A Manny Melendez RBI single in the 7th inning gave the Hartford Yard Goats a 3-2 win over the Bowie Baysox in front of 1,134 at Prince George’s Stadium Monday night.
Hartford (3-3) opened the scoring two pitches into the game. Melendez led off with a solo home run to right-center field for his fourth long ball of the season and gave the visitors a quick 1-0 lead. A wild pitch in the third inning allowed the Goats to tack on a second run and take a 2-0 advantage.
The Baysox answered in the fourth inning, hitting a team cycle to tie the game at 2-2. Carlos Perez led off the inning with a laser beam to left field for his third home run of the season. After a double play erased a Rylan Bannon single, T.J. Nichting kept the inning alive with a triple and then scored on a Willy Yahn ground-rule double past the leap of left fielder Vance Vizcaino.
Yahn has recorded at least one hit in each of the five Double-A contests he’s played in since his promotion from Class-A Advanced Frederick on June 19.
Despite taking the loss, Marcos Molina tossed a quality start to keep the hosts in the game. In his eighth such start, the righty allowed three runs in six innings and scattered nine hits.
Bowie (4-2) and Hartford continue their three-game weekday series Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. Being the 25th and halfway to the holiday season, the Baysox will celebrate Christmas in June, complete with snow from the Maryland Black Bears and Santa Claus himself.
Tuesday night also features $1 Hot Dogs in the concession stands when 2019 Eastern League All-Star Zac Lowther (7-4, 1.95) takes the mound against new Hartford LHP Matt Whitehouse (Team Debut).
