Pinstriped Performances: Patriots Party On, Tarpons Walk Off

Somerset put up double-digit runs for a second straight night in a drubbing of the Yard Goats. The RailRiders got back into the win column and Tampa walked off in grand style, while Hudson Valley’s bats fell silent.

Armando Alvarez (Matt Bufano)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (12-4): Early leads have become Scranton’s bread and butter. They did it again Friday, scoring three times in the first inning and riding a strong pitching performance to a 6-3 bounce-back win in Rochester.

• Star of the Game: Mike Montgomery – 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 84 pitches (50 strikes). The journeyman and former world champion turned in by far his best start of the season
• Estevan Florial: 0-for-2, 2 walks
• Rob Brantly: 1-for-5, 1 home run (2), 2 RBI, 1 run scored. Brantly has a knack for getting hits in the right spots; his homer put the RailRiders on the board in the top of the first
• Armando Alvarez: 2-for-4, 1 home run (2), 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 walk. Two batters after Brantly, Alvarez went yard too
• Thomas Milone: 2-for-4, 1 run scored, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Milone is as predictable as the sunrise. He’s up to a .375 average at Triple-A
• Braden Bristo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 20 pitches (8 strikes)
• Nick Nelson: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 37 pitches (27 strikes). Nelson has not given up an earned run for the RailRiders since his first appearance of the season on May 4
• Luis García: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 9 pitches (4 strikes). García’s five saves continue to pace the organization as he’s locked down the closer’s role in Scranton

Dermis Garcia. Photo by Matt Kardos

Somerset Patriots (11-5): Riding a strong outing from Luis Gil and plenty of pop up and down the lineup, the Patriots easily took care of Hartford 14-3 for their fourth straight win.

• Star of the Game: Dermis Garcia – 3-for-4, 1 home run (5), 4 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 walk. The 23-year-old is scalding hot. Since May 13, Garcia is 11 for 34 with all five of his home runs and all nine of his RBI. His three-run blast with two outs in the seventh put the Patriots up 14-0
• Pitching Star of the Game: Luis Gil – 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 82 pitches (57 strikes). Gil wasn’t exactly economical, but he was dominant at times. He has a 1.76 ERA and 28 strikeouts through four starts
• Michael Beltre: 3-for-6, 1 double, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 strikeout. A second straight night of three or more hits for Beltre
• Aaron Palensky: 3-for-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 walk. It’s been a hell of a professional debut for Palensky, who’s 5-for-9 through two games with Somerset
• Oliver Dunn: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 3 runs scored, 1 strikeout. Dunn’s also red-hot this week, hitting .333 with 10 total bases in the series against Hartford
• Jefry Valdez: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 50 pitches (31 strikes). Valdez ran into some trouble but got the win
• Keegan Curtis: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 40 pitches (24 strikes)

Yankees pitching prospect Barrett Loseke on the mound for the Staten Island Yankees. (Robert M. Pimpsner/Pinstriped Prospects)

Hudson Valley Renegades (8-8): The Renegades fell back to .500 as they managed just four singles in a 4-1 loss to Brooklyn.

• Star of the Game: Barrett Loseke – 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. The 2018 17th-round pick was brilliant in relief and perhaps the only bright spot in a dull night
• Oswald Peraza: 1-for-3, 1 run scored, 1 walk
• Ezequiel Duran: 0-for-4, 2 strikeouts
• Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, 1 RBI
• Josh Maciejewski: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, 43 pitches (31 strikes)
• Mitch Spence: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 39 pitches (30 strikes)

Pat DeMarco (left) celebrates with his teammates after a walk-off home run on May 21, 2021 (John Brophy/Pinstriped Prospects)

Tampa Tarpons (12-4): Tampa came back from 5-0 down, blew a lead late, and then recovered to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth for a 9-7 win over Fort Myers, their third in a row and sixth in their last seven games.

• Star of the Game: Pat DeMarco – 2-for-4, 1 home run (4), 2 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, DeMarco’s deep drive to right-center field sent everybody home
• Austin Wells: 2-for-5, 1 double, 3 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout. Wells has lifted his average to .262
• Trevor Hauver: 1-for-5, 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 strikeout
• Jake Sanford: 1-for-4, 1 home run (1), 1 RBI, 1 run scored
• Edgar Barclay: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 50 pitches (27 strikes)
• Ryan Anderson: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 62 pitches (33 strikes)
• Kevin Milam: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 45 pitches (29 strikes)
• Carson Coleman: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 36 pitches (21 strikes). Coleman blew the save in the top of the ninth, but got away with a win when DeMarco walked it off