Yanks' affiliate slams way to 14-run ninth

September 6th, 2021
Danny Wild/MiLB.com

A pair of Yankees' top-30 prospects and a 14-run ninth inning propelled the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades to a monumental 23-4 victory Sunday night.

, New York's No. 13 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, struck the final blow by delivering a two-out grand slam, capping a three-homer performance which also featured a team-high six RBIs and five runs scored.

Hudson Valley crushed two grand slams and five long balls during the game’s final frame, batting around twice and sending 18 total batters to the plate in the process. Greensboro pitcher Oliver Garcia, who entered play with a respectable 3.45 ERA this season, was tagged for eight earned runs and recorded only one out before ceding to the starting third baseman Andres Alvarez for the final two outs.

Catcher -- New York’s No. 6 prospect -- posted five hits. The 22-year-old backstop clubbed a home run in the third to give Hudson Valley an early 3-1 advantage. He singled four times, walked once and scored twice.

No. 23 prospect Jake Sanford added to the ninth-inning blitz with a two-run homer.

A pair of talented top-30 bats who are mainstays in Hudson Valley’s prospect-packed lineup -- top-ranked Anthony Volpe and No. 24 prospect Elijah Dunham -- did not get to participate in the double-digit frame due to ejections by home plate umpire Tyler Witte earlier in the game. Volpe's came when he crossed the plate after belting his 12th homer for Hudson Valley, his 24th of the season overall.

Twenty-three runs represented the most scored in a single game by a High-A affiliate since May 27, 2016, when the Lancaster JetHawks scored 29 total runs in the California League.