Matt Tracy Wins SWB Debut as Yankees Stop Red Sox 6-2
The Yankees got on the board in the top of the first inning off Pawtucket starter Mike Mac Donald with one run and if not for an outstanding play by left fielder Jason Repko. With the bases loaded on three straight hits to open the game by Kevin Russo, Corban Joseph and Ronnier Mustelier, Kosuke Fukudome hit a drive to left that appeared to be headed for the Pawtucket bullpen. Repko timed his leap and flipped over the four foot high fence in left field landing in the Red Sox bullpen with ball in glove; robbing Fukudome and the Yankees of a Grand Slam. Fukudome would get a sacrifice fly as Russo scored for a 1-0 lead.
Tracy and the Yankees would see the tying run score in the bottom half of the second inning to even the score at 1-1. Pawtucket had the opportunity for a big inning but Tracy was able to pitch out of a second and third with no out jam only allowing the single tally. Tracy walked the first two hitters of the inning; Andy LaRoche and Bryce Brentz and moved them each up 90 feet on a wild pitch. After a strikeout of Repko for the first out of the inning, Mike Rivera got home the long run of the inning on a fielder's choice to shortstop.
Fukudome came up for the second time in the game with two out in the top of the third inning and this time up left no doubt with a monster home run over the auxiliary scoreboard mounted above the Yankees bullpen in right field breaking the 1-1 tie and giving him his second RBI of the night and SWB the 2-1 lead.
MacDonald was finished after the fourth inning allowing two runs to the Yankees on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Tracy pitched through the fifth inning in his Scranton/Wilkes-Barre debut leaving with a 2-1 advantage. The southpaw allowed one run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
The Yankees added a run in the top of the fifth inning without the benefit of base hit in the first inning of relief for Tony Pena Jr. The right hander hit the first two SWB batters he faced; grazing the jersey of Mustelier and hitting Fukudome in the leg. A fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Garner moved Mustelier to third with one out. He would score on Austin Romine's sacrifice fly for a 3-1 Yankees lead.
Pawtucket closed the gap to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning picking up a single run off Yankees reliever Manny Delcarmen, who entered the game replacing Tracy. Nate Spears knocked in Repko with a single to single to center after he walked with two outs and went first to third on Mike Rivera's single to left.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre put the game away in the eighth inning with three runs off Paw Sox reliever Alex Wilson who came into the game to start the inning. Darnell McDonald drew a one out walk and moved to second on a two out walk to Russo. Corban Joseph slashed a double inside the bag at first base scoring both runners to push the advantage to 5-2. Mustelier, who extended his hit streak to nine games, singled to right center for the final run of the night scoring Joseph for a 6-2 advantage.
The Yankees and Red Sox conclude the regular season on Monday afternoon with a 1:05 PM first pitch from McCoy Stadium. Left hander Mike O'Connor (3-6, 3.75 ERA) gets the start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre while Pawtucket will counter with righty Steven Wright (0-1, 3.86 ERA).