Hartford is 9-1 against Port Washington since May of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Wednesday. The Orioles will venture away from home to challenge the Pirates at 4:45 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Hartford has three straight wins, Port Washington has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Hartford had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the seven-run drubbing they dealt Homestead on Tuesday. The Orioles put the hurt on the Highlanders with a sharp 7-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Orioles, who have now won three games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Jack Perkowski
The result came thanks to Jack Perkowski's shutout, as he gave up just two hits and racked up 11 Ks. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Hartford is undefeated when he allows at most three earned runs, but 2-4 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Ethan Birkel was incredible, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 3-for-4. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high. Logan Laufenberg also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Hartford hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Homestead struck out 11 times.
Meanwhile, Port Washington fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against West Bend West on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Spartans by a score of 3-2. That's two games in a row now that the Pirates have lost by just one run.
Port Washington saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Isaac Morgan, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Hartford now has a winning record of 5-4. As for Port Washington, their loss dropped their record down to 4-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hartford has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Port Washington struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Hartford's way against Port Washington when the teams last played back in May of 2024, as Hartford made off with a 7-1 win. Do the Orioles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pirates turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
