Goats seek to make up ground against Reading Fightin Phils this week

The Hartford Yard Goats split a series at Harrisburg last week, and come home to face the Reading Fightin Phils at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in a six-game series starting Tuesday.

Reading (41-61) and Hartford (34-66) reside at the bottom of the Double-a Northeast’s Northeast Division standings as the season moves into its final month. Down the stretch, this season will be about evaluating the prospects on the various teams.

In the Yard Goats’ case, Matt Dennis, the Double-a Northeast Pitcher of the Week, is on the rise, along with infielder Coco Montes, who belted two home runs in the 8-2 win at Harrisburg on Sunday.

Reading, the longtime Double-a home of the nearby Phillies, won five of six against Portland last week, as Bryson Stott hit. .481 during the long series.

Here’s a breakdown of this week at The Dunk:

How to watch/listen

Radio — FM 100.9 or AM 1410 WPOP; Video Stream — Milb.tv; Internet — newsradio1410.iheart.com (iheartradio app)

Pitching in

Dennis, 26, in his second season in Hartford, retired 20 in a row during his victory at Harrisburg last Wednesday and will have the ball on Tuesday. Dennis (4-8, 6.75), who pitched at Bradley University, is pitching perhaps his best ball of the season, allowing only one hit in seven innings in his last start. He’s had scoreless outings in three of four starts since July 31.

Coco’s carrying

Montes has been at or near the top of the league in doubles all season, but manager Chris Denorfia has been predicting those doubles would eventually turn into homers. With his pair of homers Sunday, Montes has 13 homers to go with his 33 doubles and 53 RBIS for the Yard Goats this season.

Toglia paying off

Michael Toglia, the Rockies’ first-round pick in 2019, joined the Yard Goats on Aug. 3 and is adjusting to Double-a, hitting .210 through 23 games. He hit his second homer on Saturday at Harrisburg. The Rockies drafted Toglia in the 38th round in 2016, but he went to play at UCLA. Then Colorado drafted him again. He had 17 homers and 66 RBIS at Spokane earlier this season.

What to know about Reading

The Phils have a potent double-play combo in Stott (.310, 10 homers, 35 RBIS) at shortstop and Daniel Brito (.296, 6, 22) at second base. First baseman Luke Miller has 13 homers and 39 RBIS. Wallingford’s Sal Gozzo, with Reading earlier this season, has been called up to Triple-a.

Historic franchise

Reading became the Phillies’ Double-a affiliate in 1967. Reading and Lakeland (Tigers) are tied for the longest-standing affiliations in baseball. At one time, Joe Buzas, owner of the New Britain Red Sox, bought the Reading franchise for $1 in 1976 and sold it 10 years later for $1 million. In 2008, the parent club bought the Reading franchise outright and changed its name to the Fightin Phils, though many still refer to it as the Reading Phillies.