Pulaski, VA - The Yankees overcame a slow start offensively to tie the game in the ninth inning with some heroics and send the game to extra innings where they fell 5-3 to Greeneville in the series finale.
Pulaski, VA - The Yankees overcame a slow start offensively to tie the game in the ninth inning with some heroics and send the game to extra innings where they fell 5-3 to Greeneville in the series finale.
The Reds took a 1-0 lead on the third pitch of the game with a lead off home run off Yankees starter Ryan Anderson. Ivan Johnson hit the fastball over the batters eye in dead center field to extend his league leading on base streak to 22 games. It was just the second home run that Anderson had given up this season. He recovered to retire the next three batters in order. Anderson retired the side in order the next three innings with five strikeouts along the way. He got the first two batters out in the top of the fifth before issuing his first and only walk to end his night.
It was the longest outing of the season for Anderson who hadn't gone past three innings due to the inning restriction New York has placed on him. The Pulaski offense started the game ice cold after the 15-run performance last night and only managed one hit through the first seven innings.
Kenlly Montas replaced Anderson with two outs in the fifth inning and retired the only batter he faced with a ground ball to the first baseman. In his first full inning of work he gave up back-to-back singles to start the sixth before getting a double play and another ground ball to the end the Reds threat and kept the score 1-0. Montas then started the top of the seventh with eight straight balls to put two runners aboard and a sac-bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Montas issued another walk to load the bases for the Reds with one out. A ground ball resulted in a fielder's choice and a run to score as Greeneville took a 2-0 lead.
Jake Farrell led off the bottom of the eighth inning with an opposite field single to left field to give the Yankees their first hit since the first inning. Robert Javier followed him with a hard hit ball to center field that was misjudged and Javier ended up on third base. With the tying run on third with no one out, a sharply hit ground ball down the third base line carried the Reds third baseman right over the bag and he was able to tag Javier for the first out of the inning on the fielder's choice. Back-to-back strikeouts ended the Yankees ability to tie the game and the game was 2-1 headed to the ninth inning.
Hayden Wesneski replaced Montas in the top of the ninth to try and keep the Greeneville lead at one run. He got a ground out and strikeout to start the inning and capped it off with his second strikeout of the inning as the Yanks headed to the bottom of the ninth.
After getting down to their last out, Jake Pries came through in the clutch with a home run to dead center field to tie the game at 2-2. It was Pries's fourth home run of the year and none more important.
In extra innings the Reds led off with a single to give the Reds runners on first and third before Wesneski struck out the next two batters. Ivan Johnson's second home run of the game gave the Reds a 5-2 lead. The Yankees got one back in the bottom of the 10th with a lead off single from Farell that scored Mendez. Back-to-back strikeouts put the Yanks once again down to their last out. Anthony Volpe hit a double to advance Farrell to third base and the tying run was on second. Antonio Cabello struck out to end the game and the Reds were able to salvage one game in the series. With the loss, the Yankees fell to 2-3 in extra innings on the year.
The Yankees will start a three game road trip to Elizabethton tomorrow night and will be back at Calfee Park next Thursday after an off day on Wednesday.
The Pulaski Yankees are the Advanced Rookie level affiliate of the New York Yankees playing in the Appalachian League. Pulaski is celebrating its 54th season in the Appalachian League in 2019. Calfee Park has won league championships in 1948, 1969, 1986, 1991 and 2013. Motor Mile Field at Calfee Park opened in 1935 and was renovated for the team's first season as a Yankees affiliate in 2015. For more information, please visit www.pulaskiyankees.net or follow the Pulaski Yankees on social media, @PulaskiYanks (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram). This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
