It’s Game Day – 34 minutes until the first pitch. And there’s not a soul in the stands. Just the grounds crew methodically watering the infield and raking the warning tracks. Their movements are unhurried, almost meditative… Like it’s any other day.

But today is no ordinary day. It’s another Trey Yeasavage start for the Buffalo Bisons. 

29 minutes until game time, and Yesavage and he strolls out to right-centre field to begin his throwing progressions with Christian Bethancourt. He’s the game 1 starter today for the doubleheader. His pace is steady, his focus sharp. He’s looking to bounce back from a rocky first start with the Bisons, where he lasted just 1 2/3 innings—allowing two earned runs, four walks, one hit, and striking out three.

The stadium is quiet. It’s the calm before the storm.

Game time. The crowd starts to trickle in as Yesavage takes the mound. Play ball.

The first pitch, a four-seam fastball, is driven to the left field corner for the first out. Next batter: Yesavage throws a perfect cutter to the inside corner, caught looking. Two out.
Now, Yankees’ #4 prospect Spencer Jones steps in… But Yesavage isn’t fazed. He gets another strikeout looking, this time with a changeup on the outer half – a clean 1-2-3 inning for the kid.

Trey gives two straight hits, a lead-off single, then a double. Runners are now on second and third. Nobody out. Now in a jam, Yesavage paints the corners to get ahead 0-2. But Bryan De La Cruz jumps on a middle-middle fastball and easily drives in both runners. 2-0 RailRiders. Yesavage bounces back by inducing a weak ground ball for the first out. The runner advances to third. Next batter… he starts him with two deceptive changeups down and away. It’s 0-2. But with the infield in, the batter can pull his hands in on a cutter and shoot it up the middle, scoring the third run of the inning. Despite the trouble, Yesavage is still getting ahead in counts. He battles Duke Ellis, working the count deep as his pitch count climbs to 35. Still searching for the putaway pitch—he finds it: a perfectly located changeup freezes Ellis for strike three. Two outs.

Clearly tiring now, his command begins to slip. On pitch 31 of the inning, he loads the count again… and then delivers a beautiful cutter up and away to get the called third strike. His fourth K of the day, but not before surrendering three earned runs.

So far, the discipline of the RailRiders is proving to be a challenge for Yesavage. Even though he’s throwing strikes, he’s not getting many swings on pitches off the plate. He’s had to rely on his deceptiveness and location to get outs. In fact, all four strikeouts so far have been backward K’s.

Yesavage returns to the mound, looking for a cleaner frame. And this time, he gets the chase he wants.

Escarra goes fishing for a changeup. Strike three. That’s five K’s. Jones rolls over a pitch for out number two. The next batter falls victim to the changeup again. Another strikeout. That’s six.
Yesavage is rolling now. The crowd is growing, and the energy in Sahlen Field is beginning to build.

The Bisons offense plated two runs in the bottom of the 3rd. The deficit is now just one. Yesavage needs another clean inning. First batter: walk.

The second batter chops one just left of the mound. Yesavage makes a tough play, spinning and firing to second to get the lead runner.
Yesavage gets the next batter on a filthy changeup down and away. Strike three. The RailRiders are starting to look helpless against it. That’s strikeout number seven. Yesavage gets ahead 0-2 with a deadly fastball-changeup combo on the next batter. After two changeups in the dirt, he climbs the ladder with a high fastball and puts him away. Four innings, eight K’s.

He’s an unstoppable train now. 70 pitches. Still, no one is warming up in the bullpen.

Yesavage gets into another battle with Ellis, this time losing after an eight-pitch at-bat; it’s a leadoff walk. But Bethancourt comes through. Ellis takes off for second, and Bethencourt guns him down at the bag for out number one. The next batter pops it up. Two down. And now, the dugout stirs. Out comes the skipper.

Yesavage’s day is done. He walks off the field to a warm round of applause and a few high-fives from his teammates. His final line: 4 2/3 IP | 4 H | 3 ER | 2 BB | 8 K | 83 pitches

It’s clear: his stuff is elite. The deception, the movement, the command… It’s all there. And what’s more impressive? He’s only five months into his professional career and already proving he belongs at Triple-A and is just one step away from the big leagues.

Here in Buffalo, Yesavage can perfect his craft. This is the level where he’ll sharpen his tools, learn to navigate big-league-calibre hitters. Sahlen Field is buzzing now. Fans in Blue Jays jerseys fill the stands, many of them hoping, quietly or out loud, that they’ll be watching Trey Yesavage in Toronto soon.

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