Yanquiel Fernández of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders enjoyed quite a week in Allentown, Pa.
During the team’s six-game series against the rival Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the outfielder had at least one hit in each game and batted .379 (11 for 29). Four of his hits were home runs. He had 12 RBIs, five runs and one stolen base.
Those numbers earned Fernández the International League Player of the Week award for the period of May 18-24. It is the second consecutive week that Minor League Baseball
has honored a member of the RailRiders. Teammate Brendan Beck was chosen IL Pitcher of the Week for May 11-17.
In the series opener, Fernández had three hits, including two home runs, and six RBIs as the RailRiders romped to a 15-4 victory. In the third game, he had another three-hit game with a solo home run in an 8-7 win. He had an RBI single in the top of the third inning to open the scoring in the fourth game, then hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh to tie the game, 5-5. Unfortunately, the RailRiders lost in 10 innings, 6-5.
Finally, in the finale, his two-out, two-run double in the top of the ninth gave the RailRiders a 5-4 win, gaining them a series split.
For the season, Fernández is batting .270 (47 for 174) with six doubles, one triple, 13 home runs and 37 RBIs in 43 games. He is tied for third in the league in home runs and ranks fourth in RBIs.
The 23-year-old outfielder was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees from the Colorado Rockies in February. He made his major league debut with the Rockies on July 2 and in 52 games batted .225 (31 for 138) with five doubles, four home runs, 13 runs and 11 RBIs. His first major-league hit came in his second game July 4th against the Chicago White Sox — a third-inning single against Adrian Houser. His first major-league home run came Aug. 1 against Yohan Ramirez of the Pittsburgh Pirates — a pinch-hit two-run blast in the bottom of the eighth inning that cut Colorado’s deficit to 16-12. The Rockies then scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth to win, 17-16.
Fernández would not have had a chance to win the series finale against Lehigh Valley if not for Kenedy Corona.
With two outs in the top of the ninth and facing an 0-1 count, Corona singled to keep hope alive for the RailRiders. George Lombard Jr. followed with a walk, setting things up for Fernandez to line a 1-0 pitch into the right-field corner for a double to score Corona and Lombard with the tying and winning runs, respectively.
Corona was a factor throughout the game. He singled in the top of the third inning to put two runners on. After a wild pitch advanced the runners one base, Lombard followed with a single to score them and cut Lehigh Valley’s lead to 3-2.
That still was the score in the top of the fifth when the RailRiders again had two runners on base. This time, Corona laid down a sacrifice bunt to move them up. Lombard then hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3.
Liover Peguero of the IronPigs singled to left field with one out in the bottom of the sixth. But when he tried to stretch it into a double, Corona showed off his defense and threw him out at second.
Promoted from Double-A Somerset to the Triple-A RailRiders on May 4, the 26-year-old from Venezuela is batting just .200 (7 for 35) in 13 games. But some of those hits have come in key moments.
Besides the two hits against Lehigh Valley, his RBI single in the top of the ninth at the Worcester Red Sox on May 7 capped a three-run rally that tied the game, 7-7. However, the RailRiders wound up falling in 10 innings, 10-8. Against the Syracuse Mets at PNC Field on May 13, his grand slam capped a six-run fourth inning in the RailRiders’ 7-0 triumph.
“It was a slider. I made good contact,” Corona said. “I tried to hit a fly ball for one RBI, so I was happy for a grand slam. It was beautiful. I thought it was a fly ball, then I see it was a homer so I was happy.”
Although he has been with the RailRiders for just three weeks, Corona is enjoying his time here.
“It’s great. They have a lot of Latin (players) here,” he said. “I have good teammates, too. A good manager. Everybody on the staff is beautiful. I’m comfortable here.
“The Yankees is the Yankees. It’s incredible. Everybody here is just trying to get better every day. I’ve learned a lot.”
Originally signed as a minor-league free agent by the New York Mets in April 2019, he was traded to the Houston Astros in December 2019. He spent the next several seasons climbing his way through the organization. He played 121 games last season with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys and batted .220 (83 for 377) with 13 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 36 RBIs.
On July 7, he was called up by the Astros and made his major league debut that day against the Cleveland Guardians, going 0 for 2 with a walk. He appeared in two more games, walking in one plate appearance, before being sent back down.
“It was beautiful because my dream came true,” Corona said. “I was happy. I needed to take a breath because it was crowded, a lot of people, very loud. I took a timeout and then I was OK to go. I was very proud.”
A defensive standout with good speed, Corona knows he must work on his offense if he wants to return to the majors.
“I need to be more consistent in my hitting,” Corona said. “I know my defense is very, very good, I have confidence in my defense. My hitting this year is better, but I need to be more consistent.”
With four weeks remaining in the first half, the RailRiders (26-23) are four games behind first-place Rochester. But there are five teams between them and the Red Wings.
This week, the RailRiders host the Worcester Red Sox in a six-game series.
