Staten Island — The Staten Island Yankees (24-19) scored a pair of runs in the eighth inning, in a 2-0 win over the Auburn Doubledays (19-25), to take the rubber game, Tuesday afternoon.
Second baseman Nick Solak drove in Eduardo Navas with a hard hit line drive to the right-field gap, his 13 RBI of the season. Carlos Vidal scored on a passed ball, in the home half of the eighth, as well. Solak finished 1-4, the same as Vidal.
Prior to Staten Island’s clutch finish, their offense was silent. Doubledays pitcher Tyler Watson struck out five over five innings. He had not allowed a hit until the fifth inning when Angel Aguilar broke the hitless trend with a single to left-field.
Hayden Howard came in for Watson in the sixth, giving up one hit in two scoreless frames. Kyle Simonds pitched the eighth inning, allowing 2 runs and surrendering 3 hits, dominated by the Yankees’ hitting. He took the loss.
Chad Martin started for Staten Island, lasting 6 innings, striking out 3 and walking 3 Doubleday batters. Martin started out the game slow, throwing at least 10 balls inside, but was able to pick himself and throw more strikes. Relief pitcher Claudio Castio was inserted in the seventh inning, giving up 4 hits, and earned the win.
A common trend at Richmond County Bank Ballpark was the running game. In the second inning, Auburn’s catcher, Luis Vilorio, was caught trying to steal second. Also in the second, Dom Thompson-Williams, the Yankees’ DH, was caught stealing second. He was later picked off in the fifth.
Luis Vilorio finished the afternoon going 2-4, with 2 singles. Sheldon Nuese, who has made an instant impression on the Washington Nationals, hit a double off the center-field wall in the top of the ninth. He was 1-4.
The Staten Island Yankees, now one game behind division-leading Hudson Valley, travel to Williamsport for a three-game series against the Williamsport Crosscutters. The Philadelphia Phillies affiliate lost to Mahoning Valley 2-1 on Tuesday. Their first game is on Wednesday.
Auburn plays host to the Pinckney division-leading State College Spikes, the Class A-Short affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They took West Virginia to 11 innings on Tuesday, taking a narrow 5-4 win.
