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The Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees made International League history by winning the Yankees’ fourth consecutive Triple-A division title. The Yankees’ 7-3 win in Rochester clinched first place in the North Division and made the Yankees the first team in IL history to win four division titles in a row.
“We weren’t here for all of them,” said manager Dave Miley, who led the team in Columbus in 2006 to a division title and then has piloted them as a Yankees affiliate in Northeastern Pennsylvania starting in 2007. “But Shelley Duncan was the story tonight, just like he has been all year.”
Duncan’s eighth-inning home run broke a 3-3 tie and opened the floodgates as SWB went on to score four runs in the final two innings.
Duncan, the newly crowned IL Most Valuable Player, lined a 1-2 pitch into the visitor’s bullpen in left field for his 30th home run on the season.
The team enjoyed a muted on-field celebration, then cut loose in a champagne-soaked clubhouse. The team sent a Rochester clubhouse attendant out to pick up 60 bottles of bubbly prior to the game in anticipation of a long post-game celebration. While Miley and pitching coach Scott Aldred barricaded themselves in the manager’s office, hitting coach Butch Wynegar was a willing participant in the festivities and ended the night dripping wet.
“Enjoy it tonight, and get used to it,” Duncan announced to his teammates, “because starting next week, we’ve got two more of these to go.” SWB will begin the International League playoffs on Sept. 9, on the road against the wild card winner — currently the Gwinnett Braves.
“This is what playing hard every day gets you, championships and celebrations,” Duncan continued.
SWB took an early 2-0 lead on Friday, with an unearned run in the first and a Reegie Corona home run in the second, his first since May 18. Corona went 2-for-3e on the night, with two RBI and two runs scored.
SWB starting pitcher Ivan Nova couldn’t make the lead stand up, however. Nova pitched out of trouble all night, scattering eight hits and two walks. Rochester had runners in scoring position each of the first three innings, and reached base in five of Nova’s six innings pitched.
Humberto Sanchez earned his first win of the season with two scoreless innings in relief of Nova, and Eric Wordekemper closed out Rochester in the ninth inning to start the celebration.
Center fielder Brett Gardner went hitless in three at-bats in the second game of his MLB rehab assignment. He scored the team’s first run and made a spectacular catch deep in the right centerfield gap to prevent Rochester from scoring in the third. He left the game in the eighth inning.
Freddie Guzman entered the game in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement, but that was time enough to steal his fifth base in four games.
Looking ahead
What: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees vs. Rochester Red Wings
When: 7:05 p.m. today
Where: Frontier Field, Rochester, N.Y.
Probable
Starters: Yankees RHP Jason Hirsh (4-0, 1.37) vs. Red Wings RHP Phil Humber (7-8, 5.17)
On
Deck: After the Yankees play their final regular-season road game tonight, they close out the regular season at home Sunday and Monday against Rochester.