Yankees Jump Out to Early Lead and Hang on Late for 6-4 Win

July 24, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees News Release


Fort Mill, SC - After dropping the final game of the four game series with Gwinnett on Monday night, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees looked to start a new win streak against a Charlotte Knights team that was coming off a four game sweep at Buffalo, had won four in a row and eight of ten games. The Yankees jumped out to an early lead and then held on to beat the Knights in the opening game of the four game series 6-4.

With one out in the second inning Kosuke Fukudome singled off Knights starter Matt Zaleski (LP, 3-4) and came home to score on an RBI triple to center field by Francisco Cervelli. Cole Garner singled on the first pitch Zaleski threw home scoring Cervelli and the Yankees led 2-0.

Brandon Laird extended the SWB lead to 3-0 with an RBI single off Zaleski in the third. The newest Yankees Darnell McDonald led off the inning with an infield single and move to second on a balk and came home on the Laird single to center for a 3-0 lead.

The lead grew to 5-0 with two more off Zaleski in the fifth inning on a two RBI double from Jack Cust with the bases loaded. SWB started a two out rally with no one on board as Kevin Russo doubled to center field. Zaleski walked Corban Joseph and McDonald to load the bases for Cust who hammered a pitch high up the wall in right center scoring Russo and Joseph to run the lead to 5-0.

SWB got great pitching in the spot start from Justin Thomas who limited Charlotte to one hit over 4.0 with one walk and one strikeout. Chase Whitley (WP, 7-5) kept the solid mound work going tossing 3.0 innings of scoreless relief allowing two hits and striking out two Knights batters.

The Knights rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull to within 5-4. Reliever Manny Delcarmen replaced Whitley and the first three hitters of the inning reached base. Hector Giminez drew a leadoff walk and went to third on Jared Mitchell's single. Jim Gallagher walked to load the bases with no out. Delcarmen struck out Ray Olmedo for the first out of the inning before Tyler Kuhn singled to right scoring Giminez putting Charlotte on the board at 5-1. Drew Garcia's single to right scored the second run of the inning keeping the bases loaded for Dan Johnson. A walk to Johnson scored Gallagher to cut the lead to 5-3. With one down Conor Jackson's sacrifice fly to right scored the final run of the inning to cut the Yankees lead to one.

The Yankees picked up a big insurance in the top of the ninth off Charlotte reliever Daniel Moskos to provide a two run cushion at 6-4. Cust led off the inning with a walk and moved to second base on Laird's fly out to center field. During the at bat to Kosuke Fukudome's at bat, resulting in a walk, Cust moved to third on a wild pitch. With first and third and one down Cervelli picked up his second RBI of the night on a base hit to center scoring Cust to give SWB a two run lead.

Ryota Igarashi (SV, 4) closed out the Knights in the ninth, allowing a two out single to Gallagher before striking out Olmedo to end the game.

The Yankees and Knights play the second game of the series Wednesday night at Knights Stadium with a 7:15 PM first pitch. John Maine (4-3, 6.15) will get the start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre while right hander Dylan Axelrod (5-4, 3.18) is slated to make the start for the Knights.



International League Stories from July 24, 2012


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