Yankees No. 2 prospect Jasson Dominguez powers Somerset Patriots to historic championship

BRIDGEWATER – The Somerset Patriots won their first Eastern League championship in unforgettable fashion.

And Jasson Dominguez looks like the blue-chip prospect nearly everyone projected when he inked a Yankees franchise record $5.1 million signing bonus out of the Dominican Republic when he was 16 years old.

Neither left any doubt, with the Bronx Bombers' top outfield prospect powering Somerset’s offense in defeating the Erie SeaWolves, 15-0, in the decisive third game of the Championship Series Wednesday night.

“It’s an incredible moment,” said Somerset manager Dan Fiorito. “I’m so happy for the players and the staff. This group was incredibly talented, but the attitude and effort that they brought here every single day was incredible, and I’m so happy to be a part of it all with them.”

And, oh, by the way, Patriots starter Randy Vasquez carried a perfect game into the seventh inning and a no-hitter through the eighth before yielding to reliever Carson Coleman, who pitched a hitless ninth to secure the first postseason no-no in franchise history.

“I was very confident in my ability, obviously, and when I was warming up in the bullpen, I was hitting all my spots,” Vasquez said through translator and Florida Complex League manager, Sergio Santos.

“I knew I was going to have something good today.”

The historic night started with a nine-run first inning by the home team – capped off by a long, three-run home run from the now-just-19-year-old “Martian,” – that brought a championship back to Bridgewater for the first time as the Yankees Double-A affiliate, and seventh time in franchise history, with the first six titles coming during their stint in the independent Atlantic League.

Only one of those six ring-clinching wins came at home; Travis Anderson’s memorable walk-off against the Camden Riversharks all the way back in 2008 was the last time the Patriots had hoisted the trophy at TD Bank Ballpark.

61!:Aaron Judge joins Roger Maris as Yankees' all-time single-season home run kings

After Vasquez set the tone for what was to come with a 1-2-3 top of the first inning, a Trey Sweeney leadoff walk and a Dominguez single to left center field set the stage for Austin Wells to jumpstart the offense in a lengthy bottom half of the frame. Wells plated Sweeney after an ill-advised attempt at a 4-6-3 double play turn got away from Erie first baseman Dane Myers.

Jesus Bastidas kept the line moving with a two-run single two batters later before Mickey Gasper broke the game open with a deep fly ball that left fielder Andrew Navigato seemed to misjudge, with the ball landing behind him and allowing another two runs to score.

Sweeney scored on a throwing error to make it 6-0, and then it was time for Dominguez to officially begin his takeover.

One of the most-hyped prospects coming out of the Yankees system in recent memory, the switch-hitting center fielder lived up to it and then some, smashing a long, three-run homer over both walls of advertising in left field off SeaWolves reliever Adam Wolf to up the Patriots' advantage to 9-0.

He wasn’t done.

After hitting that homer from the right side of the plate, Dominguez came up in the third inning and did it again, but this time from the left side, sending a ball deep into the Somerset night over the right center field fence to make it an 11-0 ballgame.

"I can't explain that. I got two pitches from both sides, and I was able to put a good swing on it,” Dominguez said, through Santos.

“I feel super fortunate to be a part of this team, it’s a special group. To be a part of this moment, I’m very thankful.”

More:'The ceiling is so high' for star Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez

Andres Chaparro followed two batters later with a solo homer, and Jeisson Rosario did more damage with a two-run shot to right field to extend the Patriots' lead to a stunning 14-0 mark through just three innings.

Dominguez drew a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning to make it 15-0, giving him six RBI on the night.

Vasquez, meanwhile, retired the first 19 batters he faced, losing the perfect game on a questionable 3-2 pitch called a ball by home plate umpire Harley Acosta with Danny Serretti in the box, finishing off a 10-pitch at-bat. He retired the next two men he faced, however, keeping the no-hitter intact through just 80 pitches.

He needed just 13 more pitches to get through a 1-2-3 eighth, retiring Michael de la Cruz, Dane Myers and Gage Workman in order to set up a chance at history.

Coleman hit Corey Joyce to start the ninth, but then induced a flyout to right by Daniel Cabrera, a popout to first by Andrew Navigato and a strikeout by Serretti to seal the historic victory.

“(Vasquez) was the guy we wanted out there, and obviously he did an unbelievable job,” Fiorito said. “That’s certainly a tough call (taking him out of the game), but it’s part of my job to look out for the future for these guys, and Randy obviously has an incredibly bright future, so we put that ahead of everything. The competitor that he is, you saw that tonight, he obviously wanted to go back out there.”

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez powers Somerset Patriots to title