Trenton bats overcome Green’s struggles
TRENTON >> The Thunder are suddenly finding creative ways to win in the second half of the season.
Shaking off a rough pitching performance from Nick Green, Trenton strung together four runs in the bottom of the sixth and sneaked past Harrisburg, 7-5, Sunday at Arm & Hammer Park for the team’s fifth straight win.
The Thunder (26-26) still trail Reading by six games in the division’s second-half race. Trenton already secured homefield advantage in the Eastern League Division Series by virtue of winning the first half, but considering the club lost seven straight to open July, finding a rhythm again as the year winds down is critical.
“These guys have been in a really good spot,” manager Patrick Osborn said. “Even when we’re down they’re having fun, they’re joking. I think there’s a sense that, ‘Hey, we can do this. We can come back.’ That’s huge when you’re losing games to always feel like you’re still in it. You hear the big-league team talk about that. They have that type of attitude. You never want to count yourselves out, and that’s what this team is feeling right now.”
With the Thunder down 5-2 entering the bottom of the sixth, Brandon Wagner walked and Hoy Jun Park doubled to chase Senators starter Kevin McGowan from the game.
“I think Hoy’s at-bat really set the tone because he had two strikes on him, and a changeup that the guy had been really handling most of our hitters with all day long, he left a changeup up and Hoy was able to put it in the gap,” Osborn said.
After Chris Gittens’ sacrifice fly cut the deficit to two, Kellin Deglan singled and Isiah Gilliam roped his sixth home run of the year to give Trenton its first lead of the evening. Back-toback doubles by Matt Lipka and Angel Aguilar made it 7-5 and forced Harrisburg to go its bullpen again.
Gittens, a 25-year-old first baseman, became the 18th player in franchise history to reach 20 home runs in a season when he launched an opposite-field shot into the Delaware River in right field in the second inning.
The last player to reach the mark was Peter O’Brien (23 in 2014). Mitch Jones (39 in 2004) holds the record.
From a pitching standout, Green is clearly Trenton’s weak link in the rotation right now.
Harrisburg tagged the right-hander for five runs on six hits in four innings. He also walked four batters and threw two wild pitches — the first causing a third run to score in the opening frame.
Green, who came to New York when the Yankees traded Carlos Beltran to the Rangers in 2016, sports an abysmal 7.78 ERA in 12 appearances at Double-A this season.
“He’s in a tough spot, there’s no doubt about that; frustrated,” Osborn said. “The stuff is there. He’s got good enough stuff, it’s just a matter of kind of getting over that hump, getting in the strike zone more consistently. Strike one is big for him, but we have all the confidence in the world in Nick Green.”
Fortunately for Trenton, the bullpen continues to excel. James Reeves, Brooks Kriske and Daniel Alvarez did not allow a hit over the final five innings.
Lane Moves Up
Before the game, lefthander Trevor Lane was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Lane, an Eastern League All-Star, has posted a 1.92 ERA in 56.1 innings. The 25-year-old has never pitched above Double-A since being drafted by the Yankees in 2016 out of Illinois-Chicago.
Lail Gets His Chance
Pitcher Brady Lail was called up to the Yankees for the first time since arriving in the system in 2012.
A 26-year-old righthander, Lail converted from a starter to a reliever last year. The Utah native has pitched for the Thunder in every season dating back to 2015.
He joined New York in Toronto on Sunday but did not make his debut.
“I couldn’t be happier for a young man,” Osborn said. “He’s got a new baby. His whole life has changed now. He’s a major-league pitcher and he has earned it, no doubt about it. The hard work he’s put in, the determination, the resiliency, getting back up when he’s been knocked down. It’s a great story, and I think it should resonate with all these guys in there, too, that no matter how far you think you are away from New York or the major leagues, you’re not that far.”