SWB RailRiders Game Notes – 092422
September 24, 2022 – International League (IL) – Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release
LAST TIME OUT
ALLENTOWN, PA – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (80-64) defeated the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 4-1 on Friday night. The win knocks the IronPigs out of postseason contention and moves the RailRiders within a half a game of the lone playoff position in the division.
Sean Boyle was solid in his seventh start (eighth appearance) with the RailRiders this season. The righthander pitched five innings, allowing one run on a solo shot from Darick Hall in the fifth. Hall has now hit eight home runs against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, the most by any opposing batter.
The RailRiders’ offense backed Boyle with a pair of runs in the second and fifth. In the second, Estevan Florial ripped a two-run single to left, plating Tyler Wade and Michael Beltre. Their lead increased to 4-0 with two more coming across in the top of the fifth. Wade plated his 13th run with SWB this season thanks to a single to center as a part of a three-hit day. Phillip Evans added on with a sacrifice fly.
Leading 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the IronPigs loaded the bases with two outs against MLB rehabber Albert Abreu, prompting manager Doug Davis to call upon Braden Bristo who battled Johan Camarago, striking him out on a breaking ball down and in to get out of the jam unscathed. The RailRiders rode the 4-1 lead to the end as Jimmy Cordero recorded the final three outs in the ninth. With the Durham Bulls losing on Friday, the gap in the International League East closed to just a half a game with five days left in the regular season. Boyle (4-1) earned the win with reliever Bubby Rossman (3-3) taking the loss.
NEWS & NOTES
FIRST THINGS FIRST – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are on their final road trip of the regular season to face the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. SWB had played just three games at Coca-Cola Park entering the series, losing two of three back in July.
WHAT’S THE HAPP – The Durham Bulls lost to Norfolk last night. With the SWB win, the lead in the International League East is just 0.5 games. If they lose tonight and the RailRiders win, SWB would return to first place. Lehigh Valley was eliminated last night. Buffalo was eliminated with their loss to Rochester earlier today. Jacksonville’s elimination number is three. In the IL West, the Nashville Sounds clinched the division’s lone playoff spot last night.
CAPTAIN’S LOG: DAY 108 – With a win tonight, the RailRiders would go 17 games over .500 (81-64). On June 8, SWB was 17 games under .500 (19-36). If it occurs, the 180-turnaround will have taken 108 days.
PULL ME CLOSER – Eleven of the last thirteen RailRiders’ games have finished with a three-run or less run differential. In those eleven games, SWB has gone 7-4. This season, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has gone 50-38 when the winning team wins by three runs or less.
FLIP SWITCHED – In the first two games of the series, the RailRiders had just eight at bats with runners in scoring position going 2-for-8. In the two games since, the RailRiders have gone 8-for-26 (.308).
PERKS OF THE JOB – Entering play tonight, Blake Perkins has reached base in seven straight plate appearances: four singles, double and three walks.
TALE OF TWO TONIES – In his first six games at Triple-A, Anthony Volpe went 11-for-25 (.440) with two homers, two doubles and four RBI. Since then in his last eleven games, he has gone 6-for-48 (.125) with one extra-base hit (double) and 22 strikeouts.
BENNY & THE JETS – Since September 8, Ben Rortvedt has tallied a hit in eleven of his last twelve games. He has gone 15-for-48 (.313) with five doubles, three homers and six driven in. He has raised his SWB batting average from .191 to .232 in that span and has homered in back-to-back ballgames for the second time this season.
STREAKY – Ben Rortvedt has a nine-game hit streak and a twelve-game on-base streak… Ryan LaMarre has an eight-game hit streak… Michael Beltre has a five-game hit streak… Ronald Guzmán has a five-game on-base streak…
THRICE AIN’T NICE – The last three road losses suffered by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre have all been via walk-off hits: September 5 @ Durham – Luke Raley RBI single (4-3), September 9 @ Durham – Joe Hudson two-run home run (8-6) and September 21 @ Lehigh Valley – Darick Hall RBI single (4-3).
NUMBER 7, NUMBER 1 – Thursday, Baseball America named Anthony Volpe the Yankees’ Minor League Player of the Year. He spent the majority of the season with Double-A Somerset. After a slow start, he ended up hitting .286 with 13 homers and a .910 OPS over his final 72 games. He also won the same award in 2021.
GRAND GUZ – Ronald Guzmán’s grand slam in the seventh inning on Tuesday was just the second grand slam hit by a RailRider this season. Josh Breaux also did so on July 30 against the Rochester Red Wings. Guzmán’s slam was the fourth of his career. His others were with Nashville on July 31, 2019, with Texas on July 15, 2018 and with Hickory on July 10, 2014.
RUN FOREST, RUN – The RailRiders have set a new single-season franchise record with 161 stolen bases, besting the 2021 RailRiders who stole 148. The previous record to that was set in 2000 with 139 stolen bases.
ON DECK – The RailRiders return home for the final homestand of the season on Monday, September 26 to host the Buffalo Bisons. The series begins with a rain-suspended completion at 5:05 PM followed by a nine-inning game.
AROUND THE ORGANIZATION – The New York Yankees (93-58) beat the Boston Red Sox 7-5 earlier today. Gleyber Torres, Oswaldo Cabrera and Anthony Rizzo all homered. They’ve won six in a row. Nestor Cortes faces Brayan Bello Sunday night at 7:08 PM… The Somerset Patriots (2-0) punched their Eastern League Championship Series ticket with a 6-5 walk-off win over the Portland Sea Dogs on Thursday. Brandon Lockridge won the game with an RBI single. The Eastern League Championship Series begins tonight against the Erie SeaWolves at 6:05 PM with Will Warren on the mound…
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