Pinstriped Performances: Can’t Win ‘Em All

The Tampa Tarpons, 16 games over .500 headed into Friday night’s tilt at GMS Field, hadn’t lost back-to-back games since May 12 and 13. A doubleheader sweep was a painful way for that streak to end. Meanwhile, Hudson Valley split their twin bill and Somerset dialed up another well-rounded win.

Albert Abreu (Photo by Matt Bufano)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (27-11): The RailRiders came back late to win their fourth in a row over the doormat Mets and their sixth in a row overall, 7-5.

• Star of the Game: Albert Abreu – 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 31 pitches (20 strikes). Any number of hitters could’ve earned this honor, but it goes to Abreu for his multi-inning save during which he at least temporarily solved his biggest issue: a lack of control
• Greg Allen: 2-for-5, 1 home run (1), 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 2 strikeouts. Allen chose a perfect moment for his first Scranton home run: down by one run, two outs, and one man on base in the bottom of the seventh
• Trey Amburgey: 2-for-4, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout
• Derek Dietrich: 1-for-2, 1 home run (4), 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout
• Rob Brantly: 2-for-4, 1 home run (4), 3 RBI, 1 run scored. The veteran Brantly is on a tear lately – he’s 6 for his last 17 with two homers over that stretch
• Nick Nelson: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 66 pitches (40 strikes). Friday was Nelson’s longest outing of the season at any level
• Adam Warren: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 38 pitches (23 strikes). Warren relieved Nelson in the fifth and gave up a fielder’s choice, two walks, and a grand slam
• Braden Bristo: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 11 pitches (7 strikes). Despite serving up a bomb to veteran major leaguer Jeff McNeil, Bristo emerged with the win

JP Sears pitching for the Somerset Patriots on May 7, 2021. (Chris Jones)

Somerset Patriots (26-13): Somerset has won five in a row and six of seven since dropping four straight last week. Two home runs and lockdown pitching from partners-in-crime Janson Junk and JP Sears did the job in an 8-1 win over Richmond.

• Star of the Game: Luke Voit – 3-for-4, 1 home run (1), 3 RBI, 3 runs scored. This was certainly Voit’s best game of either rehab stint this season. It shouldn’t be long before he rejoins the Yankees lineup
• Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout
• Oswaldo Cabrera: 3-for-4, 1 double, 3 RBI. Cabrera drove in three runs during the game’s first two innings with a single and a double
• Thomas Milone: 2-for-4, 1 home run (4), 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 strikeout. After a month with Scranton, Milone was re-assigned back to Somerset and picked up right where he left off
• Janson Junk: 6 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 75 pitches (48 strikes). Junk has a miniscule 1.03 ERA in 35 innings this season
• JP Sears: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K, 47 pitches (30 strikes). Sears picked up a multi-inning save and lowered his own ERA to 1.98

Yankees infield prospect Ezequiel Duran at the plate for the Staten Island Yankees (Robert M. Pimpsner/Pinstriped Prospects)

Hudson Valley Renegades (23-16): The streaking ‘Gades split a doubleheader with Jersey Shore, losing the first game 6-2 and capturing the nightcap 2-0.

Game 1

• Star of the Game: Josh Smith – 1-for-3, 1 home run (2), 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout. Smith smacked his second leadoff home run in a Hudson Valley uniform – but the Renegades were already down 4-1 at that point
• Ezequiel Duran: 1-for-3, 1 run scored
• James Nelson: 1-for-3, 1 RBI
• Josh Maciejewski: 3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 69 pitches (44 strikes)
• Elvis Peguero: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 38 pitches (26 strikes)
• Charlie Ruegger: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 7 pitches (5 strikes)

Game 2

• Star of the Game: Matt Minnick – 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 55 pitches (34 strikes). Minnick earned the win in a dazzling relief outing
• Josh Smith: 2-for-3, 1 triple, 1 double, 1 strikeout. On the day, Smith only missed the cycle by a single
• Ezequiel Duran: 2-for-2, 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 walk. During this doubleheader, Smith and Duran combined to drive in three of the Renegades’ four total runs. They went a combined 6-for-11 while the rest of their team managed six hits total
• Jefry Valdez: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 55 pitches (33 strikes)
• Justin Wilson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 9 pitches (6 strikes). Wilson grabbed an uneventful save

Randy Vasquez (Photo by John Brophy/Pinstriped Prospects)

Tampa Tarpons (27-13): Hopefully just a quick bump in the road for the most successful of all Yankees affiliates, who dropped both halves of their doubleheader to Bradenton 3-1 and 8-2.

Game 1

• Star of the Game: Randy Vasquez – 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 7 K, 79 pitches (55 strikes). Vasquez was wildly impressive and received no run support. He has put together a great season at just 22 years of age, striking out 34 over 30.1 innings
• Juan De Leon: 1-for-2, 1 home run (4), 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. De Leon’s fifth-inning solo home was the extent of the Tarpons’ offense in this one
• Anthony Volpe: 1-for-3, 1 double, 1 walk
• Austin Wells: 0-for-3, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
• Trevor Hauver: 0-for-4, 3 strikeouts
• Nelvin Correa: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 32 pitches (17 strikes)

Game 2

• Star of the Game: Jesus Bastidas – 2-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 walk. Slim pickings for stars in this game. Bastidas was the only Tarpon with more than one hit. That’ll have to suffice
• Anthony Volpe: 1-for-1, 1 double
• Trevor Hauver: 0-for-2, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts. Hauver was never going to sustain his blistering early May pace, but the drop-off has been swift
• Austin Wells: 1-for-3, 1 double, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
• Ryan Anderson: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 34 pitches (13 strikes)
• Edgar Barclay: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 75 pitches (51 strikes)
• Wellington Diaz: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 39 pitches (20 strikes)
• Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 19 pitches (12 strikes)