The Staten Island Yankees continued their hot play with an 8-3 win at Hudson Valley to sweep a home-and-home series for their sixth win in a row Friday night.

Second baseman Damon Sublett had three hits including his eighth home run knocking in a pair and left fielder Austin Krum added three hits, an RBI and two runs as the Baby Bombers improved to 42-25 and closed in on a playoff berth.

Combined with Lowell being shutout by Tri-City at home, Staten Island now has a commanding five game lead for the wildcard with less than a week to go in the regular season.

The Bombers were also able to keep pace with first place Brooklyn, who rebounded with a 6-1 victory at Aberdeen to maintain their two and a half game lead entering a pivotal five game series with Game 1 later today at Key Span Park.

Staten Island will play host to a day/night doubleheader Sunday before traveling back across the Verrazano for the fourth game of the series Monday. The Bombers will then play host to the Cyclones for the series finale Tuesday night at St. George.

The series should decide whether or not the Bombers can come from behind and overtake their bitter rivals for the McNamara Division.

Offensively, they’re rolling into this series having exploded for 30 runs and 45 hits the past three wins. Just how hot are they? After finishing off the Renegades a night prior, they scored in each of the first four innings outscoring their opponents 6-2 through four to cruise to another triumph.

Third baseman Braedyn Pruitt got it started with a two out RBI single which plated center fielder Taylor Holiday in the first.

After Cody Cipriano ledoff the bottom half with a solo homer which knotted it, the Bombers responded with two more in the second. A one out double by catcher Jose Gil was followed by an RBI triple from Krum. The speedy outfielder came into a score a batter later on Brian Chavez’ sac bunt.

They tacked on a run an inning later thanks to another two out hit this time by first baseman Chris Raber which scored Sublett to make it 4-1. In the fourth, Holiday doubled in Krum and a Sublett sac fly to increase their lead to five.

The offense came in support of rehabbing Yankee pitcher Darrell Rasner who wasn’t sharp giving up a couple of earned runs in three innings while striking out three.

It didn’t matter because Nick Chigges came on in middle relief and worked five solid innings of one-run ball to pickup his third victory.

Right fielder David Williams added a seventh inning RBI single and Sublett put the finishing touches in a series which the Bombers outscored the Renegades 16-6 with his club leading eighth dinger.

Jason Kiley retired the side in order getting Cipriano swinging which ended it.

Notes: Leadoff man Justin Snyder got his second straight night off in the field as the DH reaching base three times and scoring a run. Chavez played short and knocked in his second run of the season. … With his third consecutive three hit game, Krum is 9 for his last 13 with a homer, four RBI’s and three runs scored. … In his last four contests, Sublett is 9-for-16 with a dinger, seven runs and four RBI’s. He’s hit in 10 of his last 11 batting .463 (19-for-41) over that span with two homers, eight RBI’s and 13 runs scored. The notable Penn League All-Star snub also swiped his ninth base last night. … Tonight’s game at Brooklyn starts at 6 PM.