Perez Leads Yanks Past Lowell to Advance to Championship Series

Kelvin Perez firing a pitch to the plate - Credit: Robert M. Pimpsner  | read this item

September 12, 2009 – On a chilly, damp and cloudy night on the northern tip of Staten Island the Baby Bombers faced off against the visiting Lowell Spinners in the rubber game of the series.  In front of a intimate crowd of 770 fans the Staten Island Yankees advanced to the NY-Penn League Championship series after defeatin the Lowell Spinners, 5-1.

“The championship series is what these guys have been playing all year for and we are very excited,” said manager Josh Paul

The Yankees struck early in the contest plating 5 runs in the bottom of the second inning off of Spinners starter Yeiper Castillo.  Kyle Higashioka walked and then moved to third on a double by Mike Lyon with 1 out.  A ground out by Kelvin Castro brought Higashioka in for the first run of the game.  Carmen Angelini then walked to put men at the corners with 2-outs.  Jimmy Paredes singled to the shortstop to bring in Lyon and move Angelini to second before a single by DeAngelo Mack to center field allowed Angelini to come around to score, moving Paredes to third.  After a pitching change Luke Murton singled in Paredes and Neil Medchill hit a double to left to bring in Mack, giving the Yankees a 5-0 lead over Lowell.

Kelvin Perez earned the win for the Baby Bombers throwing 87 pitches, 54 for strikes, in 5 innings allowing 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8 Lowell batters.  He was relieved by Griffin Bailey who pitched 2 innings allowing a run on 2 hits while striking out 2.  Bailey threw 26 pitches, 21 for strikes.  Gavin Brooks followed him throwing 24 pitches, 14 for strikes in his inning of work.  He allowed a hit and walk but also struck out a batter in his appearance.

“They’ve done a great job all year,” added Paul, “Tonight Kelvin Perez had a great game got us through pitching five shutout innings.  A lot of good hitting in the second, Castro had some good situational hitting getting the run in with two outs and a string of two-out RBIs after that.”

 Ryan Flannery came into the game to finish it for Staten Island.  Flannery pitched a 1-2-3 inning throwing 17 pitches, 11 for strikes.  The Yankee pitching staff combined to strike out 12 batters in the contest.

 Right-fielder DeAngelo Mack had 2 hits in the ballgame while Jimmy Paredes, Neil Medchill, Luke Murton, Mike Lyon and Carmen Angelini collected single hits apiece.

The Baby Bomber’s manager does not feel that the long bus ride to Mahoning Valley after Monday’s game would be a problem for the Yankees.  “If anything Mahoning Valley has more bus time then we do.  It’s kind of the downside of having the home field advantage in this league as they have to bus twice and we only have bus once.” he said.

Notes:  Right-handed Pitcher Arodys Vizcaino is in Tampa preparing for instructs.  The word is that he is long-tossing and should be preparing to throw off a mound shortly.  Caleb Cotham was shutdown after aggravating a previous injury.  Outfielder Neil Medchill is still nursing a tear in his right wrist.  He was originally scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday but that will be postponed until after the Championship series.  Adam Warren, Sean Black and Jose Ramirez will be starting the three games in the series.  Ramirez would start the final game if it goes that far, all three will be heading to Tampa after the series to participate in instructs.

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