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Yankees' Banuelos tosses one-hitter

Top prospect strikes out six, notches first career shutout
August 29, 2011
When Manny Banuelos is on the mound and Jesus Montero is behind the plate, the Yankees' top two prospects have a direct affect on each other's progress.

Montero made Banuelos look good on Monday evening.

With his catcher homering and calling the pitches, Banuelos tossed a one-hitter for his first career complete game as Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre blanked the Pawtucket Red Sox in the opener of a doubleheader.

The 20-year-old left-hander retired the first 11 batters before walking Daniel Nava and plunking Ryan Lavarnway in the fourth inning. Thanks to a pair of double plays -- Jose Iglesias led off the sixth with a single but was promptly erased -- the Yankees' No. 2 prospect faced the minimum 10 batters the rest of the way. He struck out six, recorded 10 outs on the ground and threw 98 pitches.

The seven innings also matched a career high. Most recently, Banuelos (2-2) gave up a run on five hits over seven frames in his final Double-A start, pitching for Trenton in Harrisburg on Aug. 12.

On three occasions since signing with the Yankees in March 2008, Banuelos limited his opponent to one hit over six innings. His last victim was New Britain on June 26. At Class A Charleston on May 16, 2008, he held Asheville hitless for six innings but allowed an unearned run and walked three.

Banuelos struck out eight against Durham in his successful Triple-A debut on Aug. 18 but followed that up by issuing nine walks over three innings against Rochester on Aug. 23.

The Eastern League midseason All-Star compiled a 4-5 record and 3.59 ERA over 20 starts prior to his promotion.

Batting third, Montero, the Yanks' top prospect and No. 6 overall, took Tony Pena's 10th pitch of the game over the left-field fence. The 21-year-old backstop has 18 homers, including five in his last seven games.

Pena (9-6) also allowed an unearned run in the fifth.

In the nightcap, Yankees No. 3 prospect Dellin Betances also registered his first complete game. But he gave up a two-run homer to Lavarnway in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's 2-0 defeat.

Betances (0-2) walked four, struck out eight and threw 104 pitches.

Andrew Pentis is a contributor to MLB.com.