Sublett Leads Yanks to Game Two Victory

Damon Sublett lead the baby bombers to their second consecutive victory

By: Robert Pimpsner

July 28, 2007 – Damon Sublett lead the baby bombers to their second consecutive victory over the Tri-City Valley Cats.  Sublett drove in two of the Yankees three runs and was one of two players to go three for five in the contest.

                Ryan Zink started the game for the Staten Island Yankees, making his fifth start of the season.  Zink struggled with control in the game, walking four batters in just two innings of work.  He walked one in the first but with a man on first and one he walked the next three batters to allow the Valley Cats to get an early lead.  The bombers would go to the pen for the third inning and bring in Craig Heyer to pitch.   Heyer got into trouble in the third, allowing a double and single to give Tri-City the 2-0 lead.  He did not pitch bad, allowing just that one run in three innings of work.

                The bombers came back to tie the game in the fifth inning.  After Chris Raber struck out, Brain Chavez doubled and then scored when Justin Snyder doubled.  Taylor Holiday singled to put men on the corners and one out.  Damon Sublett would single for the first of his two RBIs on the night.  The game remained tied until the seventh inning when with one out Justin Snyder belted his ninth double for the season and then came home when Damon Sublett singled to right.

                John Axford took over on the mound in the sixth inning, Axford pitched three innings to get the win, his first of the season.  He pitched six one hit innings and did not allow any runs to lower his ERA to 2.22.  Jonathan Ortiz came in the ninth to close out the game and earn his fifth save.  Ortiz has become the Yankees closer; a role that was up in the air after Nick Peterson was placed on the disabled list.

Notes:  Dan Kapala has been assigned to the Staten Island Yankees; the right hander joins the team from Notre Dame University.  The Yankees selected Kapala in the 46 round of the 2007 First Year Player Draft.