Pinstriped Performances: FCL Yanks Advance In Playoffs

The Yankees will play for the Florida Complex League championship against the Rays after stomping the Red Sox in the sudden-death semifinal. Meanwhile, to call Matt Sauer’s outing for the Patriots a gem would be an understatement.

Mitch Spence. Photo by Matt Kardos

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (64-55): Down to their final out in the ninth, the RailRiders rallied for a huge 8-7 win over Omaha and kept pace with Durham at the top of the division.

• Star of the Game: Ronald Guzman – 3-for-5, 2 home runs (11), 3 RBI, 3 runs scored. Guzman went deep in the first, and then following a pitching change in the ninth, he hit the first pitch he saw to right center field to reverse a 7-6 deficit into an 8-7 lead
• Ben Rortvedt: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 2 strikeouts
• Phillip Evans: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout
• Tyler Wade: 2-for-3, 1 home run (3), 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
• Mitch Spence: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 1 K, 86 pitches (53 strikes)
• Emmanuel Ramirez: 2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 40 pitches (25 strikes). Ramirez blew a save opportunity
• Richard Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 24 pitches (16 strikes). Rodriguez threw a clean eighth and ninth for his first win with Scranton

Matt Sauer. Photo by Matt Kardos

Somerset Patriots (71-45): Despite the start of a lifetime from Matt Sauer, the Patriots blew a one-run lead in the ninth and went on to lose 4-3 to the Fisher Cats in 10 innings.

• Star of the Game: Matt Sauer – 8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 17 K, 95 pitches (75 strikes). Not a single professional pitcher this year, in the majors or minors, has struck out as many hitters as Sauer did. He fanned the side in the second and third innings, didn’t walk a batter, and remarkably spun this masterpiece with fewer than 100 pitches thrown
• Everson Pereira: 2-for-4, 1 home run (4), 2 RBI, 1 run scored. Pereira gave the Patriots a 2-0 lead in the third inning with a two-run shot
• Max Burt: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout, 1 stolen base
• Carson Coleman: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 18 pitches (11 strikes). Coleman blew a save for the second time this year
• Steven Jennings: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 27 pitches (18 strikes). Jennings took the loss

Blas Castano. Photo by Kylie Richelle

Hudson Valley Renegades (63-53): The ‘Gades took control in the middle innings to record their second straight win, 6-3 over Hickory.

• Star of the Game: Aaron Palensky – 2-for-3, 1 home run (9), 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 strikeout. Palensky is 5 for his last 13 with two home runs
• Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
• Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, 1 home run (11), 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Narvaez has homered in two of his last three games
• Aldenis Sanchez: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 2 strikeouts
• Blas Castano: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 79 pitches (54 strikes). Another win brought Castano’s record to 5-7, and he’s now gone at least five innings and given up three runs or fewer in three of his last four starts
• Charlie Ruegger: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K, 31 pitches (17 strikes)
• Trevor Holloway: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 31 pitches (21 strikes). Holloway was making his first appearance of the year at High-A

OF Spencer Jones (John Brophy/Pinstriped Prospects)

Tampa Tarpons (56-59): The Tarpons got contributions from both sides of the ball in a complete 5-1 win over the Threshers that was called after seven innings.

• Star of the Game: Joel Valdez – 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 76 pitches (52 strikes). Valdez, the return in the Nick Nelson/Donny Sands trade, has hugely impressed in four starts at Low-A; he’s struck out 28 in just 18.1 innings of work
• Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, 1 home run (2), 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout. Jones, whose OPS at Low-A stands at .972, homered to lead off the game
• Tayler Aguilar: 2-for-3, 1 home run (3), 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 stolen base. Aguilar stole his first base in the pros to go with his third home run
• Ben Rice: 1-for-3, 1 home run (7), 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout
• Harold Cortijo: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 4 pitches (4 strikes). Cortijo came in for a quick save, his third of 2022

OF Daury Arias (John Brophy/Pinstriped Prospects)

FCL Yankees: The Yanks ran past the Sox 8-4 to move on to the best-of-three FCL Championship Series, which begins on Friday.

• Star of the Game: Daury Arias – 1-for-4, 1 home run, 3 RBI, 1 run scored, 2 strikeouts. Arias blasted a three-run home run that reversed a 1-0 deficit in the third inning, and the Yanks led the rest of the way
• Jared Serna: 1-for-5, 1 RBI, 2 strikeouts
• Rafael Flores: 3-for-4, 1 triple, 1 double, 3 runs scored, 1 strikeout
• Felix Negueis: 1-for-3, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
• Sean Hermann: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 6 K. Hermann took home a playoff win
• Luis Velasquez: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K
• Montana Semmel: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K