Cortes, Pen One-Hit 'Pigs as RailRiders Take 2-0 Series Lead

September 6, 2018 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders pitcher Nestor Cortes
(Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Credit: Todd Hiller)

MOOSIC, PA - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders blanked the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 3-0 on one hit in Game Two of the International League Governor's Cup semifinals at PNC Field on Thursday evening. Nestor Cortes pitched seven and a third no-hit innings as the RailRiders took a 2-0 lead in this best-of-five set.

Cortes was stellar over eight innings. After walking Mitch Walding with two down in the first, Cortes retired the next 20 consecutive batters. The southpaw stuck out seven and did not allow a hit until the top of the eighth inning.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre backed Cortes with a run on a groundout in the bottom of the fourth. Mark Payton led off the inning with a triple and scored on a Giovanny Urshela groundout.

Wilkin Castillo hit a solo home run off of Cole Irvin, the International League Pitcher-of-the-Year, in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead to 2-0.

In the eighth, Payton singled off Pedro Beato, took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on another wild pitch for a 3-0 advantage.

Cortes (1-0) earned the win while Irvin (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs on six hits over seven innings. Chance Adams pitched a perfect ninth with a pair of strikeouts for the save.

Payton paced the RailRiders with three hits over four at-bats and is batting .500 in the series with three runs scored.

This semifinal round shifts to Allentown on Friday for game three. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will start LHP Ryan Bollinger against Lehigh Valley's RHP Drew Anderson with a first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. For more information or to listen live, visit www.swbrailriders.com.

IL Governor's Cup Semifinals

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre leads series 2-0

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders pitcher Nestor Cortes
(Todd Hiller)

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