Yard Goats snap losing streak at home with win over Thunder, 3-1

The Yard Goats snapped a seven-game losing streak at Dunkin’ Donuts Park with a 3-1 win over Trenton on Saturday night.

HARTFORD, August 3 – Outfielder Manny Melendez homered and knocked in two runs to help the Hartford Yard Goats to a 3-1 Eastern League victory over the Trenton Thunder Saturday night, before a capacity crowd of 6,850 at Dunkin’ Donuts Park.

The victory, which snapped a seven-game home losing streak for the Goats, made a winning pitcher of Jack Wynkoop.  Relievers Alexander Guillen and Scott Griggs closed it out for Hartford by retiring the last seven Trenton batters.

Hartford (55-54, 18-24 2nd half) was held to just three hits. But they made them count. Hartford took a 1-0 lead in the third inning.  After Scott Burcham walked, Carlos Hererra doubled and Melendez launched a sacrifice fly to center.

In the sixth inning Melendez tagged Trenton starter Rony Garcia, with a solo home run into the upper deck in right, his fifth of the season, for a 2-0 lead.

Trenton (59-52, 21-24) made it interesting in the seventh, after Wynkoop uncharacteristically walked the bases loaded.  The southpaw had walked only three batters in his prior 45 innings.

After surrendering an RBI-single to Rashad Crawford to cut the lead to one run, Wynkoop was lifted for Guillen, who got Brian Navarreto to fly out and get out of the jam.

Guillen and Griggs then closed it out, with Griggs recording his ninth save.

Burcham provided the Yard Goats with some breathing room, homering down the left-field line,  his third of the year.

Wynkoop, who improved to 7-13, pitched 6 2/3 innings.  He allowed one run on six hits, with three walks and two strike outs.  Garcia, who fell to 2-11 and 0-4 vs. Hartford, allowed two runs on two hits in six innings.  He walked two and struck out five. Crawford had two hits and an RBI and Isiah Gilliam two hits to lead Trenton.

The Yard Goats clinched the season series against the Yankees’ affiliate, having won eight of 13 games with one to go Sunday afternoon.

The attendance marked the 36th sellout of the season at Dunkin’ Donuts Park and the 14th straight sellout crowd.  It was also the 19th capacity crowd in 2019.  The Yard Goats are averaging 6,043 per game, playing to 99.6 percent of the ballpark’s capacity.

The three-game series and home stand wrap up on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. on Jewish Heritage Night.