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Betances Masterful in Yankees 2-1 win over Columbus

May 9, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees News Release


Rochester, NY - While it may not have been the start that Dellin Betances (WP, 2-1) had in mind, the finish was more than to his liking. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (16-15) starter was touched up for a home run on the first pitch of the game by Cord Phelps but in typical 2012 fashion the Yankees came from behind for the 11th time in 16 wins, picking up a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Clippers (17-15) at Frontier Field on Wednesday night.

The Clippers got out of the gate as quickly as a team possibly could. On the first pitch of the night from Betances in the top of the first, the lead off man Phelps hit the ball over the wall in right field into his own bullpen for a 1-0 lead. Betances shook off the first pitch homer and retired the next eight Clippers hitters he faced including at one point striking out four straight.

The Yankees did not waste any time tying the game in the bottom of the first inning off Columbus starter Eric Berger (LP, 0-1). Brett Gardner playing his second rehab game with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple to left center over the head of Russ Canzler. With Gardner on third, Kevin Russo flew out to straight away centerfield deep enough to score Gardner and the game was tied at 1-1.

Both pitchers kept the opposition off the scoreboard with Betances retiring eight straight before Phelps picked up the second and final hit of the night for the Clippers with two out in the third. After the single by Phelps, Betances retired the next 10 Columbus hitters in succession. Berger was not as dominant, but kept the Yankees off the scoreboard through the bottom of the third inning allowing only a two out third inning walk to Gardner.

Steve Pearce broke the 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fourth inning with his fifth homer of the season. The lead off shot to left field became the fourth homer and second game winning home run that Pearce has hit at Frontier Field this season. The solo shot off Berger was a majestic fly ball that Canzler tracked all the way to the wall in left before watching it leave the yard. The Yankees turned over a 2-1 lead to Betances who carried it through the eighth inning.

The 8.0 innings for Betances is his longest Triple-A outing in 11 starts between 2011 and 2012. The previous long start was a 7.0 inning effort in an August 29th loss to Pawtucket at PNC Field in 2011. The right hander allowed two hits (both to Phelps) and one run with two walks and seven strikeouts. Each time he walked a batter he threw an inning ending double play. The pair of 4-6-3 double plays ended both the seventh and the eighth innings.

Kevin Whelan (SV, 8) pitched a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to pick up the save.

The Yankees and Clippers warp up the four game series Thursday afternoon with a 1:05 PM first pitch from Frontier Field. Right hander D.J. Mitchell (2-1, 3.13 ERA) gets the start for the Yankees while the Clippers will send right hander Corey Kluber (3-2, 3.78 ERA) to the mound.

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