IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Pirela Receives All-Star Accolades

Published on July 2, 2014 under International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Moosic, Pa. - When you're hot, you're hot. Jose Pirela has been on fire it seems just about all season. But things have soared to new levels recently. On Wednesday, one day after he was christened the International League's Player of the Month for June, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders' (Triple-A/New York Yankees) versatile leadoff man was named the circuit's All-Star second baseman.

Pirela ranks among the IL's leaders in batting average (T-6th, .315), hits (T-1st, 98), runs scored (2nd, 53) and total bases (3rd, 139). The 24-year-old native of Venezuela first reached Triple=1B$B!>=1B(BA in 2013 when he hit .304 in a five-game July stint with the RailRiders. On his career he has only reached double-digit home runs in a season once. That came when he hit 10 for last year's Eastern League champion Trenton Thunder. He already has seven home runs through 76 games played this season, with five of them coming at the expansive, pitcher-friendly confines of PNC Field.

Pirela has spent the majority of his time this season at second base. But the last of his 45 starts at the position came on June 4. Since then he has seen most of his time in left field while adding his first career games at first base and right field along with select time as the squad's designated hitter.

The International League's 2014 All-Star Team consists of 30 standouts that will face the Pacific Coast League's best in the 2014 Cree Triple-A All-Star Game on July 16 in Durham, N.C. The contest will be broadcast live from Durham Bulls Athletic Park on MLB Network, the American Forces Network and the Triple-A All-Star Game Radio Network at 7 p.m.

The 2014 International League All-Star squad is made up of 13 elected players, including Pirela, who have received the most votes from ballots submitted by club's field managers and general managers (1/3), members of the media (1/3), and online fan voting (1/3). The elected players are joined by 17 additional All-Stars selected by the International League office. Each of the IL's 14 clubs will be represented in Durham.

Following last year's 4-3 victory in the Triple-A All-Star Game, the IL owns a 9-7 advantage in the 16 years since the event changed to the current IL vs. PCL format. The winning league this season will once again earn the right to have its champion play as the "home team" at the Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game.

The RailRiders open a short three-game, two-day road trip in Buffalo against the Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays) tonight. The doubleheader gets underway at 5:35 p.m. with right-hander Shane Greene (5-2, 5.07) facing fellow righty P.J. Walters (2-0, 1.50). The nightcap features southpaws Nik Turley (0-1, 6.23) and Raul Valdes (3-1, 3.70). John Sadak will have the call on radio with the pregame show beginning at 5:05 p.m. on NEPA Sports Radio - The GAME, Northeast PA's largest sports radio network: 100.7 FM, 1340 WYCK-AM, 1400 WICK-AM, 1440 WCDL-AM and 106.7 FM. For ticket information or to book a group outing, call (570) 969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.

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International League Stories from July 2, 2014


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