AAA: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pulled out a 5-4 win in thirteen innings, but what was really interesting was who the winning pitcher was. Dealing with a depleted bullpen thanks to doubleheaders, the Yankees were forced to go with backup catcher Ryan Baker on the mound for the last two innings. Baker actually recorded a strikeout, and allowed just one Norfolk hitter to reach base as he recorded the victory. Dellin Betances had started for the Yankees, and again had control problems with six walks in just 5.1 innings. Betances had allowed three runs on three hits, while striking out six. A few different Yankees had a solid game offensively, most notably being Jack Cust, who went 2-for-5 with two home runs, including the game-winner in the 13th inning. Corban Joseph also homered on the day, while catcher Francisco Cervelli went 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles.
AA: Trenton Thunder
Shaeffer Hall got the win on Monday, but it was far from a great performance from the left-hander. Hall allowed seven runs (six earned) on ten hits and two walks in six innings of work, but secured his 5th win of the year due to a great offensive performance. That offense was led by Zoilo Almonte, who put together a grand slam in the fourth inning to give the Thunder a lead they would never relinquish. 3B Kevin Mahoney also had a two-run home run in the 2nd inning. Jose Pirela, who had a big weekend with his first two home runs of the season, continued on his offensive tear, going 3-for-4 last night.
High-A: Tampa Yankees
Tampa went to extra innings last night, but finished off the St. Lucie Mets with a 2-1 victory. However, my take on this game revolves around one player – last night’s starter, Matt Tracy. Plain and simple, he was untouchable. Tracy tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits on the evening. And now, through five starts, Tracy is sporting a 0.94 ERA. It is worth noting that his batterymate, J.R. Murphy, led the team in hits last night, as he went 3-for-5 with a run scored. Tyson Blaser walked twice, including in the 10th inning, which helped to set up Kelvin Castro’s Game-Winning RBI double.
