Carter Aldrete hits three homers: Richmond blasts Yard Goats, 17-10

A three-homer game from Carter Aldrete lifted the Richmond Flying Squirrels to a lopsided 17-10 win over the Hartford Yard Goats on Thursday night at Dunkin’ Park.

The Flying Squirrels (63-60, 30-24), the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, launched a franchise-record eight home runs in the victory, tying the most home runs in a game in Minor League Baseball this season.

The eight round-trippers broke the previous record of seven home runs set on May 29, 2022, against the Yard Goats, the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, at The Diamond.

Ismael Munguia led off the ballgame with a solo home run to right field to push the Flying Squirrels ahead, 1-0. It was his fourth homer of the season and his first since May 17.

In the bottom of the second inning, Logan Wyatt punched a solo home run down the right field for his fourth homer of the road trip. After Hartford starter Carson Palmquist (Loss, 0-1) allowed a double and two walks, Will Wilson hammered a grand slam to up the Richmond advantage to 6-0.

Aldrete launched a two-run homer in the third inning to move Richmond to an 8-0 advantage.

In the top of the fourth inning, Victor Bericoto drove in two runs on a single and Aldrete rocketed a two-run homer to left field, extending the lead to 12-0.

Sean Roby pushed the score to 14-0 in the fifth on a two-run homer.

Leading off the sixth and on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Aldrete blasted his third home run of the night, a solo shot to left. Munguia followed later in the inning with an RBI single to pad the lead to 16 runs.

Aldrete is the second player in Flying Squirrels franchise history with a three-homer game, tying Thomas Neal’s three-homer performance on June 26, 2010, against the Erie SeaWolves.

Richmond starter Carson Seymour (Win, 4-3) held the Yard Goats hitless through five innings and allowed just one baserunner. In the bottom of the sixth, Colin Simpson broke the no-hitter with a double and later scored on a groundout. An RBI single and a Richmond throwing error score two more Yard Goats (52-68, 23-30) and moved the score to 16-3.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Bericoto crushed a solo home run to left-center to pad the Richmond lead to 17-3. It marked the seventh straight the Flying Squirrels homered.

Hartford struck back with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the deficit to 17-9. The Yard Goats brought 10 batters to the plate and notched five hits in the frame.

Grant Lavigne launched a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to close the score to 17-10. Evan Gates responded with a strikeout and a popout to secure the Richmon victory.