Yard Goats earn spot in Eastern League playoffs

It has not been the strongest second half of the season for the Hartford Yard Goats. But the Goats are going to the Eastern League playoffs, which begin on Tuesday.

Hartford clinched a spot in the best-of-3 Northeast Division championship series in June by winning the first half championship with a record of 39-29, holding onto first place for 23 of the final 24 days of the first half.

The Yard Goats (65-71) will be taking on the Reading Phillies in game one on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. in Pennsylvania. Game two will be in Hartford at Dunkin Park on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 6:35 p.m. and game three, if needed, will be in Hartford on Friday night.

The Phillies (70-67) won the second half championship by 3½ games over Somerset thanks to their 40-28 record. Somerset, the Double A affiliate of the New York Yankees, had the best record of the season in the Northeast Division (74-64) but finished 2½ games behind Hartford in the first half.

Hartford went 27-42 in the second half of the season.

Northeast Division series
Best of 3
Tuesday, Sept. 15
Hartford at Reading, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 17
Reading at Hartford, 6:35 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 18
Reading at Hartford, if necessary