Colton Welker (24) hit a pair of home runs Saturday to lift the Yard Goats to a big win over New Hampshire.
MANCHESTER, N.H., April 20 – The Hartford Yard Goats were very comfortable at the plate in Saturday’s Eastern League game with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
The Yard Goats hit four home runs and scored 12 runs on 15 hits to close out their series with the Fisher Cats with a 12-4 victory at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.
Colton Welker led the charge for the Yard Goats with two home runs, a double and four RBI as Hartford took two of three games in the series from New Hampshire. Hartford (8-9) has won six of their last eight games after beginning the season with a 2-7 record.
On the mound, Jack Wynkoop (1-3) earned his first win of the season by working five innings, scattering seven hits and striking out three.
Hartford took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Outfielder Willie Abreu’s RBI double off New Hampshire starting pitcher Patrick Murphy drove in Mylz Jones for the first run. Ryan Metzler (2-for-5, 2 RBI) drove in Abreu for the 2-0 lead.
Abreu, who was 3-for-5 with one RBI and is hitting .224, and Jones (.250) were both called up to Albuquerque, the Triple A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, on Saturday night.
Hartford added to its lead in the third inning, while batting around and sending Murphy to the showers. Bret Boswell started the rally with an opposite field home run to left field. Welker followed with homer to left centerfield, making it 4-0, as the Yard Goats clubbed consecutive home runs for the second time this season.
Hartford’s Tyler Nevin and Vince Fernandez helped set up the next two runs with singles. Then, Jones’ grounder scored Nevin to make it 5-0, and Brian Servin’s fielder’s choice ground ball brought home Fernandez to give Hartford a 6-0 lead.
After the Fisher Cats scored a run in the third inning on Vinny Capra’s RBI single, the Yard Goats scored in the top of the fifth, when Abreu led off the inning with a triple and scored on a hit by Metzler to make it a 7-1 game. New Hampshire made it 7-2 with a run in the fifth, but Hartford catcher Brian Serven picked off Alberto Mineo to end the bases loaded threat.
The Yard Goats cranked two more home runs in the sixth inning off reliever Jackson McClelland.
Serven led off the inning by homering to left, his second of the season, and Welker connected on his second of the game, when he sent one into the left field seats giving Hartford an 8-2 lead.
Hartford is off for Easter Sunday and resumes their two-city six-game road trip on Monday night against the Sea Dogs, the Red Sox’ Double A affiliate, at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine. The Yard Goats return home on Thursday to begin a series with the Harrisburg Senators.
Hartford (8-9) 024 012 030 — 12-15-2
New Hampshire (7-9) 001 011 100 — 4-14-1
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