The Hartford Yard Goats will host the Washington Nationals’ Double-A affiliate Harrisburg Senators at Dunkin’ Donuts Park for a six-game series set to begin Tuesday.
After coming up one game short of a first-half Eastern League Northeast Division title and an automatic playoff berth, Hartford’s 6-6 second-half record is identical to the way it started April. After winning four of six games against the Senators in late April, the Yard Goats went on to win six of their next eight series and finished with the best first-half record (43-26) in franchise history.
Hartford split series with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to start the second half of the season.
Second baseman Hunter Stovall has paced the Yard Goats offense with a scorching start to his second half as he leads the Eastern League with a .435 batting average. Harrisburg third baseman Jake Alu is in fifth with a .372 hitting clip since the season’s midpoint.
Brenton Doyle’s four second-half home runs as Hartford’s center fielder land him in second in the league just ahead of Stovall, left fielder Daniel Montano and Harrisburg’s Wilson Garcia who have three each.
Here’s what you need to know heading into the series against the Senators:
Probable starters, promotions
Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.: Yard Goats RHP Tony Locey vs. Harrisburg TBA
Promotion: Yard Goats red, white and blue baseball caps will be given out to the first 2,000 fans in the gate.
Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.: Yard Goats RHP Michael Baird vs. Harrisburg RHP Josh Irvin
Promotion: Princess and Pirates Night. Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite costumes.
Thursday, 7:05 p.m.: Yard Goats LHP Nick Bush vs. Harrisburg TBA
Promotion: Pride bracelets will be handed out to the first 1,000 fans to celebrate Pride Night.
Friday, 7:05 p.m.: Yard Goats RHP Noah Davis vs. Harrisburg RHP Ronald Herrera
Promotion: Hartford Whalers alumni weekend.
Saturday, 6:05 p.m.: Yard Goats RHP Mitch Kilkenny vs. Harrisburg RHP Franklyn Kilome
Promotion: Hartford Whalers alumni weekend continues with postgame fireworks.
Sunday, 1:05 p.m.: Locey vs. Harrisburg TBA
Promotion: Kids run the bases to celebrate Whalers alumni weekend.
How to watch/listen
Radio — FM 100.9 or AM 1410 WPOP; Video Stream — MiLB.tv; Internet — newsradio1410.iheart.com (iHeartRadio app)
For tickets and information visit yardgoatsbaseball.com or call 860-246-4628.
Tovar named to MLB Futures Game
Ezequiel Tovar, the Rockies’ No. 2 overall prospect, was named to the Major League Futures Game roster and will playing at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday at 7 p.m. Tovar, the Eastern League leader in batting average for the entirety of the season, is nursing a groin injury and hasn’t played since June 29. The Yard Goats’ shortstop has been granted extra rest after hitting .318 with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs in 2022. The Futures Game will be broadcast live on Peacock and SiriusXM.
Rockies roster movement
Three Rockies prospects were promoted to Hartford before the New Hampshire series: first baseman Grant Lavigne, right-handed pitcher Tony Locey and infielder Christopher Navarro. All three were playing with Class A Spokane before being called up. Lavigne, a Bedford, New Hampshire, native, was the Rockies’ 2018 first-round pick out of high school. Lavigne recorded five hits in 18 at-bats through five games against the Fisher Cats. Locey started for Hartford on July 6 and allowed five earned runs on six hits through 5 2/3 innings — he is scheduled to start the bookends of the Harrisburg series Tuesday and Sunday. Navarro, a shortstop, hit .155 in 97 at-bats for Spokane.
Pitcher Karl Kauffman and outfielder Jimmy Herron were promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque on July 6.
About the Senators
After finishing the first half with a record of 30-39, Harrisburg has started 4-8 in the second half to maintain its fifth-place position in the Eastern League Southwest Division. The Senators make the 242-mile trip to Hartford for the first and only time of the regular season coming off of two straight wins against the second-place Erie Seawolves. Alu and Garcia have been Harrisburg’s pair of shining stars offensively, while Steven Fuentes and Ronald Herrera (scheduled to pitch Friday) have carried most of the pitching load. Fuentes, with a 4.19 earned run average in 68 2/3 innings this year, last pitched July 6, but the Senators have not fully released their starters for the Hartford series.