The Hudson Valley Renegades, Class A Short Season affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, lose a whacky one against the Staten Island Yankees. The Yankees came out on top by the score of 8-6 and win the three-game set with the Renegades.
It was a poorly played baseball game on defense by both teams as a combined eight errors were committed. Hector Lopez started for the Renegades but lasted just three innings. He gave up five runs, four earned, and committed two errors which helped force his way out of the ballgame.
Lopez was rivaled by Yankees starter Alex Vargas who went five innings and gave up four runs on nine hits. He was relieved by Branden Pinder who is currently on a rehab assignment and working his way back to the Major League club. Braden Bristo closed the game out with a three-inning save.
Even with the poorly played defense, both teams had no shortage of hits. The Yankees and Renegades collected 12 and 14 hits respectively in the contest.
For the Yankees, it was designated hitter Dom Thompson-Williams who stood out on offense. He doubled twice, singled, and drove in two runs from the leadoff spot. Oswaldo Cabrera, Carlos Vidal, and Kendall Coleman also put together multi-hit performances of their own.
The Renegades’ leadoff hitter, Vidal Brujan, had an impressive day at the plate as well. He finished the day with two singles, a double, a RBI, and a run scored. Last night’s standout, Oscar Rojas, had another nice day at the plate with two singles, a stolen base, and a run scored.
Emilio Gustave and Bill Pujols also had two-hit games, but it was shortstop Deion Tansel who earned Player of the Night honors for the Renegades. Tansel legged out a triple in the third inning and came around to score. In the fifth, he blasted one over the head of the centerfielder and came all the way around to score. He was credited with his second triple of the game, as well as a RBI.
It was a matter of which team’s errors would hurt them the most and on Friday night it was the Renegades who paid the price. That didn’t deter the home crowd though, as Dutchess Stadium was nearly full in celebration of Italian Heritage Night. The game may not have gone how the home crowd hoped, but fireworks closed out a nice night at The Dutch.
The Yankees move to 3-1 on the season while the Renegades fall to 2-2. The Renegades will travel to Brooklyn where they will face the Cyclones on Saturday night.