Carson Excels in Triple-A Debut

Ex-Staten Island Yankee goes 4 for 6 with the SWB Yankees

By: Robert Pimpsner

May 4, 2008 – Yesterday afternoon the Staten Island Yankees Booster Club held their first ever bus trip to see the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in action at PNC Field.  Upon arriving at the home of the Triple-A Yankees the Baby Bomber faithful were treated to a spectacular surprise.  Former Staten Island Yankee outfielder Matt Carson was called up and was in the lineup for Scranton.

            Carson began the season in Double-A with the Trenton Thunder where he batted .277 with 7 doubles, 4 triples, and 5 homeruns.  His 26 RBIs leads the Trenton hitters for the 2008 season.  Fans expected the 26 year old to begin the season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but was held back in Trenton due to the over-crowded outfield in Triple-A.  That move ultimately held back former SI Yankee Edwar Gonzalez in Tampa who took Carson’s spot with the Thunder.

            The young right-fielder began the game with a fly out to Staten Island resident John Rodriguez in the first inning.  In the bottom of the third Carson would get his first Triple-A hit witch was an infield single to the third baseman.  His second hit came in the fifth inning, where he led the inning off with a triple on a fly ball to centerfield.  Matt would hit singles in the sixth and seventh inning before striking out in his final at bat in the eighth.

            Even with his excellent performance Carson was not the start of the game.  That honor belonged to another ex-Staten Island Yankee, leftfielder Justin Christian.  The speedy outfielder was 4 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 6 RBIs for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.  He was just a triple shy of the cycle.  To back up his stellar day at the plate Christian made a spectacular catch in the ninth inning.

            In the game ex-Staten Island Yankee players accounted for 14 out of the 20 hits.  It includes multiple hits by Brett Gardner and Bernie Castro.  Eric Duncan came into the game as a defensive replacement and was 1 for 1 with 2 RBIs.  Jeff Marquez started the game and went 5.2 innings for his first win at home.  Marquez allowed 6 runs on 10 hits, four homeruns and struck out 4.

Notes: Edwar Gonzalez was 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs in his Double-A debut, he also scored a run.  Andres Perez replaced Gonzalez with the Tampa Yankees of the Florida State League.  Perez did not play in last night’s game.  Ryan Zink was promoted to the Charleston RiverDogs from extended spring training.  To make room for Zink the Yankees reassigned infielder Walter Ibarra to extended spring training.