Game 52- Toledo Mudhens (25-30) @ SWB Yankees (28-23)

Good evening Yankee fans. This is Shawn Murnin here at PNC Field for tonight’s game against the Toledo Mudhens. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.

Game Notes brought to you by Mike Vander Woude

THE STATE OF THE YANKEES…

The Yankees return home to PNC Field to open up an eight game homestand with four against the Toledo Mud Hens, the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will host the Charlotte Knights in the second half of the homestand beginning on Tuesday night. The Yankees went 5-3 on their recent eight game trip taking three of four from Louisville and splitting a four game series with Indianapolis. SWB had a chance to take three of four from the Indians for the fourth straight season at Victory Field but got blown out in the series finale 13-2. The Yankees are in a stretch where the team plays 16 of 20 at PNC Field but thus far the home field hasn’t been an advantage as the Yankees are just 8-11 on their home turf and have lost seven of their last nine games at PNC. With Thursday night’s loss to Indy and a Lehigh Valley win at Gwinnett, the Yankees stand in second place in the IL North 4.0 games behind the first place Iron Pigs.

YANKS AND THE HENS…

Since the Yankees affiliation moved to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre prior to the 2007 season, the Yankees and Mud Hens have played a competitive series with SWB holding a 17-15 edge including going 9-7 at PNC Field. Over the last two home series with the Mud Hens dating back to 2009, the Yankees have won three of four in each of the series. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre leads the all time series with Toledo 121-111.

LAST TIME OUT…

Thursday night was one the Yankees would like to forget. Indianapolis set season highs allowed by Yankees pitching in runs, hits, extra base hits and tied the high watermark for homers in a game by an opponent as the Indians blasted the Yankees 13-2 in the final game of the four game series at Victory Field. Alex Presley hit a pair of three run homers and drove home six runs, Miles Durham had a three RBI double and Matt Hague homered and scored twice as Indy’s 13 runs, 15 hits and seven extra base hits were all season highs allowed by the SWB staff. Andrew Brackman (L, 2-4) lasted just 1.0+ innings allowing 3ER on 3BB and a hit batsman before being removed in the second inning. The bullpen didn’t fare much better with Ryan Pope allowing 4ER, George Kontos 2ER and Kanekoa Texeria 4ER. Eric Wordekemper was the only Yankees pitcher to throw a scoreless inning. Justin Wilson (W, 6-3) beat the Yankees for the second time on the season allowing 5H and 2ER over 6.0 innings with 3BB and 3K.

NOW PITCHING FOR THE SWB YANKEES…

David Phelps looks for his fifth win of the season and his third straight as he faces the Mudhens for the third time in his career. The right hander went 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA against Toledo in 2010 throwing 13.0 innings in starts at both PNC Field (7/18) and Fifth Third Field (8/14). He allowed 3ER and 13H with 16K’s (including a career high 10 in the 7/18 game) and 0BB. In his last start Phelps picked up a win at Louisville on Sunday night tossing a season high 8.0 innings with 10H, 4ER and 5K’s. In five starts at PNC Field this season the right hander is 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA covering 30.0 innings allowing 30H (4HR) with 9BB and 25K. After a slow start to the season with a 1-3 record and a 4.15 ERA in April, Phelps turned things around in May going 3-1 with a 2.87 ERS in five starts.

TURNING THINGS AROUND AT HOME…

The Yankees will play 16 of their next 20 games at PNC Field where the team has gone 8-11 through the first two months of the season. SWB has the most wins on the road of any International League team with 20. The Yankees are tied with Toledo for the fewest home wins in the league so far in 2011. SWB’s winning percentage is better than the Hens who have gone 8-18 at Fifth Third Field. The Yankees are hitting 32 points lower at home (.240) than on the road (.272) and is averaging 3.7 runs per game in 19 home games as opposed to 5.1 runs per game on the road. The pitching numbers for the Yankees have been slightly better at home as opposed to the road with a 3.38 home ERA and a 3.95 ERA away from PNC Field.

RUSSO AND LAIRD…

Kevin Russo and Brandon Laird continue to swing hot bats for the Yankees heading into the lengthy home stand. Since beginning the season 3-34 (.088) Russo is hitting .316 (42-133) and is riding a five game hit streak where he is hitting .400 (8-20), with 3R, 2 2B, 3B, RBI, BB, 3K, CS. The utility man has seven two hit games in his last 11 played. Laird led the Yankees in hits during the month of May with 31 on route to hitting .307 raising his average from .184 to .254. He has hit safely in 13 of 15 games dating back to May 17th including a season high eight straight from May 23rd – 31st.

MULTIPLE SOUTHPAWS…

The Yankees have faced 39 right handed starters and 12 left handers in 2011. SWB has posted an 8-4 record against left hander starters and are in the midst of a stretch where they will face six consecutive southpaw starters. The Indians threw Rudy Owens, Brian Burres and Justin Wilson in the final three games of the four game series. Toledo comes into PNC Field opening a four game series on Friday and are scheduled to throw former SWB Yankee Phil Coke on a big league rehab and then another pair of lefties with Duane Below on Saturday and Andrew WIlk on Sunday before finally seeing a right hander on Monday Thad Weber in the series finale.

AT LONG LAST A LENGHTY HOME ENGAGEMENT…

After finishing up their current eight game eight day road trip, the fourth trip of the season for the Yankees of six games or more on the season, the Yankees return home for a stretch of 16 of 20 games. SWB will host Toledo (June 3rd-6th) and Charlotte (June 7th- 10th) at PNC Field and following a four game series at Syracuse (June 11th-14th), the Yankees return home for four against Columbus (June 16th-19th) and four against Norfolk (June 20th – 23rd).

Tonight’s Starting Line-ups –

Toledo Mudhens:

#3 Will Rhymes 2B

#6 Timo Perez DH

#21 Magglio Ordonez RF

#50 Scott Thorman 1B

#12 Bryan Pounds 2B

#13 Ben Guez LF

#34 Clete Thomas CF

#11 Argenis Diaz SS

#16 Max St. Pierre C

#24 Phil Coke SP

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees

#13 Austin Krum CF

#5 Kevin Russo 2B

#21 Jesus Montero DH

#38 Jorge Vazquez 1B

#10 Brandon Laird 3B

#8 Jordan Parraz RF

#3 Dan Brewer LF

#48 Gustavo Molina C

#12 Doug Bernier SS

#35 David Phelps SP

First Pitch 7:06 Game Time Temperature 67 Degrees

Update 7:06 – Lead off man Will Rhymes singles up the middle after working the count full on Phelps. Up next is Timo Perez for the Mudhens.

Update 7:08 – Perez singles, moving Rhymes over to second. Magglio Ordonez is due up with two on and no outs here in the first.

Update 7:10 – Ordonez goes down looking. Phelps has his first strikeout of the game, and the first out of the inning. Still runners on first and second with Scott Thorman at the dish.

Update 7:11 – Phelps K’s Thorman for the second out of the inning with Bryan Pounds up next in the order.

Update 7:13 – After giving up two straight hits to start off the game, Phelps strikes out the next three batters, as the Mudhens strand two in the top of the first. Top of the order due up for the Yanks against Phil Coke.

Update 7:18 – Coke retires the first two batters, striking out Austin Krum and getting Kevin Russo to ground into a 4-3 out.

Update 7:19 – Jesus Montero hits a frozen rope over the right fielder’s head for a double. Two outs here in the bottom of the first inning with Jorge Vazquez at the plate.

Update 7:21 – Jorge Vazquez can’t hold up, as he strikes out trying to check his swing. Still scoreless at PNC Field with the Mudhens sending third baseman Ben Guez up to lead off the second inning.

Update 7:24 – Phelps fields a dribbler back to the mound, throwing out Guez for the first out of the inning. Clete Thomas is up next.

Update 7:26 – Thomas hits a towering fly ball into the shadows in left field, and Dan Brewer is there to make the out. Two down in the second inning.

Update 7:33 – Diaz, the short stop, works a two-out walk but Max St. Pierre hits a fly-out to right field to end the inning. Brandon Laird is due up to start off the inning for the Yankees.

Update 7:35 – Laird drives the ball into center field, but Clete Thomas slides into place to make the out.

Update 7:38 – Jordan Parraz watches strike three go by as the Yankees are down to their final out of the inning with Dan Brewer at the plate.

Update 7:40 – Brewer hits the ball down the left field line, and just beats the throw from left field as he slides into second base.

Update 7:40 – Gustavo Molina pops the first pitch he sees into right field, and that will do it for the Yankees in the second inning. Still scoreless at PNC field with the order turning over for the Mudhens in the third.

Update 7:43 – Will Rhymes loops the first pitch he gets right to Dan Brewer in left field, and Timo Perez grounds his first pitch back to David Phelps.

Update 7:45 – Magglio Ordonez flies out to second baseman Kevin Russo to end the inning. David Phelps only threw 4 pitches that inning.

Update 7:49 – Phil Coke strikes out Doug Bernier to lead off the inning, as the top of the order is due up. Austin Krum steps in 0-1 with 1 strikeout so far tonight.

Update 7:51 – Krum hits a shot to right center for a double. Kevin Russo is up next with one out here in the third.

Update 7:54 – Russo singles into left field, moving Krum over to third base. With one out, Jesus Montero comes up to the plate.

Update 7:57 – Montero strikes out, with Jorge Vazquez up next. Two outs here in the third.

Update 7:59 – Vazquez grounds into a 6-4 fielder’s choice to end the inning. The Yankees get two hits and leave two runners on base to end the inning.

Update 8:02 – Phelps Strikes out Scott Thorman for the second time in the game for the first out of the inning.

Update 8:06  – Bryan Pounds singles, and Ben Guez follows up with a fly-out to center field.

Update 8:08 – Phelps issues his second walk of the night to Clete Thomas. With two runners on, and two outs, Argenis Diaz comes up to bat here in the fourth inning.

Update 8:09 – Diaz hits a 4-3 ground out to end the inning. Yankees will send Brandon Laird to the plate to lead off the fourth inning.

Update 8:13 – Laird gets a lead off walk with Jordan Parraz up next.

Update 8:14 – Parraz flies out to center field for the first out of the inning.

Update 8:16 -Dan Brewer flies out to center field, and Gustavo Molina flies out to right center after a long run from Clete Thomas.

Update 8:21 – Max St. Pierre leads off the inning for the Mudhens by ground out to Russo at second base. One down as Will Rhymes comes to the plate for his third AB.

Update 8:23 – DH Timo Perez comes to the plate now after Rhymes flew out to left field. Two out.

Update 8:24 – Perez gets a two out single into left, with Magglio Ordonez up next. Ordonez struck out looking in the first, and flew out to the second baseman in the third.

Update 8:25 – Ordonez is now 0-3 as he gives the ball a ride to deep right field, but doesn’t have quiet enough on it as Parraz makes a nice catch at the wall to end the inning. Still scoreless headed into the bottom of the fifth inning here a PNC Field.

Update 8:29 – Doug Bernier singles to center field to lead off the inning for the Yankees.

Update 8:32 – After trying to bunt Bernier to second, Austin Krum grounds into a force out sending Bernier to the bench. Krum is on first with one out.

Update 8:34 – Kevin Russo grounds into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Update 8:38 – After Scott Thorman strikes out, Brian Pounds hits a home run over the left field wall to make it a 1-0 Mudhen’s lead here in the top of the sixth inning.

Update 8:39- Ben Guez singles, and then swipes second base with Clete Thomas at the plate and one out.

Update 8:43 - After Thomas strikes out, Diaz grounds out to third to end the inning.

Update 8:45 – Jesus Montero leads off the inning with a single.

Update 8:48 – Vazquez singles, moving Montero over to second base. Brandon Laird hits a lazer into the left field corner, bringing home Montero and sending Vazquez to third. Laird stands at second base with the score 1-1 and Parraz stepping into the box.

Update 8:52 – Phil Coke walks Jordan Parraz to load the bases. Dan Brewer comes up to bat with none out.

Update 8:57 – Dan Brewer goes down swinging for the first out of the inning. Bases still loaded for Gustavo Molina, who has Flied out to center, and right field in two at-bats.

Pitching Change: #52 Brandan Wise in for #24 Phil Coke

Phil Coke: 5.1 IP 8H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 6K

Update 8:59 – Molina almost grounds into a double play, but the second baseman throws wide of first, and reaches on a fielder’s choice E-4.Vazquez scores on the play making it 2-1.

Update 9:01 – Doug Bernier singles to drive in Laird, making the score 3-0. Molina moves to second base. Austin Krum singles to left, but Gustavo Molina is thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base to end the inning.

Update 9:05 – Max St. Pierre Flies out behind the plate to make the first out of the inning.

Update 9:07 – Will Rhymes lines out to second base, and Timo Perez grounds out to second base to end the inning.

Update 9:09 – Kevin Russo grounds out to short to lead off the inning.

Update 9:10 – Jesus Montero grounds out to second base for the second out of the inning.

Update 9:12- Vazquez reaches on a single, Laird singles to right, and then Parraz grounds into a close play at first, as the first basemen dove head-long into the bag for the out. Ryan Strieby (substituted for Ordonez) is due up for the Mudhens to lead off the 8th inning. The Mudhens trail 3-1.

Update 9:19 – Strieby reaches on an error by the short stop.

Update 9:21 – Scott Thorman becomes Phelp’s seventh strike-out victim of the night. Bryan Pounds is up next with one out and one on.

Update 9:22 – Pounds flies out to second base for the second out of the inning.

Update 9:25 – Ben Guez singles to center field, and Strieby goes from first to third on the play.

Pitching Change: #39 Eric Wordekemper for #35 David Phelps

David Phelps stats: 7.2IP, 7H, 3R, 1ER, 2BB, 7K, 1HR

Update 9:30- Clete Thomas doubles, scoring Guez and Strieby. The game is now tied 3-3 with Argenis Diaz at the plate.

Update 9:33 – Argenis Diaz strikes out to end the inning.

Pitching Change: #36 Buster Oliveros for #52 Brandan Wise

Update 9:36 – Brewer singles, and Gustavo Molina bunts him over to second base. One out.

Update 9:38 – Doug Bernier Flies out to right field, Dan Brewer advances to third base with two down in the inning.

Update 9:41- Austin Krum grounds out to second to end the inning. Game still tied 3-3 going into the 9th inning.

Pitching Change: #23 Kevin Whelan for #39 Eric Wordekempter

Update 9:44 – Max St. Pierre flies out to center field for the first out of the inning.

Update 9:46 – Will Rhymes flies out to right field for the second out of the inning.

Update 9:48 – Timo Perez grounds out t short stop to end the inning.

Update 9:52 – Kevin Russo triples to lead off the inning. Next up is Jesus Montero here in the 9th in a 3-3 game.

Update 9:55 – The Mudhens intentionally walk Jesus Montero and Jorge Vazquez to bring up Brandon Laird with the bases loaded.

Update 9:57 – Brandon Laird loops a ball into right field, scoring Kevin Russo. Russo scores the game winning run, and the Yankees win 4-3.

WP- Kevin Whelan

LP- Lester Oliveros