With Dunkin’ Donuts Park still under construction, the Hartford Yard Goats (Class AA; Eastern League) will play home games on the road through at least June 16. The Eastern League has announced that the Yard Goats will play two more series at Norwich’s Dodd Stadium, with a third home slate to played at Reading’s FirstEnergy Stadium.
It comes as little surprise that the Yard Goats will extend their stay in Norwich. Once it was confirmed earlier this week that Dunkin’ Donuts Park will not be ready for its previously-scheduled May 31 opener, it made sense that the Yard Goats would continue to play games at Dodd Stadium, the home of the Connecticut Tigers (Short Season A; NY-Penn League).
Starting with a doubleheader on June 1, the Yard Goats will play three home games in two days against the Trenton Thunder. Their stay at Dodd Stadium will continue on June 3, which marks the beginning of a four-game series against the Portland Sea Dogs. One of the products of this change is that June 4 will now be an off day for both teams, resulting in a doubleheader on June 5.
For their June 14-16 home series, the Yard Goats will face the Reading Fightin Phils in Reading. The end of that series falls just six days before the C-Tigers’ opener, while the Yard Goats will leave on June 17 for a previously-schedule road series against the Altoona Curve.
Following their appearance in Reading, the Yard Goats are not scheduled to have another home game until June 21, when they face the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The Eastern League has not made any announcements about that series, nor has it set an official opening date for Dunkin’ Donuts Park. As of yesterday, officials in Hartford indicated that Dunkin’ Donuts Park is at least another month away from opening.