Yanks Look to Fly Past 'Birds

The Baby Bombers look to fly past Aberdeen as they start a two-game series

By: Robert Pimpsner

August 16, 2007 – After a much needed 3 day break for the NY-Penn League All-Star Game the Staten Island Yankees get back in the swing of a playoff push as they start a 3 game series with the Aberdeen Ironbirds.

                Tonight the Baby ‘Birds and the Baby Bombers will face off in the first game of a brief 2-game set at Ripken Stadium.  The Ironbirds are 4 games behind the Yankees for the lone Wild Card spot and are 9.5 behind the division leading Brooklyn Cyclones.  Aberdeen and Staten Island have meet up 6 times so far in 2007, splitting the season series with 3 a piece.

                Ryan Pope will start the first game for the Baby Bombers.  Pope is coming off his best start of the season, where he went 5.0 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits and striking out a career high 7 batters against the Williamsport Crosscutters.  The young right-hander was the Yankees 3^rd round pick this past June and has never faced an opponent in the McNamara Division.

                Jason Stephens is scheduled to start the second and final game in the series.  Stephens who is rehabbing with the Staten Island Yankees has made 4 appearances with the Yankees starting 2 of them. 

The young right-hander is 2-0 this season and has not allowed a run since July 30 where the Oneonta Tigers plated 2 runners in a 2.2 inning relief appearance.  He has allowed just 3 earned runs in 7.2 innings of relief work and has not allowed any runs in 12 innings split evenly between 2 starts.  In his last start, Stephens was perfect for 4 innings against the Jamestown Jammers before giving up 2 hits.

                The Baby Bombers are lead offensively by Justin Snyder.  Snyder was 1 of 2 Yankees on the American League All-Star Team and is battling out for the batting crown in the NY-Penn League.  The young prospect leads all the Staten Island regulars with a .382 batting average, 5 homeruns, 15 doubles, 71 hits, and 46 runs scored.  Snyder was showing signs of a slump going into the All-Star Game and was 0 for 3 in the league classic.

                Damon Sublett leads the team with 37 RBIs on the year.  The Staten Island second baseman is second on the team in doubles with 14, and has been picking up his batting average lately bringing it up to .280 for the year.  Sublett has made some amazing plays in the field this season and has been a pleasure for fans to watch.