Yard Goats clinch second EL playoff berth in three years

The Hartford Yard Goats, shown celebrating at a game in May, clinched the first half title in the Eastern League’s Northeast Division on Friday night. (Photo courtesy Hartford Yard Goats)

A strong finish to the first half of the Eastern League season has landed the Hartford Yard Goats in the Eastern League playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

Despite losing to Reading on Friday night in Pennsylvania, 4-2, the Yard Goats clinched the first half championship in the EL’s Northeast Division. Somerset’s loss to Portland enabled Hartford (38-28) to secure the first half title. Somerset is 36-31 with two games left in the first half, which ends on Sunday.

Hartford also clinched the first half title of the Northeast Division in 2024. This will be the second Eastern League playoff appearance for the Yard Goats since the franchise moved to Hartford.

Going into Friday night’s game, Hartford had won 11 of their last 14 games and went 5-2 last week in a seven-game homestand against New Hampshire.

Hartford outfielder Conner Capel remained on fire. Capel hit his sixth home run in the last three games with a two-run homer in the seventh inning. Capel has driven in 13 runs in the last three games.

Reading (29-38) took a 4-0 lead with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Hartford got on the board in the seventh on Capel’s two-run home run to cut the lead to two runs, 4-2.

The Yard Goats threatened in the final two innings and had two runners on base when the game ended.