Karstens Wins in Staten Island Return

Right-hander returns to Staten Island for a rehab start

By: Robert Pimpsner

July 12, 2007 - It was a perfect morning for baseball as the Staten Island Yankees and the Auburn Doubledays met up in the second game of a three game set.  The stands were filled with children from local camps enjoying a day at the game.  Also in attendance were Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman and Mark Newman, Yankees top prospect, Philip Hughes had a brief work out before the game.

            Fans in attendance were offered a small treat, watching former Staten Island Yankee Jeff Karstens returned to the ballpark by the bay for a rehab assignment.  Karstens is working his way back to The Bronx from a broken leg he suffered on April 28.  Karstens is the first former baby bomber that made it to the major leagues to make a rehab appearance with the Staten Island Yankees.  In five innings of work Karstens struck out eight batters in just 67 pitches

            The baby bombers took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning with two outs.  After two consecutive ground outs to start the game, Damon Sublett reached on a single to left.  Jose Gil then promptly brought him home with a line drive double to right.  The Yankees plated two more runners in the second inning, Isaiah Howes reached base via a error by the second baseman, then Austin Krum walked.  David Williams singled to load the bases and after a strike out by Chris Raber, Justin Snyder belted a ground ball single to center giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead.

            The Doubledays got on the board in the fourth inning with a solo homerun by Victor Santana which went over just to the right of the batters eye over the right field video board.  Karstens came in to start the fifth inning, after the first batter reached via an error he had a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around a ground out.

            The Yankees came alive once again in the fifth with two outs.  Taylor Holiday singled and Isaiah Howes reached on an error by the second baseman which let Holiday go into third.  Austin Krum then belted a triple to the left field corner which gave the Yankees two more runs.  David Williams belted a single for the third run in the inning and putting the Yankees a head 6-1.

            Ryan Zink came in to start the sixth inning for the bombers.  Zink was the originally scheduled starter for the game.  Zink gave up a three run home run with two outs, cutting the Staten Island lead to two before striking out the final batter of the inning.

            The bombers got something going in their half of the sixth.  Justin Snyder led off with a single and Luis Nunez put a bunt down for a base hit.  Damon Sublett then knocked a fly ball to center and both runners tagged to put two men in scoring position with one out.  Jose Gil struck out before the Doubledays went to the bullpen for Taylor Holiday.  Holiday belted a line drive to center that fell in for a hit and plating Snyder and Nunez.  Holiday would come in to score on a ground-rule double to right-center and gave the Yankees a 9-4 lead.

            The bombers allowed Zink to finish the game and earn the save.  Zink struck out the first batter in the ninth before giving up a single before striking out the next batter.  An infield single allowed the runner to score with two outs.  The runner advanced to second on defensive indifference before Zink struck out the final batter.

            The Doubledays and Yankees will close out their series tomorrow night at 7:10pm.  Nick Chigges is scheduled to start for the bombers.  The Staten Island Yankees now have their longest winning streak of the season, winning four consecutive games.