Despite shutout loss, Yard Goats move a bit closer to playoff berth

In a battle of two teams vying for spot in the league playoffs, the Harrisburg Senators limited to the Hartford Yard Goats to just five hits in a 3-0 Eastern League victory Friday night at FNB Field in Harrisburg, Pa.

The Senators (36-29) had just six hits but two were home runs. Jordy Barley hit a solo home run in the third inning and C.J. Stubbs added a two-run homer in the fifth as Harrisburg snapped a two-game losing streak.

Harrisburg needs to win one of their two games with Hartford this weekend to first half championship in the Southeast Division or have Erie lose at least one game to secure a spot in September’s Eastern League playoffs. The first half of the EL campaign ends on Sunday.

With Portland dropping a pair of one-run games in a doubleheader with Richmond on Friday at Hadlock Field, the Yard Goats (36-30) also need to win one game to secure the first playoff berth for the team since they moved to Hartford or have Portland (35-32) and Binghampton lose at least one game.

The franchise’s last playoff appearance came in 2009 when the squad was called the New Britain Rock Cats.

Hartford relievers Collin Baumgartner and Brendan Hardy combined to fire 3.1 hitless and scoreless innings with five strikeouts.  Ryan Ritter and Yanquiel Fernandez each had a double for the Yard Goats.

Hartford returns to action on Saturday night in Harrisburg at 6 p.m. with Sunday’s game beginning at 1 p.m. to close out the six-game series with the Senators, the Double A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.