GCL Yankees Sweep Day’s Games

August 20 was a happy day in GCL Yankees land. Both teams won and maintained their first-place status as the season winds to a close.

The GCL Yankees 2 eked out another one-run victory by beating the Blue Jays 2-1. , despite getting only singles from center fielder Jose Augusto Figueroa, second baseman Jake Anderson, third baseman Allen Valerio, and catcher Kevin Alexander. The Yankees 2 did all of their scoring in the bottom of the eighth, as left fielder Griffin Gordon drew a bases-loaded walk to score Jake Anderson with two outs and Alexander followed with an infield hit to score first baseman RJ Johnson with the eventual winning run.

The only earned run allowed by the Yankees 2 pitchers came in the top of the ninth against winner David Rodriguez, who pitched well for three innings backing up the shutout performances of rehabbing Cale Coshow and Preston Claiborne as well as Jonathan Padilla. Padilla, 21, has strung together three nice outings, throwing 10 innings and allowing only one run with a 10 to 1 K/BB ratio.

The news was all good for the GCL Yankees 1. They scored six runs, only allowed one, and played error-free baseball, which isn’t an easy thing to do in the GCL.

Starter Derek Callahan and his alliterative relievers, Matt Marsh, Christopher Cabrera, and Dayton Dawe, combined to strike out nine GCL Astros and give up only six hits. Cabrera got the win after the Yankees scored the go-ahead runs in the eighth.

In a repeat of yesterday’s events, Alexander Palma and Dalton Smith homered for the Yankees 1. Palma added another hit and a walk to go with three RBI. Third baseman Drew Bridges chipped in with two hits and a free pass, and infielder Tyler Palmer had a double, two walks, and two runs scored.

Palma, 18, continued his scorching August, now hitting .391/.409/.578 for the month. This is the type of improvement you like to see in a young player as the season wears on.

Today marked the return of yet another player from injury, as 18-year-old shortstop Thairo Estrada saw his first game action since July 4 with Staten Island. It’s been a tough summer for young shortstops in the Yankee system, as Estrada, Abiatal Avelino, Jorge Mateo, and Angel Aguilar have all missed time with injuries. Now Estrada and Avelino have returned, and hopefully the other two can get some games in before Instructs.