IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes

Published on May 18, 2013 under International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


THE MOOSE IS LOOSE: Ronnier Mustelier may not have a set position just yet, but everyone knows one thing about the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRider - he can hit. He showed that in clutch spots on Friday night as he notched three knocks, all with two outs, and drove in three runs in such circumstances as the RailRiders rallied to beat the host Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers) in extras, 4-3.

STREAKS SNAPPED: Mustelier's 10th-inning single through the right-side hole scored former Mud Hen Brennan Boesch from third base as the RailRiders avoided a sweep defeat at the hands of the IL's worst squad, which fell to 14-29 and had a season-high four-game win streak snapped. The win halted a season-worst five-game slide for SWB.

THE MELK MAN: Melky Mesa went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and grounded into a double play as his personal season-best seven-game hitting streak concluded. He hit .414 (12-for-29) with 5XBH, 5RBI and 5R during his run. His three whiffs last night lifted his season-long total to 64. That leads the IL and ranks third in minor league baseball, trailing only Lewis Brinson's 71 (Low-A Hickory/Texas Rangers) and Alex Liddi's 65 (Triple-A Tacoma/Seattle Mariners).

RING MY BELL: Before last night's game, the RailRiders received infielder Josh Bell from extended spring training. Bell began the year with another IL squad, Charlotte. In 15 games with the Knights, he posted a triple slash of .273/.310/.345. Bell spent most of his time as the DH with some time at first and third. The former Dodgers and Orioles prospect has appeared in 100 career MLB games between Baltimore and the Arizona Diamondbacks, posting slashes of .195/.223/.265. He went 0-for-2 with two walks as the RailRiders' DH last night.

A LOOK ABOVE: Third baseman David Adams went 2-for-4 for the Yankees yesterday. He has hit safely in each of his first three Major League games, becoming the first Yankee to accomplish the feat since another SWB alumnus, Shelley Duncan, hit safely in his first four big league games with an AB in 2007. Catcher Austin Romine's 2-for-3 showing meant his first career multi-hit game in the bigs. Romine had been 1-for-16 (.063) on the season for the Yanks entering the game.

ROAD WOES: The RailRiders lost more road games in their four-game series at Toledo (3) than they had in 14 such games entering the set (2). It made for the squad's first true road series defeat since dropping two of three at Lehigh Valley from July 2-4, 2012. With last night's 10-inning triumph, SWB avoided its first sweep defeat in a true four-game road series since June 18-21, 2012 at Louisville.

SERIESOUS OFFENSE: The Mud Hens entered the series hitting a league-worst .220 while averaging 3.26 runs/game. They plated 29 runs in the four-game set (7.3/game) while hitting .350 (50-for-143) including 17 extra-base hits. Toledo's team batting average jumped to .233, though that still ranks dead last in the IL. The next-worst clip belongs to Charlotte (.239). The Mud Hens also rank last in slugging percentage (.357) and on-base percentage (.305).

HOW THE WEST WAS LOST: SWB is 1-3 against each of the three IL West squads. It has dropped three of four to both Columbus and Indianapolis at PNC Field, along with losing three of four at Toledo's Fifth Third Field to start this road trip. While the RailRiders are 3-9 (.250) against the IL West, they are 18-10 (.643) against everyone else in the loop.

LITTLE QUANTITY IN QUALITY: Last night's starter, Graham Stoneburner, posted his second quality start and left in line for the win. It was the first quality start for SWB on the road trip. He allowed two runs on five hits over six innings. The sinkerballer walked three, struck out two, hit a batter and had a wild pitch.

DOUBLE-B: Brennan Boesch got his first hit as a RailRider with a sixth-inning single. He finished the game 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored.

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics

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International League Stories from May 18, 2013


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