Success abroad brings Bollinger back to affiliated ball
TRENTON » Six months ago, Ryan Bollinger was half a world away, starting Game 1 of the Australian Baseball League championship series for the Brisbane Bandits.
On Sunday, he carried a no-hitter through 5.2 innings in his first start for the Thunder, and just his third appearance in affiliated baseball since 2013.
Bollinger’s path to a minor league deal with the Yankees, which he signed following his sting in Australia, has also included stops in the independent CanAm League with the TroisRivières Angels (Quebec) and the Baseball Bundesliga with the München-Haar Disciples (Germany).
“I really don’t know how this all happened,” Bollinger said. “I was playing overseas, and I just got lucky somebody saw me. I got a contract offer and here I am.”
Bollinger was originally drafted by the Phillies in the 47th round in 2009 as a first baseman, but was released and then signed by the White Sox where he kicked around in the lower parts of the system for three seasons before collecting stamps on his passport with stops in Quebec, Munich and Brisbane.
“There was always that thought, I might make it back,” Bollinger said, “I was really going over there to enjoy baseball and have a good time playing. Whatever happens, happens and I was lucky enough to get the offer.”
Bollinger, now 27, pitched well enough during a welltraveled 2017 to catch the Yankees’ eye. He went 10-1 with an 0.76 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 106 innings in Germany and then 5-1 with a 3.48 ERA in Australia.
“I learned more about baseball, just having a good time playing again and not being under all that pressure,” he said. “I learned some different things about how to attack hitters and make things go your way.”
A left-hander who sits between 85-88 on his fastball, Bollinger retired the first eight batters he faced in the Thunder’s 4-0 win over Harrisburg and took a no-hitter into the sixth before Yadiel Hernandez singled with two outs.
“He commanded the strike zone and had a really good mound presence,” Thunder manager Jay Bell said. “If you pound the strike zone and make quality pitches, you’re going to see some good things happen. He mixed it up really well, and I was really impressed.”
Bollinger, despite never pitching above Low-A ball, actually made his first two starts for Triple-A Scranton and allowed four runs in nine innings.
He finished his DoubleA debut with five strikeouts and a pair of walks in six innings.
The Thunder (18-10) swept the series from the Senators (10-18) en route to their fifth straight win, which pulled them even with New Hampshire for first place in the EL East.
Trenton jumped on the board with a pair of runs in the first by taking advantage of an RBI single by Trey Amburgey that was coupled with a Harrisburg throwing error.
Brandon Drury, on a rehab assignment from the Yankees, homered to left in the third for a 3-0 lead. Drury hit .385 in eight games for Scranton before joining the Thunder to continue his way back from the migraine headaches that sidelined him.
Abiatal Avelino stole the Thunder’s fourth and final run in the fifth by working a walk then swiping second and advancing to third when the throw kicked away from the second baseman and later scoring on a passed ball. New Hampshire (Jays) Trenton (Yankees) Hartford (Rockies) Binghamton (Mets) Reading (Phillies) Portland (Red Sox)
Western
Akron (Indians) Richmond (Giants) Altoona (Pirates) Bowie (Orioles) Harrisburg (Nat’ls) Erie (Tigers)
Sunday’s games
Trenton 4, Harrisburg 0 Hartford 12, Portland 4
Akron 4, Bowie 1
Erie at Altoona, ppd.
New Hampshire at Binghamton, ppd. Richmond 4, Reading 2
Monday’s games W
17 18 17 13 10 7
W
18 16 15 13 10 10
L
9 10 12 13 16 18
L
11 12 12 15 18 18
Pct
.654 .643 .586 .500 .385 .280
Pct
.621 .571 .556 .464 .357 .357 Bowie at Altoona, 6 p.m. Harrisburg at Erie, 6:05 p.m. Akron at Richmond, 6:35 p.m. Portland at New Hampshire, 6:35 p.m. Reading at Trenton, 7 p.m. Binghamton at Hartford, 7:05 p.m.
GB
—
— 11⁄2 4 7 91⁄2
GB
— 11⁄2
2 41⁄2 71⁄2 71⁄2