Yanks make up for missed chances in 11th

It took two extra innings and a couple of wasted opportunities, but Staten Island finally prevailed in Game 1 of its New York-Penn League semifinal series.

After the Yankees twice failed to score with the bases loaded and nobody out, Junior Valera delivered a walk-off double in the 11th to give Staten Island a 3-2 victory over Tri-City on Wednesday night at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

With one out in the 11th, Ryan Krill and Trey Amburgey hit back-to-back singles off reliever Zac Grotz (0-1). Valera followed with a shot to the gap in right-center field, scoring pinch-runner Danienger Perez with the winning run.

"Usually, when you don't get anything out of two bases-loaded, no-out situations, you don't usually win. But we got it done," Staten Island manager Pat Osborn said. "It's a credit to [reliever] Jonny Drozd to keep Tri-City at bay for three innings and then Junior Valera coming up big, like he has all year long. We got through it, we got out of there with a 'W.' It wasn't pretty, but we got the win."

With the score tied, 2-2, the Yankees filled the bases with none out in the seventh, but Yeyfry Del Rosario came out of ValleyCats bullpen and retired Amburgey, Valera and Drew Bridges. Three innings later, Staten Island again loaded the bases, but Kyle Holder's comebacker was sandwiched between two strikeouts by Grotz.

"A lot of times, big moments like those two moments, especially in the bottom of the 10^th, can get to young players. You try to tell them, 'the goal is still the same as a hitter. Get a good pitch to hit. Put yourself in position to succeed in that at-bat and don't try to do too much.' But it's hard to do," Osborn said. "That's a tough position to be in, looking down that barrel with a runner on third, less than two outs to win a ballgame. We're all human, and those big moments can get to us."

Staten Island starter James Kaprielian was sharp in his longest outing since the Yankees selected him with the 16^th overall pick in this year's Draft.

Following his last outing, pitching coach Butch Henry expressed the need for the Yankees' No. 5 prospect to be more economical with his pitches, and Kaprielian heeded that advice. He limited Tri-City to a run on four hits while fanning out four over six innings, throwing 52 of 68 pitches for strikes.

"He was very efficient throwing his fastball in the strike zone, getting early contact and throwing his other pitches for strikes," Osborn said. "Any guys with that type of stuff, you're going to get early swings from hitters because they don't want to get to two strikes. He was throwing his stuff in the zone. Prior to tonight, he was trying to get swing and misses, was missing early, getting 2-0 counts. That was kind of what was putting him out of a ballgame earlier than he would like."

The Staten Island bullpen nearly matched Kaprielian's effort as Jeff Degano, Michael Schaub and Drozd (1-0) allowed a run and four hits over five innings.

The ValleyCats will try to avoid the sweep when the series shifts to Troy, New York, on Thursday.

In other NYPL playoff action:

Williamsport-West Virginia, postponed