We’ve come to the finale of my series this summer called “Going to [all] of the Hartford Yard Goats games.” All actually equals three, but it’s the most I’ve gone to in a summer so far. Game #1 was just Josh and I, and game #2 was with Josh, my parents, and two family friends. The same cast of characters were around for game #3 this past weekend.

The game started at 6:10 p.m., so Josh and I got to the park around 5:00 p.m. The rest of our crew was already there, so we swung by our seats and grabbed anyone who wanted to go get Bear’s BBQ.

On the way is the Goat Pen, which is my favorite part. I’m planning to steal one of those little ones.

Both of those beers weren’t for Josh 😅 Of course, we got our usual Mac Attacks with pork, so to follow up on my final question from my game #2 post, yes, we were 3–3 in getting Bear’s at the games. How could we not?

The Yard Goats were playing as Los Chivos de Hartford; “chivos” is Spanish for goats. It’s a nod to the state’s Latino population, and the team wears special jerseys and hats for the games they play as the Chivos. They were also honoring Roberto Clemente throughout the game; the giveaway for the night was bright yellow Chivos hats with Clemente’s number, 21, on the side. 

Keeping the tradition alive.

The Chivos were playing the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the double AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Back in 2018, I went to a game against the Fisher Cats and got to see Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio both play, which was super cool. The family friends who were at the game with us are a couple my mom has known forever, and the husband is a Blue Jays fan. So, of course, he was cheering for the Fisher Cats; we kept booing him whenever he’d cheer. 

At least this time around Josh wasn’t clapping for the wrong team. He did feel lost without the little boy who sat behind us at the Portland Sea Dogs game and kept asking his dad questions.

Unfortunately, the Chivos didn’t really have a chance during this game. The Fisher Cats outscored them 10–2, hitting four home runs with 13 total hits. Our Blue Jays fan was very happy with the win, of course.

*We stopped at a craft beer stand and wanted to get the Back East summer ale, but then we were told it was actually Octoberfest. It’s August, folks!!! I’m all for fall stuff, but it’s too early. So we opted for a Hog River New England IPA.

Other things to note:

• My dad didn’t knock over Josh’s beer this time around. Anytime my dad got up from our row, we had to grab our food and beers so they weren’t in the way.
• But then I somehow spilled some of my beer on myself. Thankfully there wasn’t much left, but I somehow knocked it over within my own hands and some got on my jeans.
• Josh and I admire the guy with the t-shirt cannon during the t-shirt toss. The guy actually launched a few way over the top of the stands; Josh was saying what the guy could do better, and I was like, “You want to go tell him?”
• Sitting a section over from us was a girl I used to be best friends with in elementary school and some of her family. I pointed her out to my mom, who then went over to talk with her dad. (If you know my mom, this isn’t out of character for her.) I hadn’t seen her since high school, so it was like, what are the chances?

So, no more Yard Goats games this year, but we’ll definitely go back next year. Maybe we’ll stop spilling our beers?