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Laird Homers Twice as SWB Wins Series Finale 6-4

July 28, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees News Release


Fort Mill, SC - Brandon Laird hit a pair of home runs and Adam Warren (WP, 6-6) picked up his sixth win of the season as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (60-47) took three of four from the South Division leading Charlotte Knights (61-47) winning the final game of the season series between the two clubs 6-4 at Knights Stadium on Friday night.

The Yankees were helped out by two Charlotte errors and a momentary lapse by Knights first baseman Dan Johnson as SWB picked up four unearned runs in the top of the first inning off starter Charlie Leesman. Darnell McDonald picked up a one out and with two down in the inning appeared to be picked off at first base but beat the throw from Johnson and advanced to third when his throw sailed past shortstop Ray Olmedo into left field. Garner's grounder to third should have ended the inning but Brent Morel's throw pulled Johnson off the bad at first. When Johnson turned to argue the call at first base, McDonald broke for home and beat the throw home for a 1-0 lead. Laird made it 3-0 on his first homer of the night over the wall in left for a 3-0 lead. Francisco Cervelli extended the inning with a base hit to center and after stealing second scored on Kevin Russo's single to left giving the Yankees a 4-0 lead.

Charlotte cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second scoring a pair of runs off Warren. Conor Jackson single to right and advanced to second on a throwing error from Garner. Hector Giminez doubled into the right field corner scoring Jackson with the first Knights run of the inning. Jared Mitchell followed up Giminez's hit with an RBI single to right field to trim the SWB lead to 4-2.

Gustavo Molina, who entered the game replacing Cervelli in the bottom of the first when the Yankees starting catcher left the game after getting hit with a broken bat, extended the Yankees advantage to 5-2 with a gap double to left center scoring Garner who led off the inning with a walk.

Johnson slugged his 23rd homer of the season off Warren leading off the bottom of the fourth inning on a 3-2 pitch over the wall in right to pull Charlotte back to within two runs at 5-3.

Laird answered Johnson's homer with his second of the night sending a towering drive over the wall in left for his 11th of the season off Leesman with one down in the fifth extending the Yankees lead to 6-3.

Warren finished off his night retiring Charlotte in order in the fifth and sixth innings leaving the game throwing 103 pitches allowing six hits and three runs with one walk and six strikeouts.

Charlotte cut the lead to 6-4 picking up a run in the bottom the seventh off Yankees reliever Preston Claiborne. Giminez single to right to lead off the inning and moved to second on a walk to Mitchell. With one down, Tyler Kuhn singled to right scoring Giminez to pull the Knights to within two runs for the third time on the night.

After SWB reliever Juan Cedeno relieved Claiborne with one out in eighth, the left hander protected the two run advantage carrying the 6-4 lead to the ninth inning for closer Ryota Igarashi (SV, 5). Igarashi retired the first two hitters of the inning before allowing a single to Olmedo. With two down the right hander struck out Kuhn swinging to end the game.

The Yankees head to McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket to open a two game series with the Red Sox with a 6:05 PM first pitch. Left hander Mike O'Connor (2-4, 3.90) opens the series for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre while right hander Billy Buckner (2-5, 5.50) gets the start for the Paw Sox.

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