RailRiders Pull away from Tides

August 9, 2018 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders pitcher Justus Sheffield
(Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Credit: Syracuse Chiefs)

NORFOLK, VA. - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders bested the Norfolk Tides 6-2 at Harbor Park on Thursday. After the Tides evened the game in the seventh, the RailRiders tallied four runs in the top of the eighth to take two of three in the series to tie the Tides for the wild card lead.

After four innings of shutout work from Norfolk starter John Means, the RailRiders opened the scoring in the top of the fifth. Mark Payton singled and advanced to second when Tyler Wade walked. A single by Abiatal Avelino loaded the bases and Ryan McBroom followed with a single to left, driving home both Payton and Wade for a 2-0 lead.

Justus Sheffield got the call for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The southpaw allowed a one-out double in the first and proceeded to retire the next ten-in-a-row. Sheffield allowed a double in the fourth and one more in the fifth. All told, the left-hander worked five scoreless, striking out five and walking one

In the bottom of the seventh, the Tides evened the score against Raynel Espinal, scoring two runs on four singles. Armando Araiza's and Breyvic Valera's base hits drove in Luis Sardinas and Adrian Marin to pin a blown save on Espinal.

In the eighth, McBroom led off with a single and moved to second on a groundout by Mike Ford. After a Ronald Torreyes single put two on, L.J. Mazzilli doubled to left, driving home McBroom for a 3-2 lead. Francisco Diaz walked to load the bases. After Torreyes scored on a passed ball, Payton singled home Mazzilli and Diaz to extend the lead to four at 6-2.

Espinal (7-2) vultured the win; his team-best seventh of the season. Kelly (0-1) was tagged for all four runs in the eighth and took the loss. Joe Harvey worked a scoreless bottom of the eighth and ninth to finish off the Tides.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre opens a three-game series in Durham Friday night before returning to PNC Field for a seven-game homestand starting on Monday, August 13. LHP Nestor Cortes (5-5, 3.72) gets the start in the series opener against the Bulls against RHP Chih-Wei Hu (3-7, 4.83) with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. tomorrow night.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Record:

60-54

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders pitcher Justus Sheffield
(Syracuse Chiefs)

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