Yankees move over .500 for First Time on the Season with 8-4 Win

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


Allentown, PA - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (11-10) were zero for two on the season when trying to push their overall record over .500. As the old saying goes: "the third time is the charm" as the Yankees used a six run third inning to jump out to a 6-1 lead than hung on to defeat the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (13-10) for a 8-4 win on Saturday night.

Lehigh Valley picked up a single run off SWB starter Nelson Figueroa (WP, 1-0) on a solo homer from Derrick Mitchell. Mitchell's homer to left center just snuck over the fence and into the lawn section giving the Pigs a 1-0 lead. Figueroa was making his second appearance for in 2012 for the Yankees and his first start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre since the 2001 season when he was pitching for the Red Barons.

The Yankees picked up one hit in each of the first two innings against Iron Pig starter Pat Misch (LP, 1-4) who was roughed up by SWB in the third. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre sent 10 men to the plate and picked up six runs on five hits to grab a 6-1 lead. The inning started off with a walk of Doug Bernier, who moved to second on a Ramiro Pena single. With runners at first and second base, Kevin Russo's double to left scoring Bernier and tying the game 1-1. Francisco Cervelli singled to right off Misch scoring Pena for a 2-1 lead. After a Dewayne Wise ground out moved runners to second base, the Iron Pigs intentionally walked Steve Pearce to load the bases for Jayson Nix. Nix drilled a Misch delivery high off the wall in right center, missing a Grand Slam by a few feet. Russo and Cervelli scored on the two RBI double and the Yankees led 4-1. Brandon Laird added a sacrifice fly and Colin Curtis single for a 6-1 lead.

Figueroa would get through the fifth inning to qualify for the win. The right hander allowed four hits with a hit batsman, no walks and one strikeout picking up his first win of the season.

Lehigh Valley got back in the game with a three run sixth inning of SWB reliever Adam Miller. A sacrifice fly from Hector Luna and a two RBI double from Mike Fontenot pulled the Iron Pigs back to within two runs at 6-4. Miller then settled down getting Lehigh Valley one, two, three in his final inning of the night.

Chase Whitley pitched the eighth inning for the Yankees in what appeared to be a "set up" inning for a save opportunity for closer Kevin Whelan. Whitley allowed a one out hit and then threw a double play ground ball to get out of the eighth inning unscathed. The Yankees got some breathing room in the bottom of the eighth inning on a two out, two RBI single from Russo who picked up his third straight multi-hit game. Whelan pitched a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation preserving the win for Figueroa.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre wraps up the four game "home" series with Lehigh Valley on Sunday afternoon at Coca-Cola Park with a 1:35 PM first pitch. Right hander D.J. Mitchell (2-1, 3.12) gets the start for the Yankees while the Iron Pigs will send left hander Tom Cochran (2-0, 2.95) to the mound.



International League Stories from April 28, 2012


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