Yankees MILB 5/23: George Lombard’s 4-Hit Night

News:

OF Jasson Dominguez didn’t play in either game of today’s doubleheader for Somerset. He just played back-to-back games for the first time, so it is possible that this was planned.  They are not going to rush this rehab.

Scranton (31-17) (Split a doubleheader with Syracuse)

Game 1 (Won, 3-2, on a walk-off single)

2B Caleb Durbin1-for-4, 2B (17)
3B Oswald Peraza0-for-2, 2 BB
With DJ LeMahieu healthy and Gleyber Torres likely going nowhere, the path to MLB (in 2024) is hard to find. I assume the Yankees are open to trading him, especially if they have confidence in someone like Durbin. Another option certainly would be to throw him in the 2025 second base competition.
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4, RBI
Rumfield had the game-winning single.
RF Oscar Gonzalez1-for-2, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, 2 K
  PR-LF Brandon Lockridge0-for-0, RS
C Luis Torrens1-for-2, SB (1), BB
DH Jose Rojas1-for-2, RBI, BB
SS Kevin Smith0-for-3, K
CF Greg Allen0-for-2, RS, BB

RHP Baron Stuart (W, 1-0):  7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
Called up from Hudson Valley specifically to make this start, Stuart tosses a 7-inning complete game. He probably will head back to Hudson Valley (where he compiled a 4.13 ERA in 24 IP with a 16/11 K/BB), but this was an impressive effort in a series that was dominated by offense before today.

Game 2 (Lost, 4-2)

3B Caleb Durbin0-for-0, RS, HBP
Durbin stayed in the game long enough to score after being HBP but left the game soon after that. Hopefully, it is precautionary.
  3B Kevin Smith0-for-2
1B T.J. Rumfield0-for-2, SF, RBI, K
Rumfield is hitting .300/.353/.417 since his promotion with 24 RBI in 31 games.
C Carlos Narvaez0-for-3, K
LF Taylor Trammell1-for-2, RBI, CS (2), K
  LF Greg Allen0-for-1, K
DH Oscar Gonzalez1-for-3, SB (2)
Gonzalez now owns a 7-game hitting streak.
RF Jose Rojas0-for-3, 2 K
SS Jeter Downs0-for-3, 3 K
2B Josh VanMeter1-for-1, RS, BB
CF Brandon Lockridge1-for-2

LHP Tanner Tully: (L, 0-3) 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
RHP Ron Marinaccio1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Mauricio1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.23 ERA (22 IP, 16 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 25 K). I am not sure if the Yankees are the organization that will give him a chance, but he is doing the best he can to get everyone to notice.


Somerset (20-22) (Lost a doubleheader to New Hampshire)

Game 1 (Lost, 5-4, in 9 (extra) innings)

SS Ben Cowles0-for-4, RS, K
1B Agustin Ramirez2-for-4, RBI, SB (10)
Ramirez has already reached double digits in HR and SB.  He is hitting .272/.394/.574.
C Ben Rice1-for-3, HR (11), RBI, RS, BB, K
Rice has three home runs in his last two games.
RF Jared Wegner0-for-4, K
3B Jordan Groshans1-for-3, BB, 2 K
DH J.C. Escarra1-for-3, RS, K
CF Elijah Dunham1-for-4, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-4, K
LF Aaron Palensky1-for-4, K

RHP Zach Messinger5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
3.75 ERA (50.1 IP, 39 H, 29 R, 21 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 56 K).  After allowing 1.24 HR/9 in 2023, he has it down to 0.72/9 in 2024. He has also maintained a strong K rate while reducing his walks from 4.80/9 in 2023 to 2.86/9 in 2024. We may just be witnessing a maturing starting pitcher.
RHP Luis Velasquez1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
This is what you call a noisy line.
LHP Ryan Anderson (L, 1-3): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Game 2 (Lost, 9-0)

DH Spencer Jones0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
.220/.302/.325 in 139 PA. Cue the complainers who say the Yankees should have traded him “when his value was high!” Some people should not follow minor league baseball if they are unwilling to understand player development. Jones didn’t forget how to play overnight – give him time to find his groove (for the record, I am not against trading most any prospect – but I don’t base that on random hot or cold minor league streaks)
1B Ben Rice1-for-4, K
Rice is at .247/.373/.507. Before his current hot streak (four games), he was hitting .233/.356/.444. It gets harder to improve your triple slash significantly with one little hot streak as you get later into the season, but Rice has done that lately.
SS Ben Cowles2-for-3
He is at .324 with a .926 OPS. This is his 13th multi-hit game of the season. If the Yankees don’t go outside the organization to fill the probable 2B vacancy, put Cowles on the list of potential candidates.
C J.C. Escarra0-for-3, K
CF Grant Richardson0-for-3, K
RF Elijah Dunham0-for-2, SB (4), BB
3B Jordan Groshans0-for-2, BB
LF Jared Wegner0-for-2, BB
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-3, K

LHP Josh Maciejewski: (L, 0-2) 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Kevin Stevens1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Leonardo Pestana1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 8.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Aaron Palensky1.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Somerset ran out of pitchers, so Palensky had to eat four outs.


Hudson Valley (20-19) (Destroyed Brooklyn, 16-3)

3B DJ LeMahieu1-for-4, 2B (1), RS
He is on track to join the team in Anaheim.
   PH-3B Beau Brewer0-for-2, K
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-5, 2 RS, BB, K
Serna extends his on-base streak to 21.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 5-for-5, 2B (1), 5 RBI, 3 RS, BB
Vivas, someone to watch in the 2025 second base competition, was 2-for-21 on his rehab assignment entering tonight. He ties his best for RBI in a game, but not hits. He had a 6-hit game on 6/8/21 when he was a member of the Dodgers organization.
DH Jesus Rodriguez1-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB
.310/.388/.490 in 165 PA. It feels like he is on a 5,000-game hitting streak, but this effort increased it to five.
CF Jace Avina3-for-5, 2B (13), 3 RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
Avina is at .310 with a .933 OPS in 132 PA (13 doubles, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 19 R, 4-for-4 SB). His K% is high (28.0) but is down from his 29.6% rate in Low-A last year. The ceiling is tantalizing.
C Omar Martinez2-for-4, 2B (6), HR (5), SF, 5 RBI, 2 RS
Don’t forget about Martinez, who is a legitimate catching prospect. He is on an 8-game hitting streak (10-for-28, 4 doubles, 1 HR, 6 RBI) and is up to .250 with a .849 OPS (19.7% BB, 21.8% K)
1B Kiko Romero1-for-5, 2B (4), RS, 2 K
RF Cole Gabrielson3-for-5, 2B (6), RBI, RS
Gabrielson’s second career 3-hit game. 
LF Kyle Battle: 1-for-4, 3 RS, SB (5), BB
I like seeing this from prospects like Battle…

RHP Sebastian Keane: (W, 3-3)  5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HR
5.11 ERA (37 IP, 38 H, 21 R, 21 ER, 3 HR, 18 BB, 35 K). This is the first time in his short career that he has allowed multiple HR in a game (he has allowed 4 in 68.2 innings). He is a legit prospect to place somewhere in your brain as he develops.
RHP Steven Fulgencio1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Since returning from his rehab: 9.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 15 K. Add him to the mile-long list of relief prospects. 

Tampa (15-27) (Defeated Jupiter, 8-1)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 4-for-5, 3 RBI
This raises his triple slash from .193/.366/.239 to .226/.385/.269. This is his second career 4-hit effort (did it on 9/3/23, after being promoted to this level). The power hasn’t shown up yet, but remember that Anthony Volpe had 3 HR and .355 SLG in 150 PA for Pulaski in 2019.  Lombard is at 117 career plate appearances.
SS Roderick Arias1-for-5, K
.214/.337/.351 in 184 PA. 
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-5, 2 K
CF Jackson Castillo0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Willy Montero1-for-5, HR (1), RBI, RS, K
Power has yet to be a part of Montero’s game (7th career HR in 153 games). He hasn’t hit for average this year (got off to a miserable start), but has played better in May.
DH Coby Morales2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, SB (8), BB, 2 K
.250/.370/.299 in 173 PA. He is 21-for-67 in May (.313/.413/.403). 
3B Brenny Escanio1-for-4, RS, K
C Edinson Duran: 2-for-3, 2 3B (3), 2 RS, BB
Oh to be a young catcher capable of legging out two triples. He has 8 triples in 110 career games. 
LF Daury Arias1-for-4, 2B (3), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K

RHP Cade Smith: (W, 2-2)  7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
2.41 ERA (37.1 IP, 23 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 46 K). He maxed out at 95.6 MPH (averaged 93.3). This is an impressive first professional season. At 22 years old, he is a candidate for a Hudson Valley promotion this season.
RHP Jordy Luciano2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K


FCL (8-6) (Defeated the Tigers, 5-4, thanks to a 3-run bottom of the 8th (after the Tigers scored two in the top of the 8th. This was a scheduled 7-inning game, so the 8th inning was extra innings. Got it? Good.)

CF Brando Mayea2-for-4, K
3-for-8 with a pair of walks and strikeouts.
C Josue Gonzalez0-for-4
DH Engelth Urena1-for-3, 2 RS, HBP, K
LF Brian Sanchez3-for-4, 2 2B (6), RBI, 2 RS
Sanchez has shown off his doubles/triples power in his brief minor league career (13 doubles, 5 triples in 44 games). He has five multi-hit games in 11 games this season.
SS Juan Matheus1-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS, CS (4), BB
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 1-for-2, RBI, SB (3), 2 BB, K
1B Diomedes Hernandez2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 K
Hernandez walked it off with an RBI single. The 19-year-old is listed as a catcher, though he has yet to get behind the dish in 2024 (only 7 games played).
2B Gabriel Terrero0-for-1, 2 BB
RF Fidel Montero1-for-3, CS (1), K

RHP Angel Benitez3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
2.16 ERA (8.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 9 K). He stands 6’7″ and likely has some of the command/control issues that come with that. He has time to work on that.
RHP Sabier Marte3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 3 K
0.68 ERA (13.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 12 K)
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz (W, 2-0): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K


DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!