Playoff Ticket Punched In Dominant Regular Season Finale Win Over New Hampshire

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Somerset Patriots

Playoff Ticket Punched In Dominant Regular Season Finale Win Over New Hampshire

September 15, 2024 - Eastern League (EL)
Somerset Patriots News Release


Somerset Patriots center fielder Spencer Jones (right) celebrates his homer
Somerset Patriots center fielder Spencer Jones (right) celebrates his homer
(Somerset Patriots)

The Somerset Patriots clinched an Eastern League playoff berth with a 5-1 victory over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Sunday afternoon at TD Bank Ballpark in the 2024 regular season finale.

Somerset concludes the second half with a Northeast Division best 43-25 mark, the Patriots best second half record since joining the Eastern League in 2021. As recently as 8/18, Somerset was 6.0 games out of first place.

The Patriots took five of six games in the series vs. New Hampshire, clinching their fifth consecutive series victory after entering the stretch having won no more than back-to-back sets. Over their final 30 games of the 2024 season, the Patriots went 22-8 outscoring opponents 142-80 (+58), an Eastern League best record and run differential during that span.

Patriots' pitchers fanned 12 Fisher Cats on Sunday, their second straight double digit strikeout performance and sixth over their last nine games. Over the final three games of the series vs. New Hampshire, Patriots pitchers allowed 1 ER in 27 IP (0.33 ERA) with 35 K and opponents' batting .149. In the regular season's final 30 games since 8/13, Somerset's pitching staff threw to an Eastern League best 2.57 ERA and Double-A best 0.99 WHIP. In the regular season's final 30 games since 8/13, the Patriots bullpen threw to a Double-A best 2.16 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 3.24 K/BB.

With a pair of stolen bases on Sunday, Somerset takes the Eastern League stolen base lead with 204 on the season. Somerset has surpassed 200+ stolen bases in three consecutive seasons and the Patriots will vie to lead the Eastern League in steals for a fourth straight season.

Somerset will square off with Hartford in the Northeast Division Championship beginning Tuesday night at TD Bank Ballpark. Since joining the Eastern League in 2021, Somerset has not lost a series to the Yard Goats and are 51-20 all-time vs. Hartford and 9-7 this season.

RHP Trystan Vrieling (5.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K) hurled 5.2 IP without an earned run to lock down his Eastern League leading 13 th win of the season. Over his last seven appearances (six starts), Vrieling is 6-0 with a 2.23 ERA in 40.1 IP with 35 K and a 0.89 ERA. The Yankees No. 28 prospect has allowed 2 ER or less in six of his last seven starts. Sunday marked Vrieling's 13 th 6+ strikeout performance over 27 regular season outings. Vrieling was perfect over his first 4 IP on Sunday. Vrieling ranks among Eastern League leaders with 132 K (6 th), 147.1 IP (2 nd), .248 BA (T-9 th), and a 1.26 WHIP (9 th). Vrieling's 132 K this season mark the 5 th most this season among Yankees minor leaguers. Over his last 12 outings since the start of July, Vrieling has posted a 2.92 ERA with 51 K in 64.2 IP.

CF Spencer Jones (2-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2B) clubbed a leadoff homer to open the scoring in the 1 st inning for his fourth leadoff blast of the season. Jones' 17 HR this season are his single-season career high and tops among Patriots batters this season. Jones has hit safely in five of his last six games and reached base in eight straight contests. Over his last eight games, Jones is 9-for-29 (.310) with 2 HR, 5 XBH, 4 RBI, and 6 R. Over his 25 last games since 8/17, Jones is batting .326/.379/.600 with 3 HR, 15 RBI, 17 XBH, and 15 R. Jones ranks among Eastern League leaders with 17 HR (T-7 th), 78 RBI (2 nd), 125 H (3 rd), 30 2B (T-1 st), 6 3B (2 nd), 52 XBH (T-1 st), 218 TB (2 nd), 73 R (3 rd), and 25 SB (T-9 th). Jones ranks among Yankees minor league leaders with 17 HR (6 th), 78 RBI (1 st), 125 H (2 nd), 30 2B (T-2 nd), 53 XBH (1 st), 218 TB (1 st), and 73 R (T-3 rd). After batting .205 with 2 HR and a .594 OPS over his first 37 games this season, Jones went on to hit .279 with 15 HR and a .866 OPS over his final 86 games.

DH Elijah Dunham (2-for-4, HR, RBI, R, SB) launched a solo homer in the 4 th inning for his 15 th homer of the season and fourth of the series. In five games played during the series against New Hampshire, Dunham went 7-for-18 (.389) with 4 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, and 4 SB. Dunham's 10 RBI are the most he has plated in a single series this season. Dunham has stolen bases in three straight contests. In his last 64 games since 6/13, Dunham ranks among Eastern League leaders with 12 HR (T-4 th), 40 RBI (T-9 th), 28 XBH (4 th), and 115 TB (5 th) during that span. Sunday marked Dunham's 20 th multi-hit game of the season.

1B Tyler Hardman (2-for-4, RBI) roped an RBI single in the 5 th inning as part of a two-hit day. Hardman recorded his 11 th multi-hit game for Somerset this season. Hardman has reached safely in four of his last five.

RF Grant Richardson (1-for-3, HR, RBI, R, BB) extended Somerset's lead to 5-1 with a solo homer in the 6 th inning, his ninth of the year. Richardson has hit safely in six of his last seven. Richardson concludes the series with New Hampshire having gone 5-for-17 (.294) with HR, 3 RBI, 3 R in five games. In 13 September games, Richardson is batting .283 with 5 RBI and 7 R. Richardson's homer snapped his 20-game homerless drought.

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Somerset Patriots center fielder Spencer Jones (right) celebrates his homer
Somerset Patriots center fielder Spencer Jones (right) celebrates his homer
   

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