Pinstriped Performances: Deivi Dazzles In Scranton Home Opener

Deivi Garcia stumbled in his first start but got back on track in his second. Tampa returned to winning ways, Somerset lost a nailbiter in New Hampshire, and Ken Waldichuk put together a historic performance for Hudson Valley.

Nestor Cortes Jr. (Robert M. Pimpsner/Pinstriped Prospects)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (6-1): Deivi Garcia was the story, but a six-run fourth inning helped Scranton blank Lehigh Valley 6-0 in the first game of the year at PNC Field.

• Miguel Andújar: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run scored. Andujar returned to Scranton after a brief and uneventful call-up
• Trey Amburgey: 1-for-2, 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 strikeout. Amburgey’s two-run double was the biggest blow in the only inning of the game that produced any runs. He’s hitting .455
• Chris Gittens: 0-for-3, 1 run scored
• Deivi Garcia: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 82 pitches (49 strikes). Garcia rebounded in the best possible way following a tough 2021 Triple-A debut
• Nestor Cortes Jr.: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 39 pitches (28 strikes). Cortes was dominant in relief of Garcia and has not allowed a run in either of his appearances this season
• Albert Abreu: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 14 pitches (7 strikes)

Thomas Milone. Photo by Matt Kardos

Somerset Patriots (5-2): The Patriots came back from a 5-1 deficit, but lost on a walk-off walk in the bottom of the ninth in a 6-5 decision to the FisherCats.

• Estevan Florial: 0-for-5, 1 strikeout
• Thomas Milone: 2-for-4, 1 home run (2), 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 strikeout. Milone went yard to lead off the fifth and is hitting .389 
• Donny Sands: 1-for-4, 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout
• Shawn Semple: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 70 pitches (42 strikes)
• Reid Anderson: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 37 pitches (22 strikes). Anderson was certainly Somerset’s most effective pitcher of the night
• Greg Weissert: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 48 pitches (34 strikes). Weissert was very good in the seventh and eighth, but ran into trouble in the ninth, loading the bases on a pair of singles and a hit batsman before being replaced with two outs. He eventually too the loss. 
• Michael Gomez: 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 4 pitches (0 strikes). Gomez replaced Weissert and promptly walked home the winning run on four pitches, none of which were close

Ken Waldichuk (Tracy Proffitt/Four Seam Images via AP)

Hudson Valley Renegades (3-4): The Renegades lost their home opener to Aberdeen thanks to a punchless offense, but Ken Waldichuk’s punchouts were the real story.

• Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, 2 strikeouts
• Ezequiel Duran: 0-for-4, 1 strikeout
• Josh Breaux: 0-for-4, 1 strikeout
• Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, 1 walk
• Mickey Gasper: 1-for-2
• Ken Waldichuk: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K, 63 pitches (38 strikes). Waldichuk, a fifth-round pick two seasons ago, accomplished something unthinkable. Working around a leadoff walk and three singles, Waldichuk recorded ten outs – all of them strikeouts. Six came swinging and four looking
• Barrett Loseke: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 51 pitches (25 strikes). Loseke had a tough task relieving the dominant Waldichuk and ended up taking the loss
• Matt Minnick: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 38 pitches (19 strikes)
• Nick Ernst: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 38 pitches (26 strikes)

Yankees catching prospect Carlos Narvaez at the plate for the Staten Island Yankees (Robert M. Pimpsner/Pinstriped Prospects)

Tampa Tarpons (6-1): Two home runs and solid pitching throughout led the Tarpons to top Lakeland 5-1.

• Austin Wells: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Wells drove in the second Tarpons run to give them a lead they’d preserve, and also drove in their final run in the ninth
• Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, 1 home run (1), 2 RBI, 1 strikeout. Narvaez has struggled this year, but he crushed a one-out solo home run in the fifth
• Andres Chaparro: 1-for-3, 1 home run (1), 1 RBI: Chaparro, who’s hitting .370 on the year, hit a solo shot in the sixth inning
• Pat DeMarco: 1-for-4, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout
• Elijah Dunham: 2-for-4, 1 run scored
• Randy Vasquez: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 5 K, 44 pitches (27 strikes). The 22-year-old got the job done last time out, but put together an even stronger effort in start number two of the season. 
• Michael Giacone: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 45 pitches (29 strikes). The 28th-round selection got the win in relief
• Nelvin Correa: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 33 pitches (24 strikes). Correa recorded Tampa’s second multi-inning save in the last three games