Red-hot Yard Goats sweep pair from Portland; Bees can’t convert in loss

Hartford’s Kyle Freeland earned his third win of the season Saturday.

PORTLAND, ME, April 23 – The Hartford Yard Goats continue to be impressive in their debut campaign. The Yard Goats swept an Eastern League doubleheader from the Portland Sea Dogs Saturday at Hadlock Field with victories of 6-0 and 2-1 to win for the 13th time in 17 starts.

In the opener, Hartford hurler Kyle Freeland, a first round draft choice by Colorado in 2014, improved to 3-1 with a six-inning performance, scattering six hits and striking out two. He gave up four hits in the first two innings but retired the final eight batters he faced.

Hartford broke open the game with a five-run fifth inning. An RBI double into the rightfield corner by Raimel Tapia started the scoring. Hartford’s David Dahl added a two-run double, Pat Valaika a run-scoring single and Ryan McMahon an RBI double, as the Goats collected six hits and sent eight men to bat in the inning.

Playing his first Double-A game, Hartford DH Troy Stein also got into the act, going 3-for-3 and scoring the game’s first run.

In the nightcap, Hartford hurler Zach Jemiola went the distance, allowing just four hits, one run and striking out four. Leading 2-0, Portland threatened in the top of the seventh inning.

Aneury Taverez’s RBI single with two outs scored Cole Sturgeon, who had led off the inning with a double to cut the Yard Goats lead to one. But Jemiola got Tim Roberson to fly out to Dahl in left field, who made a shoe-top catch on a low line drive to end the game.

Tapia hit his first home run of the year with the Yard Goats in the first inning. Hartford extended its lead to 2-0 in the fourth when Dillon Thomas drove in Valaika with a two-out single.

York 3, New Britain 1
NEW BRITAIN, April 23 – The New Britain Bees couldn’t take advantage of their opportunities in a 3-1 loss to the York Revolution in Atlantic League action at New Britain Stadium Saturday night.

New Britain (1-2) had five hits along with six walks and three men reaching base on errors. The Bees’ lone run came in the fourth inning when Jon Jones drove in Brandon Chaves with a sacrifice fly.

After giving a two-run home run off the left field scoreboard to York’s Telvin Nash, Bees starter Cole Johnson settled down and scattered six hits and fanned two.

New Britain did have two runners in scoring position with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning but York closer Mike DeMark struck out New Britain third baseman Jovan Rosa to secure the win.

DIAMOND DUST: New Britain catcher ames Skelton reached base in each of his four plate appearances (two singles, two walks)…LHP Jarret Leverett (two innings) and RHP Tim Boyce (one inning) each made scoreless appearances out of the bullpen in their Bees debuts…Skelton threw out his second baserunner of the season in the 4th inning. … The announced attendance for fireworks night was 3,308.