Somerset Patriots Series Recap Vs Richmond Flying Squirrels 7/28 - 8/2

---

The Somerset Patriots appeared ready to turn another strong week into a statement.

After taking three of the first four games against the Richmond Flying Squirrels,

Somerset had climbed back above .500 in the second half and moved within striking distance of first place in the Eastern League’s Northeast Division. The momentum did not last through the weekend.

Richmond responded with consecutive victories Saturday and Sunday, forcing Somerset to settle for a split of the six-game series at TD Bank Ballpark. The Patriots finished the week 3-3, moving to 16-17 in the second half and 4.5 games behind first-place Reading.

While losing the final two games kept Somerset from gaining more ground, the Patriots have now earned at least a split in consecutive series and are 8-4 over that stretch.

Patriots Open Series With Doubleheader Split

After Tuesday’s opener was postponed by rain, Somerset and Richmond began the series with a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon.

The Patriots erased a late deficit to earn a 7-4 victory in Game 1.

Somerset entered the sixth inning trailing 4-3 before Luis Durango delivered an RBI triple in his Double-A debut. Owen Cobb followed with the go-ahead RBI single, and

Coby Morales provided some breathing room with a two-run home run later in the inning.

Morales’ homer was his 18th of the season and pushed his Eastern League-leading RBI total to 70. Miguel Palma also went deep, while Durango finished with two hits, an RBI and the game-winning run.

Somerset could not carry the comeback into Game 2, falling 6-2. Jace Avina supplied the Patriots’ only offense with a two-run homer in the sixth inning, his 19th of the season.

The split ended Somerset’s six-game winning streak, its longest since September 2025, but still left the Patriots three games behind Reading at the end of the day.

Rivas Continues Dominant Stretch

Xavier Rivas has quietly developed into one of the most dominant pitchers in Minor League Baseball, and the left-hander delivered another strong performance in Somerset’s 4-2 victory Thursday.

Rivas allowed only one unearned run across six innings, surrendering four hits and striking out seven. It marked his third quality start of July and his ninth consecutive appearance allowing two runs or fewer.

Since June 11, Rivas has posted a 0.91 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and .108 opponents’ batting average across eight appearances. At the conclusion of Thursday’s game, those numbers led every qualified pitcher in full-season Minor League Baseball during that span.

He has allowed only one earned run over his last three starts, recording 24 strikeouts across 17 innings.

Somerset’s offense gave Rivas an early lead with three consecutive two-out hits in the second inning. Tomas Frick opened the scoring with an RBI double before Kevin Verde added an RBI single.

Luis Durango provided one of the most memorable moments of the series in the fifth.

After drawing a leadoff walk, Durango stole second, third and home, becoming the first player in Patriots history to steal three bases in one inning.

Verde added a solo homer in the seventh, extending Somerset’s home run streak to 10 consecutive games.

Nine Unanswered Runs Fuel Friday’s Comeback

The Patriots produced their most complete victory of the series Friday night, scoring nine unanswered runs to defeat Richmond 9-2 in front of a sellout crowd.

Somerset trailed 2-0 entering the fifth inning before Coby Morales tied the game with a two-run triple. The Patriots then scored three times in the sixth and four more in the seventh to turn a close game into a rout.

Josh Moylan gave Somerset the lead with a solo homer in the sixth. Two batters later, Verde launched a two-run shot that carried additional significance.

The home run was the 1,000th regular-season homer hit by Somerset since becoming the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate in 2021. The Patriots have hit more home runs than any other Double-A organization during that span.

Moylan finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. His 18 home runs across two levels established a new career high.

Morales collected two RBI to raise his total to 72, which led both the Eastern League and the entire Yankees minor-league system at the end of the night. Verde homered for a third consecutive game, becoming the first Patriot to accomplish the feat this season since Garrett Martin’s four-game streak in May.

Rory Fox worked four innings in his Double-A debut before Hueston Morrill, Tony Rossi and Harrison Cohen combined for five scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

The victory was Somerset’s eighth in nine games and moved the club above .500 in the second half for the first time.

Richmond Flips the Series Over the Weekend

Somerset entered Saturday with an opportunity to clinch the series but immediately found itself in a massive hole.

Richmond scored eight runs in the first inning against Chase Hampton and rolled to a 10-4 victory. Hampton recorded only two outs while allowing five hits, three walks and eight runs.

Despite the early deficit, the Patriots continued to produce offensively. Somerset finished with 10 hits for the second consecutive game, but went just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Manny Palencia led the lineup, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. He hit his first Double-A home run in the fourth inning, extending Somerset’s home run streak to an Eastern League-leading 12 games.

Palencia has been one of Somerset’s hottest hitters since the beginning of July, batting .404 with 21 hits through his first 14 games of the month.

Verde also continued his impressive week by reaching base in all four plate appearances. The 20-year-old shortstop collected three hits, including two doubles, to extend his hitting streak to five games.

Ben Hess Delivers Encouraging Finale Despite Loss

The Patriots’ offense finally cooled during Sunday’s finale.

Somerset managed only five hits in a 5-1 loss, allowing Richmond to escape Bridgewater with a series split.

The result snapped Somerset’s 12-game home run streak and closed the season series between the clubs. Richmond won eight of the 12 meetings.

Ben Hess took the loss but delivered one of his best starts of the season. The Yankees’ highly regarded right-hander worked a Double-A career-high 6.1 innings and allowed four runs, only two earned, while striking out four.

It was Hess’ first quality start of the season and his first with Somerset since September 10, 2025. He has now completed at least five innings in four consecutive starts, posting a 2.49 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP during that stretch.

Kevin Verde drove in Somerset’s only run with a seventh-inning single, extending his hitting streak to six games. Verde went 9-for-19 with three home runs, five extra-base hits and 10 RBI during the streak.

Jace Avina also reached base four times with a single and three walks. His team-leading on-base streak reached 12 games, during which he has recorded a .436 on-base percentage.

Verde Emerges as Somerset’s Latest Impact Bat

Somerset entered the week with several established power threats, but Verde became the story of the series.

The 20-year-old homered in three consecutive games, recorded multiple hits twice and drove in 10 runs during his six-game hitting streak. His two-run shot Friday also placed him in Patriots history by becoming the organization’s 1,000th regular-season home run as a Yankees affiliate.

Verde’s recent surge has provided another dangerous bat for a Somerset lineup that continues to lead Double-A in home runs. The Patriots finished Saturday with 147 homers, while their 12-game homer streak led the Eastern League.

Somerset Misses Opportunity but Remains in the Race

A split against Richmond was not a disastrous result, especially after the Flying Squirrels entered the series with one of the better overall records in the Eastern League.

Still, Somerset will know it missed an opportunity.

The Patriots won three of the first four games and briefly moved within three games of Reading before the two weekend losses pushed the deficit back to 4.5. The club remains in the second-half playoff race, but the margin for error will continue shrinking as the season moves deeper into August.

Somerset showed plenty of reasons for optimism during the series. Rivas continued pitching at an elite level, Hess took another meaningful step forward and Verde emerged as one of the hottest hitters in the lineup.

The next challenge will be turning those individual performances into a complete six-game week.

Splitting consecutive series has kept the Patriots within reach. Eventually, they will need to start winning them.

---

Every Prospect. Every Level. Every Day.