TROY – Playing on his 27th birthday in front of his parents and sister, ValleyCats rightfielder Jakob Goldfarb hit two homers and drove in five runs in a 14-6 rout of the Ottawa Titans before 3,675 fans on Friday night at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.
Goldfarb’s parents, Scott and Carolyn, flew in from Scottsdale, Ariz. and younger sister, Hanna, came in from Austin, Texas.
“It’s always nice to play well on a special day,” Goldfarb said. “My family traveled across the country and they’re here, so that was pretty fun, too. It’s always good to play when you’ve got loved ones in the stands.”
He enjoyed birthday cake when his family ate at Alexis Diner in North Greenbush earlier in the day. They visited the Capitol and the Empire State Plaza. Then Goldfarb feasted on Ottawa pitching.
Goldfarb ripped two-run blasts to right field in the second and sixth innings to double his season output to four homers.
“I think they were both on hanging changeups,” Goldfarb, who is batting .237, said. “Just trying to really see the ball and hit the ball. I made a couple of adjustments and my swing worked free and easy now. So I feel like I’m back on track.”
He also made a nice running catch in the corner in right with the bases loaded to end the second inning.
Goldfarb, a catcher and outfielder from the University of Oregon, played in right for the first time this season.
“I’ve played (right) a ton in the past,” he said. “I grew up playing right field and center field.”
The ValleyCats (21-16) hit six homers in all, including a pair of solo shots from Cito Culver and one each from Carson McCusker (a 450-foot blast to left-center) and Zach Biermann.
Tri-City won its sixth straight home game.
ValleyCats starter Elijah Gill (4-2) fell behind 2-0 in the first. He escaped a second-inning jam with…
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