Pinstriped Performances: Whiffsneski

A fourteen-strikeout gem from a Somerset stud punctuated a doubleheader sweep and a 5-0 day for full-season Yanks affiliates.

Estevan Florial playing for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on May 15, 2021 (Chris Jones)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (64-46): The RailRiders fell in early 5-0 and 8-2 deficits, but clawed back to take the lead in the eighth and defeat Rochester 11-9.

• Star of the Game: Rob Brantly – 3-for-4, 1 home run (9), 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 strikeout. Brantly’s solo home run tied the game at eight in the fifth, and his two-run single in the eighth provided the margin of victory
• Estevan Florial: 3-for-5, 1 home run (10), 3 RBI, 3 runs scored, 1 strikeout. Florial is on a tear of late, hitting .320 and slugging .600 this month
• Chris Gittens: 1-for-5, 1 home run (12), 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 3 strikeouts
• Armando Alvarez: 1-for-3, 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 walk
• Cristian Perez: 2-for-3, 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, 1 stolen base
• Shawn Semple: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 0 K, 32 pitches (15 strikes)
• Nick Green: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 42 pitches (28 strikes)
• Nick Goody: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 29 pitches (21 strikes)
• Nick Nelson: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 33 pitches (25 strikes). Scranton unleashed three Nicks in a row, and the third one got the victory
• Greg Weissert: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 18 pitches (10 strikes). Weissert picked up his second save

Oswald Peraza celebrates with Oswaldo Cabrera after hitting a home run for Somerset. Photo by Chris Jones.

Somerset Patriots (68-44): Somerset battled back to defeat Hartford 7-6 in the first game of a doubleheader; in the second game, the story was Hayden Wesneski, who dominated en route to a 5-1 win.

Game 1

• Star of the Game: Jesus Bastidas – 1-for-2, 1 home run (3), 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout. Bastidas hasn’t gone deep much this year, but his third of the season was a big one: it gave Somerset the lead in the bottom of the sixth
• Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-3, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 1 stolen base
• Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 stolen base
• Oswaldo Cabrera: 2-for-3, 1 home run (21), 3 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout, 1 stolen base. Cabrera is closing in on a 20-20 season, currently standing at 22 home runs and 17 stolen bases
• Chad Bell: 2-for-3, 1 home run (4), 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout, 1 stolen base. Bell’s solo shot in the sixth tied the game to precede Bastidas’ blast one batter later
• Randy Vasquez: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 82 pitches (55 strikes)
• Barrett Loseke: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 44 pitches (28 strikes). Loseke blew the save but also emerged with a win

Game 2

• Star of the Game: Hayden Wesneski – 7 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 14 K, 75 pitches (59 strikes). There may not have been a better pitching performance in the Yankees system all year. Wesneski was efficient and he was ruthless – at one point, he struck out seven Yard Goats in a row
• Hitting Star of the Game: Oswald Peraza – 3-for-3, 1 home run (10), 2 RBI, 2 runs scored. Peraza’s average sits at an even .300. He’s been tremendous at two different levels this season
• Oswaldo Cabrera: 1-for-3, 1 home run (22), 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 2 strikeouts. After two home runs on the day and a stolen base in the first game, Cabrera is closing in on a 20-20 season, currently standing at 22 home runs and 17 stolen bases
• Mickey Gasper: 1-for-3, 1 triple, 1 RBI

Andres Chaparro batting (John Brophy/Pinstriped Prospects)

Hudson Valley Renegades (67-46): On an emotional day – Yankees vs. Mets on September 11th at Dutchess Stadium – the newly crowned division champs posted an impressive 7-0 win over the rival Cyclones.

• Star of the Game: Andres Chaparro – 3-for-4, 2 home runs (7), 1 triple, 4 RBI, 3 runs scored. An impressive 11 total bases on the day for Chaparro, who tripled in the first inning to score Anthony Volpe and then went deep in the third and eighth
• Pitching Star of the Game: Josh Maciejewski – 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K, 94 pitches (62 strikes). Maciejewski rebounded in a big way after two subpar starts in a row
• Anthony Volpe: 1-for-2, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, 2 walks, 1 strikeout
• Eduardo Torrealba: 2-for-3, 1 home run (3), 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout
• Freicer Perez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 27 pitches (17 strikes)

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

Tampa Tarpons (72-39): A big first inning was more than enough to see off the Blue Jays as the Tarpons prevailed 8-3.

• Star of the Game: Madison Santos – 1-for-3, 1 home run (1), 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, 1 stolen base. Santos hit his first career homer at the full-season level, a three-run shot that busted the game wide open
• Pitching Star of the Game: Wellington Diaz – 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 52 pitches (31 strikes). Diaz often toils away in lower-leverage situations, but he went out on Saturday and truly locked things down – deserving of this honor and of his second save of the year
• Trey Sweeney: 1-for-4, 1 double, 1 run scored
• Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-3, 1 double, 2 runs scored, 1 walk
• Anthony Garcia: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 2 strikeouts, 1 stolen base
• Ryder Green: 1-for-3, 2 RBI
• Blas Castano: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 84 pitches (63 strikes)

DSL Yankees: Yanks 1 (22-21) got the better of Yanks 2 (also 22-21) in the Saturday intra-squad game, 10-2.

• Star of the Game: Enger Castellano – 1-for-4, 1 home run (2), 4 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout. The youngster’s second of the year was a grand slam that came as part of a six-run second inning for Yanks 1
• Felix Negueis: 1-for-3, 1 double, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
• Jared Serna: 1-for-2, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, 1 walk
• Oscar Silverio: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 2 strikeouts
• Daury Arias: 1-for-3, 1 double, 1 run scored, 2 strikeouts
• Luis Serna: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
• Nolberto Henriquez: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 1 K. Henriquez picked up his fourth win of the year
• Pedro Rodriguez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
• Brian Arias: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
• Juan Espana: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K
• Jan Pena: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K. Pena, thriving in the long-relief role all year, set a career high for strikeouts, breaking his mark of nine set on August 3