Pinstriped Performances: Let’s Play Two

There have to be some tired legs in the Scranton and Somerset clubhouses this evening. The two senior affiliates played a combined 30 innings of baseball on Thursday after the rain messed with their schedules. Meanwhile, their A-ball counterparts both had to sweat through some close conventional nine-inning affairs.

Hoy Jun Park of the Somerset Patriots on May 6, 2021 (Chris Jones)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (15-6): After their suspended game from Wednesday resumed, the RailRiders came back to win 4-2, and then captured the nightcap 3-2 in seven innings to sweep the odd doubleheader from Buffalo.

Game 1

• Star of the Game: Hoy Jun Park – 1-for-4, 1 home run (1), 2 RBI, 1 run scored. Park’s fifth-inning blast, his first of the season, put the RailRiders on top to stay
• Estevan Florial: 1-for-2, 1 strikeout. Florial started the game on Wednesday, then was called up to the big leagues to start the second game of the Yankees’ doubleheader against Toronto. As his Scranton teammates finished the victory over Buffalo, Florial was patrolling center field in the Bronx
• Zack Zehner: 1-for-4, 1 double, 1 run scored, 2 strikeouts
• Andrew Velasquez: 1-for-3, 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout. Velasquez’s two-run double tied the game before Park’s heroics
• Nick Green: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 69 pitches (38 strikes)
• Kyle Barraclough: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 3 pitches (3 strikes)
• Adam Warren: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 45 pitches (28 strikes). Warren got the win for his work on Thursday
• Braden Bristo: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 32 pitches (19 strikes)
• Luis García: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 13 pitches (9 strikes). García bounced back from a disastrous outing to record his sixth save

Game 2

• Star of the Game: Socrates Brito – 1-for-3, 1 home run (3), 3 RBI, 1 run scored. Brito’s first-inning home run supplied the only offense the RailRiders would need
• Thomas Milone: 2-for-3, 2 doubles, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout. Milone’s eight-game hitting streak was snapped in the first game, but he barely skipped a beat and is hitting .361 in Triple-A
• Brian Keller: 4 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 70 pitches (40 strikes)
• Sal Romano: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 25 pitches (20 strikes). Romano got his first win as a RailRider
• Nick Goody: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 12 pitches (9 strikes). Goody picked up his first save of the year

Luis Gil pitching for the Somerset Patriots on May 9, 2021. (Chirs Jones)

Somerset Patriots (15-6): The first leg of Thursday’s doubleheader was an absolutely wild affair that saw Somerset blow a two-run lead in the seventh before coming back twice, in the bottom of the ninth and 10th, to tie the game. New Hampshire put two more on the board in the 11th and the Patriots couldn’t do it again, losing 10-8. The second game was much calmer, as Somerset took home a 2-1 win to split the twin bill.

Game 1

• Star of the Game: Dermis Garcia – 1-for-4, 1 home run (7), 2 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 1 stolen base. Out of nowhere, Garcia has turned in one of the best campaigns of any Yankee prospect. He’s now carrying a 12-game hitting streak and has homered seven times in the last two weeks – and his tenth-inning steal of home tied the game for the second time
• Oswaldo Cabrera: 1-for-6, 1 home run (3), 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout. Cabrera’s home run in the bottom of the ninth brought the Patriots back within striking distance
• Michael Beltre: 1-for-5, 1 home run (2), 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Beltre followed Cabrera with a solo shot that tied the game
• Isiah Gilliam: 1-for-5, 1 triple, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 3 strikeouts
• Matt Pita: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 2 strikeouts, 1 stolen base
• Glenn Otto: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 92 pitches (56 strikes). Otto has 35 strikeouts against just five walks through 21.1 innings in 2021
• Ron Marinaccio: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 40 pitches (25 strikes)
• Greg Weissert: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 28 pitches (18 strikes). Brought in in the top of the seventh with two outs and a chance to close out the short game, Weissert instead gave up a two-run double to knot the score at 4
• Keegan Curtis: 2 IP, 2 H, 4 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 37 pitches (25 strikes)
• Jefry Valdez: 1 IP, 0 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 19 pitches (9 strikes)

Game 2

• Star of the Game: Luis Gil – 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 86 pitches (56 strikes). Gil put together by far his strongest outing of the season and lowered his ERA to 1.69
• Dermis Garcia: 0-for-3, 1 strikeout
• Oliver Dunn: 2-for-3, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run scored
• Aaron Palensky: 1-for-1, 1 RBI, 2 walks. Palensky’s two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the sixth put the Patriots in front. He’s hitting .368 through his first six professional games
• Stephen Ridings: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 14 pitches (8 strikes). Ridings pitched a clean ninth for his first safe, and kept his streak of scoreless appearances going – it’s now reached seven

Frederick Cuevas (Robert M Pimpsner/Pinstriped Prospects)

Hudson Valley Renegades (11-10): The Renegades put seven runs on the board in the bottom of the first and then held on the rest of the way, emerging with an 11-8 win over Jersey Shore.

• Star of the Game: Oswald Peraza – 5-for-6, 3 doubles, 3 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout. Prior to tonight, Peraza had never had a five-hit game in his career. His OPS is up to .945 and his three doubles were the only extra-base hits for HV all night
• Eduardo Torrealba: 2-for-5, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
• Frederick Cuevas: 2-for-5, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, 2 strikeouts
• Kyle MacDonald: 1-for-3, 3 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout. On two occasions, MacDonald drove in an insurance run to build on a one-run lead
• Alex Guerrero: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. The 18th-round pick out of an Idaho high school made his 2021 debut and first appearance above the Gulf Coast League
• Mitch Spence: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 54 pitches (39 strikes)
• Josh Maciejewski: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 44 pitches (30 strikes)
• Nelson L. Alvarez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 12 pitches (8 strikes). Alvarez got the win
• Matt Minnick: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 40 pitches (21 strikes). Minnick had a chance to close the game out but stumbled, loading the bases before being lifted
• Nick Ernst: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 5 pitches (3 strikes). Ernst cleaned up Minnick’s mess and got a save for his trouble, his second of the year

Andres Chaparro fielding (John Brophy/Pinstriped Prospects)

Tampa Tarpons (16-6): A back-and-forth affair saw the Tarpons beat the Blue Jays 10-7.

• Star of the Game: Andres Chaparro – 2-for-4, 1 home run (2), 3 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout. Chaparro is hitting .311 with 12 extra-base hits in 2021
• Josh Smith: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Smith is off to a fast start this year, with hits in his first three games
• Anthony Volpe: 0-for-6
• Austin Wells: 1-for-3, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run scored
• Trevor Hauver: 1-for-4, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
• Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-1, 1 home run (1), 1 RBI, 1 run scored. Bastidas pinch-hit for Smith in the ninth and hit his third professional home run – his first since June 20, 2018
• Ryan Anderson: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 62 pitches (33 strikes)
• Michael Giacone: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 54 pitches (33 strikes)
• Derek Craft: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 38 pitches (26 strikes). Craft picked up the win
• Zach Kohn: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 24 pitches (14 strikes). An efficient final two-plus innings earned Kohn a worthy save