Eastern League Championship One Win Away For Somerset After Early Onslaught
Bridgewater, New Jersey – With their backs against the wall, the Somerset Patriots staved off elimination with a 9-2 defeat of the Erie SeaWolves at TD Bank Ballpark on Tuesday night to move within one win of being crowned Eastern League Champions. The winner-take-all third game of the Eastern League
Bridgewater, New Jersey – With their backs against the wall, the Somerset Patriots staved off elimination with a 9-2 defeat of the Erie SeaWolves at TD Bank Ballpark on Tuesday night to move within one win of being crowned Eastern League Champions.
The winner-take-all third game of the Eastern League Championship Series will take place on Wednesday night at TD Bank Ballpark, beginning at 6:35 p.m.
Austin Wells established the tone of the game for the Patriots, walloping a three-run homer out to right field to put the Patriots up 3-0 before the first out in the game was recorded by Chance Kirby.
AUSTIN WELLS WITH AN ABSOLUTE LASER!⚡️
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) September 27, 2022
The @Yankees No. 4 prospect crushes a three-run homer to put Somerset on the board in the first. pic.twitter.com/dasory6K1D
Kirby, who led all Eastern League pitchers in ERA (2.62), WHIP (0.94) and BAA (.197) was chased out of the game after throwing just 31 pitches to 10 batters and allowing five earned runs for just the third time all season.
The first five Patriots reached off him in the first inning, when four runs wound up scoring to start the game. Jesus Bastidas delivered a sacrifice fly that put the Patriots up 4-0 entering the second.
The very next inning, Corey Joyce chopped Somerset's lead in half with a two-run homer off of Patriots starter Yoendrys Gomez.
Heading to the bottom of the second up 4-2, the Patriots made a statement with two more home runs from Jasson Dominguez and Elijah Dunham.
JASSON DOMINGUEZ SENDS THIS ONE HOME TO MARS🚀
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) September 27, 2022
The @Yankees No. 2 prospect homers to make it a 6-2 game in the second. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/v9dZgEzmvE
Then up 8-2, Andres Chaparro added an RBI-double in the fourth inning that capped the game's scoring at 9-2 Patriots.
Yoendrys Gomez was the winning pitcher for Somerset, hurling five innings and allowing just the two runs on six strikeouts.
Barrett Loseke, Emmanuel Ramirez and Carlos Espinal closed out the game with four combined scoreless innings. The Patriots' pitching staff struck out 16 SeaWolves.
Now, the Patriots and SeaWolves will match up in the third game of the Eastern League Championship Series on Wednesday night at TD Bank Ballpark. The winner of the game will be crowned Eastern League Champions for the first time in franchise history.
Yankees No. 15 prospect RHP Randy Vasquez will get the start for Somerset opposite Tigers No. 4 prospect Ty Madden with first pitch slated for 6:35 p.m.
Fans can follow the action live as Steven Cusumano calls the play-by-play on MiLB.tv and FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5 FM | 1450 AM, the Flagship Station for Patriots Baseball, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:20 p.m.
About the Somerset Patriots
The Somerset Patriots are the New York Yankees Double-A Affiliate and develop today’s top minor league talent into the pinstriped superstars of tomorrow for MLB’s winningest team. The Patriots compete in the Double-A Eastern League and play their home games at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ, where fans of all ages and levels of baseball fandom get to enjoy the unique experience that is minor league baseball.