By Tiffany Williams –
The Hartford Yard Goats (27-27, 63-60) continue their 12-game homestand Saturday night, hosting the Portland Sea Dogs (26-28, 60-61) in game five of their six-game set at Dunkin’ Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. with Hartford sending left-hander Konner Eaton to the mound against Portland righty Blake Wehunt.
Hartford is 1.5 games out of a playoff spot with 14 games remaining, looking for its seventh win in the last 11 contests. The Yard Goats dropped three of the first four games in this series after taking five of six on the road in Somerset. Tonight marks the 23rd of 24 matchups this season between Hartford and Portland. The Yard Goats are 13-9 in the head-to-head, including an eight-game winning streak from June 4 to July 10, and own a 110-82 all-time record against their division rivals.
Eaton, the Rockies’ No. 23 prospect per MLB.com, makes his second Double-A start after an impressive debut last week in Somerset, where he threw five scoreless innings for the win. Before his promotion, Eaton went 5-8 with a 3.56 ERA in 23 starts at High-A Spokane, leading the Northwest League in innings pitched (121.1) and ranking second in strikeouts (125).
Wehunt, making his 14th start for Portland, enters with a 2-7 record and 4.53 ERA. The right-hander struggled in his last outing on August 24 against Binghamton, allowing four runs in just 1.1 innings on six hits and five walks.
The Sea Dogs have made their offensive mark early in Hartford this week, scoring 14 runs in the first two innings of games throughout the series. On Friday, Portland put up six runs in the first inning en route to a 6-2 win. Brooks Brannon extended his hitting streak to eight games, with three multi-hit efforts, three home runs, and 10 RBIs during that span.
Hartford’s offense was limited Friday, managing only a pair of solo home runs from Benny Montgomery and Jose Cordova. The Yard Goats are looking to reignite their bats to stay alive in the playoff chase and secure their first winning homestand since June.