YGY Staten Island Yankees Recap: Holder Throws Four Shutout Innings In 5-2 win over Auburn

After a disappointing end to the series against the Lowell Spinners, the Staten Island Yankees (24-25) got back on the winning track on Saturday night with a 5-2 win over the Auburn Doubledays (21-27). With the victory, the Baby Bombers are two games behind the Brooklyn Cyclones and Connecticut Tigers in the Wild Card standings.

Even though Jordan Cote recorded the win (2-3, 8.42), the star of the game on the mound tonight for the Baby Bombers was starting pitcher Jonathan Holder (1-1, 3.22). The sixth round pick out of Mississippi State went a season-high four innings, giving up one hit, striking out five batters, and walking one on 53 pitches. The four innings for Holder was the longest outing for him in three starts.

"“What’s key for him [Holder] is his fastball command,” said manager Mario Garza. “Tonight, he did a really good job getting ahead, commanding his fastball, and letting his curveball work.”"

Pitching coach Tim Norton would add about Holder’s development that “He’s commanding the fastball better in and out and is throwing that changeup more, which has been big for him.” 

For the first time in three games, it was Staten Island who started the scoring. Austin Aune would start the inning with a double off the top of the right field wall. After a Vicente Conde single, designated hitter Nathan Mikolas would hit a single to right field to score Aune and make the score 1-0.

Cote would enter the game for Holder in the fifth inning, but would struggle against the Doubledays in his lone inning of work. All of Auburn’s runs in the fifth inning came with two outs. After a double by Clay Williamson,  Alex Marquez would hit a single to right field to score Williamson and tie the game. Bryan Mejia would follow him up by scoring Marquez on a single that went off the glove of first baseman Connor Spencer and into right field, giving Auburn a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Staten Island would get Auburn starter Robbie Dickey (4 IP, one earned run, five hits) out of the game after he walked Mikolas to start the inning. With Tyler Mapes in the game,  Renzo Martini would get an infield single that would end up scoring Mikolas via an Auburn error. With Martini at third, Collin Slaybaugh would drive him in on a RBI groundout to re-take the lead for SI, 3-2.

The Yankees would add on two more runs in the sixth. After Spencer led off the inning with a triple to right, Conde would score him on a base hit to center. With two outs in the inning, Martini would hit a double to left center to score Conde and make the lead 5-2. It was a great night for the Yankees’ third baseman, who went 3-for-4 with a RBI and has a hit in eight of his last ten games.

"“I felt really good this night,” replied Martini about his performance. “My first at-bat was weird for me, but my last three at-bats (all hits) were very good for me.”"

With a 5-2 lead, the Staten Island bullpen shut down Auburn over the final four innings. Joe Harvey and Conor Mullee kept the Doubledays to one hit over the final four innings, striking out five batters. Mullee got the final six outs for his second save of the season. Mapes would pick up the loss for Auburn (0-1, 0.69).

Collin Slaybaugh did extend his hit streak to seven games with a leadoff single in the third inning. Slaybaugh was catching and hitting second tonight. While Slaybaugh is hitting better of late, Garza said it is tough to find ways to put both him and fellow center fielder Devyn Bolasky in the lineup:

"“It’s hard for me to get them both in the lineup,” remarked Garza. “But, I absolutely love having two speed guys at the top of the lineup.”"

The two teams will resume their series this afternoon at 4:05 PM ET. Anderson Martinez (0-1, 4.61) will get the ball for the Doubledays against Jordan Montgomery for Staten Island. Montgomery, the fourth round pick in this year’s draft out of South Carolina, will make his third appearance and second start of the season.