Yard Goats win puts Hartford back into first place

Hartford’s Warming Bernabel had the game-winning in Saturday’s game at Dunkin Park.

Hartford’s Warming Bernabel had a RBI single in the eighth inning to help the Hartford Yard Goats beat the Akron Rubber Ducks in an Eastern League game Saturday at Dunkin Park.

Bernabel went 3-for-4 with his team-leading 36th RBI to help Hartford (33-28) move into first place in the Eastern League’s Eastern Division with a one-game lead over Portland with seven games left in the first half of the season.

The winner of the first half secures a spot in the Eastern League playoffs in September.

Bernabel cracked a single off RubberDucks pitcher Jack Leftwich to bring home Ryan Ritter for the go-ahead run. Yard Goats starter Mason Albright pitched 6.2 innings giving up one run on five hits with seven strikeouts. Seth Halvorsen closed the game on the mound for the Yard Goats walking two and not allowing a hit in two innings pitched.

Akron scored first in the fourth inning when Joe Lampe hit an RBI single to left center off Yard Goats left-handed pitcher Mason Albright bringing home Kahlil Watson to make it 1-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Yard Goats came alive off back-to-back singles from Yanquiel Fernandez and Warming Bernabel before Zack Kokoska was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Kyle Datres was then walked to bring Fernandez home from third making the score 1-1.