Yard Goats pitcher Connor Van Scoyoc pitched five scoreless innings to help Hartford beat Akron on Sunday, 1-0.
The pressure of a pennant race is growing in June for the Yard Goats.
Six Hartford’s pitchers combined to scatter five hits, walk four and strike out eight in a 1-0 win over the Akron Rubber Ducks before a sellout crowd of 7,263 at Dunkin Park Sunday.
The win left the Yard Goats a half-game ahead of Portland in the race for the first half Eastern Division title. The winner of the first half title clinches a spot in September’s Eastern League playoffs.
Hartford (34-28) closes out the first half with a six-game series beginning Tuesday at Harrisburg while Portland (34-29) closes out the first half with a six-game series at Hadlock Field against Richmond. The Yard Goats took four of six games against Akron this past week.
The Yard Goats franchise hasn’t played in an Eastern League playoff game since they were the New Britain Rock Cats in 2009. The Goats have been playing in Hartford since 2016.
Pitcher Connor Van Scoyoc (4-5), the 6-foot-6 righthander, started on the mound for the Yard Goats on Sunday, tossing five scoreless innings, giving up four hits with one walk and three strikeouts. The Yard Goats bullpen pitched four innings, allowing only one hit and three walks to 15 batters faced to close out the game.
Hartford relievers Bryce McGowan, Alec Barger and Evan Shawver worked the sixth through eighth innings.
Hartford’s Bladimir Restituyo knocked in the game’s only run in the bottom of the second inning with a double down the left field line, scoring Yanquiel Fernandez from first base.
Akron starting pitcher Jaime Arias pitched six full innings giving up one run on three hits with four strikeouts retiring 13 consecutive batters and 18 of 21 batters faced.
Hartford relievers Bryce McGowan, Alec Barger and Evan Shawver worked the sixth through eighth innings.
With the RubberDucks pressuring in the top of the eighth inning with two runners in scoring position with two outs, Hartford reliever Jaden Hill entered the game for the Yard Goats striking out Alexfri Planez to end the inning.
Yard Goats closer Juan Mejia retired all three batters faced in the ninth inning to earn his third save in the 1-0 victory.
Hartford is the Double A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies while Portland is Boston’s Double A affiliate. Harrisburg is a Washington Nationals affiliate while Richmond is a San Francisco Giants affiliate.
