Photo: James Gravley, Baseball Farm
If you’re a fan of strikeouts, long balls, great defense, and comebacks, then Sunday’s game between the Pulaski Yankees and Bluefield Blue Jays is for you.
Pulaski’s starter Leonardo Pestana was dealing from the start. He struck out five Bluefield batters in the first three innings. However, he hit a rough spot in the fifth frame where he allowed four runs and was pulled from the game. Pestana did however manage to have eight strikeouts and touched 94 at times according to the stadium gun.
.@PulaskiYanks Leonardo Pestana with first K of game. pic.twitter.com/SKYV3FylkT
— James Gravley (@gravleyonair_) June 23, 2019
2nd K for @PulaskiYanks Leonardo Pestana. pic.twitter.com/etw4NFGayu
— James Gravley (@gravleyonair_) June 23, 2019
3rd K for Pestana. pic.twitter.com/00Q3n6LGR8
— James Gravley (@gravleyonair_) June 23, 2019
Pestana now has 4 K for the @PulaskiYanks. It was a swinging K.
— James Gravley (@gravleyonair_) June 23, 2019
Pestana dealing. Now has 5 K for Pulaski. He’s painting corners tonight and throwing heat. @BaseballFarm
— James Gravley (@gravleyonair_) June 23, 2019
He keeps sitting them down. Pestana now has 6 K for the @PulaskiYanks.
— James Gravley (@gravleyonair_) June 23, 2019
7 K. Wow. Pestana DEALING for @PulaskiYanks. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/8G0Ky55a95
— James Gravley (@gravleyonair_) June 23, 2019
8 K for Pulaski Yankees Pestana. @BaseballFarm
— James Gravley (@gravleyonair_) June 23, 2019
Ryder Green, the Yankees’ No. 23 prospect hit for the cycle, completing it with a seventh-inning double, as Pulaski bulldozed past Bluefield, 18-5.
It was the first cycle for Pulaski since 2015.
The last player to hit for the cycle for Pulaski was Nathan Mikolas when he did back on July 11, 2015 against Greeneville.
After nearly a year of no cycles being completed since Wander Franco, top Rays prospect, who’s been a ray of sunshine for the Rays’ organization since day one, last hit for a cycle on July 14, 2018 against Pulaski at Calfee Park.
Home runs were also a factor in the P-Yanks win. Green hit his second homer to left field, Anthony Garcia and Oliver Dunn both hit their first bomb of the season.
.@PulaskiYanks Nelson Alvarez ties it up at 5 and it was followed by a 3-run 💣 by Oliver Dunn, his first of the season which was followed by a Ryder Green solo jack.
T7: Pulaski 9, Bluefield 5 — P-Yanks plate 8 runs in the 6th frame. pic.twitter.com/eJP7rkGfeP
— James Gravley (@gravleyonair_) June 24, 2019
Pulaski finished the game scoring 17 runs unanswered. They dropped eight the in the sixth, six in the seventh and three in the eighth frame.
Hayden Wesneski made his pro debut for the P-Yanks and also earned his first pro strikeout as well. The P-Yanks pitchers combined for a 15 strikeout night.
Hayden Wesneski makes his pro debut for the @PulaskiYanks and here is his first pro K. pic.twitter.com/LPJbqIOLA6
— James Gravley (@gravleyonair_) June 23, 2019
Monday is an off day for eight of the 10 Appalachian League teams. Pulaski will head to Princeton, while Bluefield goes to friendlier confines to face the Danville Braves.
