Home runs lift Yard Goats past Portland in series finale, 7-5

Hartford’s Aaron Schunk, left, and Daniel Copes each hit key home runs in Sunday’s Eastern League win over Portland.

HARTFORD, July 31, 2022 – For the second straight game, Aaron Schunk connected on a crucial home run for the Hartford Yard Goats.

On Saturday night, his three-run homer helped lift the Yard Goats to a 7-5 win over the Portland Sea Dogs in the bottom of the tenth inning, snapping a two-game losing streak against the Dogs.

On Sunday afternoon, Schunk hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning and teammate Daniel Cope added a solo homer as the Yard Goats beat the Portland 5-3 at a sold out Dunkin’ Donuts Park. The win pulled Hartford within a half game of first place Portland in the Northeast Division (second half standings).

The Eastern League splits the season into half and the winners of each half meet in September’s playoffs. Somerset beat Hartford by one game to win the first half title.

Portland (47-49, 17-10, 2nd half) jumped in front in the second inning on a two-run homer by Nick Northcut off Hartford’s Noah Gotsis to put the Sea Dogs in front 2-0. The Yard Goats (59-36, 16-10) got on the board in the third on a solo blast by Daniel Montano, cutting Portland’s lead in half, 2-1. It was his ninth home run of the season.

Cope, the Yard Goats catcher, tied the game at 2-2 on a solo homer to the right field seats off Sea Dogs starter Bryan Mata in the bottom of the fifth. Cope’s seventh longball of the season came in front of his family, who made the trip from San Diego, California, to Dunkin’ Donuts Park.

In the sixth, Schunk cracked a solo homer to put the Yard Goats in front 3-2. It was Schunk’s second straight day with a go-ahead home run and it was his 11th of the season.

Hartford pitchers Dugan Darnell and Will Gaddis combined for three scoreless innings for Hartford going to the bottom of the seventh. The Yard Goats added to their lead on Montano’s RBI single, putting them up 4-2.

After Portland, the Double A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, scored a run in the top of the eighth, Cope’s RBI single in the bottom of the frame plated Hartford’s fifth run. Gavin Hollowell shut down the Red Sox affiliate, striking out the final four batters to secure the win for the Yard Goats.

It was the ninth straight sellout crowd at Dunkin’ Donuts Park.

Hartford, the Double A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, head to Reading, Pa., to play a six-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies’ affiliate. The six-game series begins Tuesday with an 11 a.m. contest. The games will be broadcast on WPOP-AM (1410) and FM (101.9) or MILB.com.

The Yard Goats will return to Dunkin’ Donuts Park on Tuesday, August. 16 when they host New Hampshire for a six-game series.