Yankees continue dominance with 5-3 win over Renegades

The Staten Island Yankees (13-2) were in a spot they have not been in the past couple of days as they actually trailed the Hudson Valley Renegades (6-10), but battled back for the win, 5-3.
The starting pitching was front and center once again as Alexander Vargas (W, 3-0) took the mound in his third start of the season. Vargas had a solid first inning before running into trouble in the second. With runners on first and third for the Renegades, Oscar Rojas hit a sacrifice fly to score Rafelin Lorenzo from third giving the Renegades a 1-0 lead.
After that, Vargas was locked in and on cruise control as he pitched seven innings, allowing just the one run and four hits, while striking out two batters and walking none. He picked up his third win of the year.
"He did a tremendous job without his best stuff today," said Staten Island Yankees manager Julio Mosquera. "He was in trouble in the beginning and today he showed us huge maturity on his part. He realized in the middle of the game that he didn't have his best stuff, and he had to rely on locating his fastball and his off pitches to keep hitters off balance. For a young guy like that to have that mentality in the middle of the game, it's impressive."
Jason Lopez got the start for the Yankees today and witnessed firsthand how Vargas navigated through the game.
"He battled out there today," said Lopez through Mosquera. "He didn't have his best breaking ball today, and he used his fastball inside to a lot of the hitters. It gives him a little more confidence."
After Vargas gave up the one run the Baby Bomber bats were quiet until the fifth inning when Oswaldo Cabrera came through again with an RBI single to tie the game. The Yanks would then go on to add three more runs in the fifth and one more run in the seventh.
"We got a little bit more selective," said Mosquera referring to how the team battled back against opposing pitcher Hector Lopez. "We gave at bats away, we sat back and watched what he was doing, and the hitting coach [Kevin Mahoney] went over the game plan. When one guy starts the others start following."
With this win the Yankees are now 13-2 on the season and owners of the best record in the New York-Penn League. They have won six straight games as they hit the road to MCU Park to take on the Brooklyn Cyclones (4-12) Friday night before returning to Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Saturday for a doubleheader against Brooklyn with first pitch slated for 6 p.m.
The first 1,750 fans in the ballpark on Saturday, July 8, get a free Made in America "Staten Island Fever" t-shirt, sponsored by IBEW, as part of 70's Night. Also, post-game fireworks sponsored by IBEW will take place following the second game of the doubleheader. Gates open at 5 p.m.