Game One Goes to Erie in Road Loss to Begin ELCS
The Somerset Patriots were defeated by the Erie SeaWolves by a final score of 9-5 in Game 1 of the Eastern League Championship Series on Sunday night at UPMC Park in Erie. The loss ensures that Somerset will have to win Tuesday’s game at TD Bank Ballpark in order to
The Somerset Patriots were defeated by the Erie SeaWolves by a final score of 9-5 in Game 1 of the Eastern League Championship Series on Sunday night at UPMC Park in Erie.
The loss ensures that Somerset will have to win Tuesday’s game at TD Bank Ballpark in order to force a decisive third game in the Championship Series, which would also be in Somerset on Wednesday.
All-time, the Patriots fall to 6-14 at UPMC Park in Erie with a -41 run differential at the venue.
Somerset homered in each of the first three innings of the game to take three separate leads. The loss marked Somerset’s fourth this year when hitting 3+ home runs (10-4 record).
The performance marked the first time since August 31 that the Patriots have allowed more than five runs in a game. It also marked the first time Somerset had allowed nine or more runs in a game in since July 31 @BOW.
LHP Ben Shields (4.1 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 7 K) left the game in the fifth inning, when three runs scored to give Erie its first lead of the game.
CF Spencer Jones (1-for-4, 2 RBI, R, HR) gave the Patriots their third lead of the game with his second postseason home run in the third inning. Jones’ homered had an exit velocity of 112.9 mph. He has now homered in two of three postseason games, over which he is 6-for-14 (.429 AVG) with 2 HR, 4 RBI and 2 R. Dating back to the regular season, Jones has reach base in 11 straight games over which he is 15-for-43 (.349 AVG) with 4 HR, 7 XBH, 8 RBI and 8 R.
SPENCER JONES WAS MADE FOR THE POSTSEASON.
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) September 22, 2024
The @Yankees top @MiLB prospect crushes another playoff homer, this one 113 MPH off the bat.🚀⛽️ pic.twitter.com/dLzTohqcfZ
C Rafael Flores (1-for-4, RBI, R, HR, 2 K) opened the scoring with a first inning home run. Flores has now homered in back-to-back postseason games, dating back to Thursday’s Division Series clincher. Flores, who led all Yankees minor leaguers with 21 home runs during the regular season, hit his 23rd overall home run of the 2024 season.
LF Grant Richardson (3-for-4, RBI, 2 R, HR, K) was the lone Patriot with multiple hits, the first of which was a solo home run in the second inning to put the Patriots up 2-1. Richardson has now hit safely in all three postseason games, over which he is 5-for-11 (.455 AVG) with 1 RBI, 3 R, 1 HR and 1 BB.