Due to rain in the forecast yesterday, the two upper level affiliates in the Yankees organization have to play multiple games today. Scranton Wilkes-Barre will finish their game from yesterday before playing a second game (7 innings) and Somerset has a doubleheader. Plus, there are a few top pitchers in the Yankees system taking the mound tonight. Read about them in our Pinstriped Previews:
Brian Keller (Photo by: Michael Dill)
Triple-A
Buffalo Bisons (12-7) vs. Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (13-6)
PNC Field I 5:05 PM ET (Completion of Suspended Game from May 26)
Game 2: RHP Casey Lawrence (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Brian Keller (0-0, 3.00 ERA)
Last night’s game between the Bisons and the RailRiders was suspended due to rain and they will pick up the action in the top of the fourth inning with Buffalo leading 2-0. Nate Pearson will take the mound for the Bisons against Adam Warren for the RailRiders when that game resumes. Once that game is over after nine inning, Game 2 will be a seven-inning game.
The RailRiders will send Brian Keller to the mound in Game 2. The 26-year-old right-hander has had as many walks as strikeouts (11) in his first three starts of the season. However, he has at least been able to limit some of the damage.
Keller’s last start against Rochester on May 20 was his longest outing of the season. He went four innings, allowed one run on three hits, walked four batters, and struck out six (season-high) on 80 pitches (43 strikes) in a no-decision.
Depending upon what happens today, there could be a new leader in the Triple-A Northeast standings. The RailRiders as of this afternoon lead Lehigh Valley by ½ game and Buffalo by a full game. In fact, four teams in the division are separated by no more than 2.5 games.
Glenn Otto (Robert M Pimpsner)
Double-A
New Hampshire Fishercats (7-12) vs. Somerset Patriots (14-5)
TD Bank Ballpark I 4:30 PM ET
Game 1: RHP Maximo Castillo (2-1, 4.15 ERA) vs. RHP Glenn Otto (2-1, 3.78 ERA)
Game 2: RHP Troy Miller (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Luis Gil (0-0, 1.76 ERA)
Like the RailRiders last night, the Patriots game was rained out and will be made up as a doubleheader today. If Somerset is able to win both seven-inning games, they will extend their win streak to nine games. The fans are in for a real treat today as the top two pitchers in Somerset’s rotation will be on the mound for the doubleheader.
For New Hampshire, Castillo is not a pitcher that has a lot of strikeouts so far this season. In 13 innings of work, the 22-year-old right-hander has 10 strikeouts. However, he has only allowed one home run and he has been very efficient in each of his last two starts that have both resulted in wins.
Back on May 20 against Portland, Castillo went five innings, allowed two runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out four on 77 pitches (51 starts).
In the start prior to that against Somerset (May 14), he went five innings, allowed one run on five hits, walked two, and struck out four on 78 pitches (50 strikes) in a victory over Glenn Otto. Isiah Gilliam had the only extra-base hit against Castillo that day as he went 1-for-4 with a double.
For Game 2, Luis Gil is coming off one of his better starts of the season against Hartford on May 21. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed two hits, walked a batter, and struck out nine (season-high) over 4.2 scoreless innings. 57 of his 82 pitches were for strikes. With that start, Gil has not allowed a run in back-to-back outings (8.2 scoreless innings).
Gil did face the FisherCats in one of those scoreless outings back on May 15. In that game, he allowed four hits and struck out eight in four innings of work (42 of 68 pitches were strikes) and he did not allow a single extra-base hit. On the season, Gil has 28 strikeouts to just 5 walks.
For more on Otto and New Hampshire’s Game 2 starter, Troy Hill, check out our Pinstriped Previews from yesterday’s action that was posted before the rain-out.
Ken Waldichuk (Robert M Pimpsner)
High-A
Jersey Shore BlueClaws (9-11) vs. Hudson Valley Renegades (10-10)
Dutchess Stadium I 7:05 PM ET
RHP Tyler McKay (1-2, 5.25 ERA) vs. TBD
The Renegades were two outs away from winning the first two games of their series against Jersey Shore, but the BlueClaws went on to win the game In 10 innings on a grand slam in the top of the tenth.
Hudson Valley is likely going to start Ken Waldichuk in this game. The 23-year-old left-hander has yet to allow a run in his first four starts of the season and he has only allowed one extra-base hit to begin the season. According to MILB.com, he has thrown almost 61 percent of his pitches for strikes.
In Waldichuk’s last start against Brooklyn on May 22, he allowed one hit, walked a batter, and struck out ten over 4.1 innings (47 of 74 pitches were strikes). It is the second time this season that Waldichuk has struck out 10 batters in a start and he has 29 strikeouts in his first four starts.
Waldichuk faced Jersey Shore in his first start of the season on May 5 and struggled with his control. He allowed one hit, walked three batters, and struck out two over 2.2 scoreless innings (28 of 51 pitches were strikes). It will be the southpaw’s first chance this season to see an opponent twice, so it will be interesting to see what adjustments he makes in this game.
For the BlueClaws, Tyler McKay will be facing the Renegades for the third time season as he makes his third start of the season. The 23-year-old right-hander last pitched against the Winston-Salem Dash on May 21 and took the loss. He allowed one run on three hits and struck out a batter over four innings in a loss (35 of 43 pitches for strikes).
McKay has been a pitcher who has relied on contact in the first four games he has pitched. He has eight strikeouts on the season with opponents hitting .298 against him (1 home run allowed). However, he has allowed one run or fewer in three of his four outings this year (12 innings of work).
In his two outings against the Renegades, McKay is 0-1 and has allowed five runs on eight hits (one home run), walked four, and struck out six over four innings. That lone home run came on May 9 when Steven Sensley hit a three-run home run in the top of the second as part of a 10-1 victory.
Despite the loss last night, James Nelson went 2-for-5 and drove in a pair of runs with a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth. He has driven in a run in three straight games and has five RBIs over that span. Plus, he has at least one hit in five of his last six games.
Ryan Anderson (Photo by John Brophy/Pinstriped Prospects)
Low-A
Tampa Tarpons (14-6) vs. Dunedin Blue Jays (7-14)
George M Steinbrenner Field I 6:30 PM ET
LHP Ryan Anderson (0-0, 11.05 ERA) vs. TBD
Tampa split their doubleheader against the Blue Jays and they are now 6-2 against them on the season. Tonight, they will send Ryan Anderson to the mound in the fourth game of this series.
Over his first four starts of the season, the 22-year-old left-hander has 11 strikeouts to 8 walks in 7.1 innings. Against Fort Myers on May 21, Anderson came out of the bullpen and went 2.1 innings, allowed three runs on three hits, hit two batters, walked three, and struck out four (season-high) on 62 pitches (33 strikes).
Anderson faced Dunedin in his first start of the season. In that outing, he allowed four runs on four hits, walked two batters, and struck out two in 1.1 innings (24 of 42 pitches were strikes).
Anthony Volpe was the star of yesterday’s doubleheader. In Game 1, he went 4-for-5 with a double and a solo home run (second of the season). In Game 2, Jake Sanford went 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run (second of the season). The outfielder has a seven-game hit streak heading into tonight’s game and has driven in a run in three straight games.
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