Pulaski blanks Bristol, 2-0
Pulaski turned to Moo-Laski for the night as the Yankees hosted Ag Night 2.0 and left Calfee Park victorious as they sunk the Bristol Pirates 2-0.
These two teams met last on Monday night when the Pirates hosted the Yankees and Pulaski won that matchup 5-0. Tonight the Yankees pitching staff was feeling it again and combined to throw just a one-hitter and have kept the Pirates off the scoreboard for 18 consecutive innings.
The Yankees sent Leonardo Pestana to the mound for his fourth start of the season and he delivered by throwing four innings of just one hit baseball and struck out five Pirate hitters. In the opposite dugout, Pirates pitcher Tahnaj Thomas, pitched a very solid game himself. He went five innings and only gave up three hits and struck out eight Yankee batters, which set a career high for Thomas.
Thomas really only made one mistake tonight and it was when he left a pitch over the heart of the plate and Yankees catcher Saul Torres made him pay. Torres hit his third home run of the season to left-center field and put Pulaski up 1-0 in the second inning.
The lone Pirate hit came in the third inning on a single to right field with one out off Pestana. The Yankees also earned their second and third hits of the game in the third inning. Nelson B. Alvarez hit a line drive to the right fielder who then attempted to throw Alvarez out at first one the play but Alvarez was able to slide into first to beat the throw. Anthony Volpe followed that with a single to left field but the Yankees were not able to keep the momentum going and finished the inning leaving the two stranded on base.
After Pestana was taken out of the game in the fifth inning, Nelson L. Alvarez came in to pitch one inning and retired the side in order. In fact, after Pestana gave up the single, the Yankees staff combined to retire the next 18 batters in a row.
Pulaski finally broke through again in the bottom of the eighth inning. Deivi Munoz, who recently arrived to Pulaski from the Tampa Tarpons, led off the inning with a single up the middle of the field that barely snuck past the infield. Munoz stole second base on a play where he appeared to be caught dead in his tracks on the pickoff attempt and should have been out in a rundown. The Pirates first baseman struggled to get the ball out of his glove and it allowed Munoz to take second base. With a runner on second base and no outs the Yankees looked poised to add to their one run lead. After the next two batters struck out, Roberto Chirinos finally delivered as he hit a two-out double to take a two run lead.
Tyler Johnson earned his first save of the season after he came in to pitch to start the eighth inning. He struck out two batters over his two innings of work en route to sealing the victory. Alex Mejias also pitched two innings tonight during the fifth and sixth inning and earned his second hold of the year.
The Yankees and Pirates will face of tomorrow night as the Yankees host Little League Night at Calfee Park. Kids who show up to the ballpark in their little league jersey – baseball or softball – will be given a free general admission ticket to the game and can participate in a pre-game baseball clinic. Kids who wish to participate in the clinic should arrive to the ballpark at 1 p.m. Regular gates will open at 4:00 p.m. and first pitch is scheduled for 6:30. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.pulaskiyankees.net or call the front office at 540-980-1070.