Pulaski Yankees Look To Reverse Course Before Playoffs

Despite clinching a playoff berth on Tuesday night thanks to a 5-4 win against the Kingsport Mets the Pulaski Yankees still have some work to do. The pinstripers sit 3.5 games behind the Bluefield Blue Jays for 1^st place in the Appalachian League East Division.
The Yankees are set to make their second playoff appearance in franchise history after winning the Appalachian League East Division during their inaugural 2015 campaign.
"We are very proud and excited for our Pulaski Yankees to clinch a 2017 playoff position and are thankful for the continued support and dedication of the fans and community", said General Manager Blair Hoke.
"We look forward to continued success on field and the opportunity to host additional fans at Calfee Park," Hoke added. 
Pulaski still has six more games to try and overtake the Blue Jays for first place but the pinstripers have dropped seven of their last 10 games while Bluefield owns a 7-3 mark in their last 10 contests.
The Danville Braves won on Friday night 7-6 at Calfee Park to complete a three game sweep of the Yankees.
The Yankees' bullpen has struggled with consistency late in the season. The Yankees were tied 6-6 in the bottom of the 9^th inning on Monday night in Kingsport before the Mets scratched a run across against reliever Chad Martin to win the game 7-6.
The Yankees had a 4-1 edge late in the ballgame on Tuesday night before the bullpen allowed the Mets to knot the score at 4-4 by relinquishing three runs in the bottom of the 8^th. The Yankees eventually prevailed in 12 innings by a 5-4 score in route to clinching a playoff berth.
Pulaski's late inning struggles continued when they returned home to face Danville. Pulaski held a 6-4 lead going into the top of the 9^th in the series opener on Wednesday night before the Braves rallied for three runs in the inning to take a 7-6 lead. Pulaski managed to tie the score in the bottom of the 9^th but the Bravos won 8-7 in 11 innings.
The storyline continued in Thursday night's ballgame. The Yankees opened up a 6-1 lead after 7 innings following a two run homer from Evan Alexander but reliever Garrett Whitlock gave up four runs in the top of the 8^th allowing the Braves to trim their deficit to 6-5. Whitlock stayed on to pitch in the top of the 8^th and allowed a leadoff homer to Griffin Benson that tied the score.
Danville scored again in the top of the 11^th to win the game by a 7-6 score.
The Yankees have been a contender all season and look to reverse course by finishing the season strong on their six game road trip. The first round of the Appalachian League Playoffs begin on Saturday, September 2^nd. Should the Yankees overtake the Blue Jays for first place they will play at Calfee Park on Sunday, September 3^rd and possibly Monday, September 4^th. Should the Yankees remain the second place they will host Bluefield on Saturday, September 2^nd.