Toledo Mud Hens @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (6/5/11)

Good afternoon and welcome to Above the Plate, for this afternoon’s game between the Toledo Mud Hens and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. I’m Dave Scarnato and this is the pregame report.

The Yankees fell to the Mud Hens last evening 7-3. The Yankees current record is 29=24 and trail Lehigh Valley by 4 games in the IL North. The Mud Hens improve to 26-31 and trail the Columbus Clippers by 10.5 games, sitting in last in the IL West.

Here are today’s starting Lineups.

Toledo

#         Name         Pos.

3    Will Rhymes   2b

6    Timo Perez      DH

21  Magglio Ordonez  RF

55  Ryan Strieby    1b

12   Bryan Pounds  3b

13  Ben Guez         LF

34  Clete Thomas  CF

17  Cale Iorg        SS

27  Jeff Kunkel    C

Starting Pitcher: #24 Ramon Garcia

Yankees

#         Name       Pos.

2  Greg Golson CF

19 Ramiro Pena  SS

21 Jesus Montero  C

38  Jorge Vazquez 1B

10 Brandon Laird 3B

8   Jordan Parraz DH

5  Kevin Russo  2B

3   Dan Brewer   RF

13 Austin Krum  LF

Starting Pitcher: 26 Buddy Carlyle

First Pitch – 1:08, Game time temperature 67 degrees.

Update 1:10 - The Mud Hens are on the board. Will Rhymes drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a double to centerfield by Timo Perez. Golson nearly came up with the catch on a diving attempt. However, the ball got under his glove and rolled all the way to the left – centerfield wall.

Update 1:14 - Buddy Carlye gets out of the inning having allowed just one run. Bryan Pounds flew out to Dan Brewer in right field and left Timo Perez stranded at third base. Greg Golson will lead things off for the Yankees in the bottom half of the first inning.

Update 1:25 - Brandon Laird continues to hit the ball well. He just roped an RBI single right back up the middle, Pena scores easily from third to tie the game at 1-1. Jordan Parraz is the new hitter with runners on first base and second base and two out in the inning.

Update 1:30 - Jordan Parraz works a 3-2 count, but flies out to right field to end the inning. Vazquez and Laird were left on base in the inning. However, the Yankees were able to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second. Ben Guez will lead things off for the Mud Hens in the top of the second.

Update 1:35 - Great defensive play by Jesus Montero to come up with an inning ending catch. Carlyle goes 1-2-3. Kevin Russo to lead off.

Update 1:45 - Yankees go down in order in the second. Jeff Kunkel will lead things off for the Yankees in the top half of the third.

Update 1:52 - Timo Perez ropes a two out double to right – centerfield. Maglio Ordonez at the plate for the Mud Hens.

Update 1:53 - Ordonez flies out to left field to end the inning.

Update 1:59 - Ramiro Pena just blasted a home run to left field to give the Yankees a 3-1 advantage in the bottom of the third inning. Dan Brewer now at the plate with nobody out.

Update 2:02 - Yankees fail to extend their lead after the Pena homer. To the fourth we go, Ryan Strieby at the plate.

Update 2:11 - Another K for Carlyle. 1-2-3 with a flashy play by 3b Brandon Laird. Yanks to bat in the bottom of the 4th.

Update 2:15 - Yankees retired in order again in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Update 2:24 - Will Rhymes flies out to Dan Brewer in right field to end the inning. To the bottom half of the fifth we go.

Update 2:34 - Nothing doing for the Yankees in the bottom of the fifth. Timo Perez will lead off the sixth inning for the Mud Hens.

Update 2:37 - Magglio Ordonez just crushed a ball to left – center, but was tagged out at second thanks to the 7-6-4. Nice play by Krum, Pena and Russo. Strieby then popped up to end the inning. Yankees lead is 3-1 as we go to the bottom of the inning.

Update 2:48 - Brandon Laird is left stranded at first base in the bottom of the sixth. George Kontos is the new Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitcher.

Update 2:55 - Cale Iorg just doubled in Bryan Pounds. It was a very close play at the plate, however Montero dropped the ball.

Update 3:09 - Greg Golson grounds out to shortstop ending the seventh inning. He nearly beat out the throw. Will Rhymes will lead off the eighth inning for the Mud Hens.

Update 3:15 - Magglio Ordonez flies out to shallow left field to end the top of the eighth. Greg Golson looks much faster than he was prior to being injured.

Update 3:22 - Jorge Vazquez K’s. Kevin Whelan in for the save attempt in the top of the ninth inning. He will face Ryan Strieby.