Yankees Gerrit Cole & Somerset Pitching Stop Yard Goats
June 9, 2024 - Eastern League (EL)
Hartford Yard Goats News Release
Bridgewater, NJ - 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole set the tone for the Somerset pitching staff on Sunday afternoon in a 4-2 victory against the Hartford Yard Goats at TD Bank Ballpark in New Jersey. The Yankees right-hander, on a MLB rehab assignment for elbow inflammation, started a stretch of 18 consecutive Yard Goats batters getting retired with relievers Danny Watson and Zach Messinger continuing the pattern from the third through eighth innings. Cole pitched solid over 4.2 innings allowing just one run on two hits and had four strikeouts and in his second straight appearance against Hartford. Ryan Ritter hit a solo home run off Cole in the first inning, hitting a 92 mph over the left field fence. After winning the first three games in Somerset, the Yard Goats dropped the last three contests.
The Yard Goats got on the scoreboard in the first inning as Ryan Ritter connected on his fifth home run, a line drive over the left field fence off Somerset starter Gerrit Cole. Hartford starter Mason Albright retired eight of the first nine batters before Yankees #2 prospect Spencer Jones cranked a two-out solo home run in the third inning to tie the game at 1-1.
After yielding the first inning homer, Cole retired 13 of the final 15 batters faced over the next three plus innings with four strikeouts. Zack Kokoska reached on an error in the second inning and Nic Kent led off the third inning with a solid single to center field. Cole struck out three of the final four batters faced and threw 57 pitches (44 strikeouts) in his outing.
Somerset took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning. Anthony Seigler doubled and eventually scored on a single by Aaron Palensky, giving the Patriots their first lead. The Yankees affiliate made it 4-1 on Seigler's two run homer in the seventh inning off reliever Juan Mejia.
Braiden Ward ended the 18 in a row stretch with a leadoff walk in the ninth. Ryan Ritter then singled and Yanquiel Fernadez followed with an RBI single, scoring Ward to make it 4-2. With the tying runs on base, Warming Bernabel lined into a double play and Sterlin Thompson struck out to end the game.
The Yard Goats will return home to Dunkin' Park on Tuesday night (7:10 PM) to host the Akron RubberDucks (Cleveland Guardians affiliate). RHP Connor Van Scoyoc will start for the Yard Goats and LHP Jaime Arias will start for Akron. The game will be broadcast on the free Audacy app.
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Final: Somerset 4, Hartford 2
WP: Zach Messinger (3-3)
LP: Mason Albright (3-4)
T: 2:00
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