Figueroa Blanks Bulls for 6.0 Innings in 6-2 SWB Win
June 7, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees News Release
Durham, NC - Nelson Figueroa (WP, 4-2) tossed 6.0 innings of scoreless baseball and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (34-27) broke open a 1-0 game with a four run fifth inning on route to a 6-2 win over the Durham Bulls (26-36) to pick up their third straight win in the series and fourth in a row overall.
Jack Cust got the Yankees on the scoreboard in the top half of the first inning with an RBI single scoring Kevin Russo giving SWB a 1-0 lead. After a Chris Dickerson walk from Jim Paduch (LP, 2-4), Russo replaced Dickerson on the bases reaching on a fielder's choice and went to third on a single by Corban Joseph, who extended his hit streak to eight straight games. Cust hit a drive to left high off the 32 foot high "Blue Monster" fence scoring Russo. It was the 37th RBI of the season for Cust who was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double.
The Yankees jumped on Paduch for four runs in the top half of the fifth to open up a 5-0 lead. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre sent nine men to the plate and picked up five hits off the Bulls starter who would pitch through the sixth inning before being lifted. Colin Curtis doubled to lead the inning off and scored on Gustavo Molina's RBI single to center field for a 2-0 lead. After Doug Bernier's single to center and an error from Rich Thompson allowed Molina to reach third base, Dickerson knocked in the third run of the night for the Yankees with a sacrifice fly. Russell Branyan continued his RBI production in the series vs. Durham picking up a two RBI single off Paduch with two out to knock in his ninth and 10th runs of the series giving SWB a 5-0 lead.
Figueroa cruised through the sixth inning not allowing a run on the night and having only one Durham hitter make it as far as second base. The right hander scattered three hits, walked one batter, hit one batter and matched his season high with five strikeouts.
The Bulls made it interesting and give the Yankees a brief scare scoring two runs in the eighth inning and bringing the tying run to the plate on consecutive hitters. After getting through the seventh inning SWB reliever Justin Thomas started his second inning of work on the night and allowed back-to-back one out hits to Stephen Vogt and Jesus Feliciano. With two on and one out, SWB Manager Dave Miley went to the bullpen and brought in Manny Delcarmen who walked Henry Wrigley to load the bases. Leslie Anderson reached on a Branyan error at first base and in the process knocked in the first run on the night scoring Vogt to break up the shutout and make it a 6-1 game. Matt Mangini followed with an RBI single to right field scoring Feliciano to cut the lead to 6-2. With the bases loaded and one down, Delcarmen faced the tying run at the plate on two different occasions striking out both Reid Brignac and Juan Miranda to preserve the lead.
Mike O'Connor pitched a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation to close out the win for Figueroa.
The Yankees and Bulls conclude the four game series on Friday night from Durham Bulls Athletic Park with a 7:05 PM first pitch. Right hander Adam Warren (3-3, 4.33 ERA) will start the final game of the series for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre while right hander Chris Archer (3-7, 5.09 ERA) will start for the Bulls.
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