Good Afternoon, Yankee fans Josh Horton here at PNC Field for tonight’s game against the Toledo Mud Hens. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

THE STATE OF THE YANKEES…

The Yankees continue an eight game home stand with the second game of a four game series against the Toledo Mud Hens, the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. SWB picked up a 4-3 win over the Mud Hens in the opening game of the series on Friday night. The Yankees will host the Charlotte Knights in the second half of the home stand beginning on Tuesday. 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. The Yankees are in a stretch where the team plays 16 of 20 at PNC Field with Friday’s win SWB improved to 9-11 on their home turf and have won three straight at home after snapping a franchise record tying seven game home losing streak (May 7th – 22nd). With Friday’s win over the Mud Hens and a Lehigh Valley win at Charlotte , 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 18-15 edge including going 10-7 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 122-111.

LAST TIME OUT…

Brandon Laird’s bloop single to right field in the bottom of the ninth inning scored Kevin Russo with the game winning run giving the Yankees a 4-3 win over Toledo in the opening game of the four game series at PNC Field. Laird knocked in two runs on the night including the game winner as Kevin Whelan (W, 1-1) picked up the win in relief of SWB starter David Phelps who allowed 3R (1ER) over 7.1 innings. Bryan Pounds homered off Phelps in the sixth for Toledo and Clete Thomas drove home two runs with an RBI double to tie the game in the eighth off Eric Wordekemper to tie the game at 3-3 before Laird’s game winning hit in the ninth. Lester Oliveros (L, 1-2) took the loss for the Hens in relief of Phil Coke who was making a big league rehab start.

NOW PITCHING FOR THE SWB YANKEES…

Adam Warren is in search of his fourth win of the season and looks to tie David Phelps for the team lead with his first start of the season against Toledo. Warren got no decision in his most recent start at Indianapolis on May 30th tossing 6.0 innings against the Indians allowing 9H and 4ER with 2BB and 4K. The right hander has put up decent numbers in both games started at PNC Field and away from home. Warren is 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in four starts at home with a .244 average against and 2-0 with a 3.89 ERA with a .275 average against in six starts on the road. The Yankees have won seven of the 10 games started by Warren in 2011.

MULTIPLE HITS BY MULTIPLE PLAYERS…

Seven different Yankees had hits in the opening game win against Toledo on Friday night and all seven had multiple hits in the victory over the Mud Hens. Brandon Laird led the 15 hit attack with his second three hit game of the season. Austin Krum, Jesus Montero, Jorge Vazquez, Dan Brewer and Doug Bernier each chipped in with two hits apiece off Toledo pitching. The seven multi-players with multi-hit games occurred for the second time in the last four games for the Yankees who also had seven different players with multi hit games in an 18 hit 10 run effort on May 31st at Victory Field in Indianapolis.

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 .319 (44-138) and is riding a six game hit streak where he is hitting .400 (10-25), with 4R, 2 2B, 2 3B, RBI, BB, 4K, CS. The utility man has eight two hit games in his last 12 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 14 of 16 games (22-62, .385) dating back to May 17th including a season high eight straight from May 23rd – 31st.

BULLPEN CHIPS IN…

Kevin Whelan picked up his first win of the season in the opening game of the four game series against Toledo on Friday night. Whelan’s win for the Yankees bullpen since Ryan Pope picked up a victory at McCoy Stadium against the Pawtucket Red Sox on May 13th in relief of spot starter Lance Pendleton. In between wins for the Yankees pen the unit had gone 0-5 but did convert on four save opportunities.

TURNING THINGS AROUND AT HOME…

The Yankees will play 15 of their next 19 games at PNC Field where the team has gone 9-11 through the first two months and three days of the season. SWB has the most wins on the road of any International League team with 20. The Yankees have the second fewest home wins (Toledo – eight) in the league so far in 2011. The Yankees are hitting 22 points lower at home (.250) than on the road (.272) and is averaging 3.7 runs per game in 20 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 3.26 home ERA and a 3.95 ERA away from PNC Field. After suffering through a franchise record tying seven game home losing streak May 7th-22nd the Yankees have won their last three in a row at PNC Field.

Tonight’s Starting Line-ups –

Toledo Mudhens:

#3 Will Rhymes 2B

#6 Timo Perez LF

#21 Magglio Ordonez DH

#50 Scott Thorman RF

#12 Bryan Pounds 3B

#34 Clete Thomas CF

#17 Cale Iorg SS

#16 Max St. Pierre C

#Duane Below SP

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees

#2 Greg Golson CF

#19 Ramiro Pena SS

#21 Jesus Montero C

#38 Jorge Vazquez 1B

#10 Brandon Laird 3B

#8 Jordan Parraz RF

#5 Kevin Russo 2B

#3 Dan Brewer LF

#15 Luis Nunez DH

#28 Adam Warren SP

Update 7:41 - The Mud Hens jumped out to an early 1-0 lead. In the top of the first, Maglio Ordonez roped an RBI double.

Update 8:11 - Toledo extends their lead to 2-0 in the top of the fourth. Ryan Strieby scored on an infield single off the bat of Cale Iorg.