Yard Goats Stomp Reading 9-1 in Road Trip Finale
June 22, 2025 - Eastern League (EL)
Hartford Yard Goats News Release
Reading, PA - The Yard Goats scored four runs in the first inning en-route to a 9-1 victory against the Reading Fightin Phils on Sunday evening at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, Pennsylvania. Zach Kokoska cranked a three-run homer in the first inning, and GJ Hill added a solo home run in the second inning, as Hartford won four of six games against the Phillies affiliate to claim its second straight road series. Yard Goats pitchers Connor Staine, Carlos Torres, Welinton Herrera, Alec Barger and Carson Skipper limited the Fightins to just one run. The bullpen retired 14 of the final 16 batters of the game. Hartford has won 9 of its last 11 road games.
Infielder Kyle Karros walked in his first at-bat to extend his on-base-streak to 31 consecutive games, and he extended his hit-streak to 10 games with a fifth inning single. Bryant Betancourt had a pair of hits and extended his hit-streak to five games. The Yard Goats return to Dunkin' Park on Tuesday to open up a six-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
The Yard Goats got off to a great start and scored four runs in the first inning against Reading starter Estibenzon Jimenez in his Double-A debut. Jimenez walked two of the first three batters and Hartford scored its first run on Juan Guerrero's RBI single, scoring Cole Carrigg to make it 1-0 Yard Goats. Zach Kosoka followed with a home run over the center field wall, his seventh of the season, and it was 4-0 Hartford.
The Yard Goats took a 5-0 lead in the second inning as GJ Hill led off the frame with a long home run over the right field fence. It was his third home run of the season. The Fightins got a run in the fourth inning off reliever Carlos Torres on a sacrifice fly by Andrick Nava to make it a 5-1 game.
Hartford added a run in the fifth inning and it was a 6-1 game. Cole Carrigg led off with a single and advanced to third on a hit by Kyle Karros, and scored on a single by Bryant Betancourt. Harford made it 9-1 with three more runs in the eighth inning off the Reading bullpen. Nic Kent had a bases loaded walk, and Cole Carrigg added a two-run single.
The Yard Goats return home to Hartford and open up a six-game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Tuesday night (7:10 PM). RHP McCade Brown will start for the Yard Goats. The game will be televised on NESN+ and broadcast on the free Audacy app.
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