Yankees use plenty of ‘O’ to down San Antonio

The Northern Yankees maintained their first place prowess atop the standings of the Saipan Major League on Wednesday night by battering four opposing pitchers for 15 runs off of 13 hits through their seven-inning contest with the San Antonio Metropolitans at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field in Oleai.

The Yankees became the second team to break the eight-win barrier in the 2005 campaign, but they were the first to do so with only one loss. They now sit a half game ahead of the Miller Lite Brewers at 8-2, and a full game ahead of the Ford Rangers at 7-2.

The pinstripers finished the night on the winning side of a 15-2 landslide that started in the first inning when the Mets decided to start rookie pitcher Eddie Kim on the hill against the league’s top hitting team.

Kim didn’t last long as he served up a pair of walks and a double to his first three batters before Mike Palacios trotted over from shortstop to relieve his teammate. Kim was credited with all three of the Yankees’ runs in the first, and while Palacios managed to get the Mets through the second inning without a scratch, his success was short lived.

Palacios surrendered eight runs off of six hits in the top of the third as the Mets fell behind 11-2, but he didn’t get any defensive help from his teammates, who gave up a handful of errors. Four of the batters who reached base did so as a direct result of a throwing error, and all of them eventually scored.

First baseman Tony Camacho and third baseman Mel Sakisat each had a pair of hits in the third, as Camacho had a pair of singles, an RBI, and a plate crossing, while Sakisat cracked a single and an RBI triple.

Palacios sought relief in the fourth and got it when Toru Tarutani answered the call of duty, but even the side-armed slinger suffered a slew of runs, as the Yankees scored three in the third and one in the fifth before the Mets finally put a stop to the bleeding.

Tarutani took the Mets to the end of the sixth before handing the ball to Yuichi Kobayashi in the seventh. Kobayashi gave up a double, but finished the game without allowing a run because the umpires invoked the 10-run mercy rule in the bottom of the inning when the Mets failed to score the four runs necessary to extend the contest.

Shortstop John Reyes went 1-for-4 with a single, and RBI, and two runs scored

Camacho finished the night with a solid 3-for-5 with two singles, a double, two RBI’s and a run scored, while Sakisat led the way with a single, a double, and a triple with two runs scored and a run batted in.

Centerfielder Clifton Silil also produced some power for the Yankees by hitting 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a two-run single, and two scores.

Designated Hitter Chris Camacho didn’t post the best numbers of the night, but he had one of the biggest hits, as the Yankees slugger went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the top of the third inning that proved to be the game winner.

Tonight’s game between the Freedom Air Masters and the Toyota Tacoma has been postponed due to the Masters’ participation in the coming week’s tournament on Guam. Baseball addicts Jonesin’ for a fix need only wait until tomorrow, as the top caliber action of the SML continues in a special Saturday night edition of the league when the Rangers and the Yankees face off for the first time at Tan Ko field at 6:30pm. If the Rangers can pull off the win, there will be a three-way tie for first place. If not, the light on their pennant winning hopes will have gotten a lot dimmer.