has yet to be announced. The game will be broadcast on AM 1410 WPOP and streamed on newsradio.1410.com and MiLB.com.
GAME ONE Hartford 5-6-1 New Hampshire 3-7-2
WP: Ryan Castellani (3-2)
LP: Kirby Snead (1-1)
S: Matt Pierpont (14)
HR: Daza (4); Kelly (5)
T- 1:58
GAME TWO Hartford 1-6-0 New Hampshire 4-6-0
WP: Nick Hartman (1-0)
LP: Craig Schlitter (0-1)
S: Andrew Case (3)
HR: Kelly (6)
T- 2:10
A- 5,417
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