Thunder's Sanchez now booming at plate

Prior to this weekend, Gary Sanchez had rarely felt the thrill of a four-hit game. After his last three days at the plate, Sanchez just might be getting used to that particular brand of excitement.

The Yankees' top prospect posted four hits for the second time in three games as Double-A Trenton rallied to take home a 13-9 win over Richmond in a Memorial Day series finale.

On Friday, Sanchez belted his fifth homer of the year and added three singles in a 6-1 win over the Flying Squirrels. Monday was more of the same.

With a first-inning single already under his belt, Sanchez helped the Thunder erase a five-run deficit in the fifth, doubling to bring home the third and fourth runs of a five-run inning. Two innings later, he sparked another Trenton rally with a leadoff single to jump-start a three-run frame that secured the lead for good.

In the eighth, Sanchez helped provide another charge with a two-out single that put runners at the corners. Tyler Austin followed with an RBI base hit, and Trenton added two more runs in the ninth.

With nine hits over his last three games, Sanchez has boosted his batting average from .224 to .259 and his OPS from .662 to .740. The backstop has driven in five runs in his last three games and scored a run in each of his last four. Prior to Friday, the lone four-hit game of the 21-year-old's career came on April 16, 2012 with Class A Charleston.

Neither Trenton starter Caleb Cotham nor top Giants prospect Kyle Crick of Richmond made it past four complete innings. Thunder reliever Manny Barreda (4-0) kept his team close to earn the win, charged with three runs on four hits while walking two and striking out two over 2 1/3 innings.

Richmond's Bryce Bandilla (0-2) allowed two runs on a hit while walking two in 1 1/3 frames.