RailRiders Stay Hot in Front of Sellout Crowd

July 4, 2018 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders pitcher Masahiro Tanaka
(Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Credit: Tim Dougherty)

MOOSIC, PA - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders entertained a sold-out Independence Day crowd of 10,000 fans at PNC Field on Wednesday night with a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Bisons. The RailRiders have won six of their last seven games, including three straight against the Bisons.

Major League rehabber Masahiro Tanaka made the start for the RailRiders, and got into early trouble when he walked the leadoff batter and allowed a two-run home run to Richard Urena to give the Bisons an early 2-0 lead.

The right-hander settled after the initial blip, retiring the next 14 batters he faced before a two-out double by Tim Lopes in the fifth inning. Tanaka threw a total of 69 pitches in five innings of work, allowing three hits, striking out four and not allowing a walk.

"I think it was good just to go out there and pitch five solid innings," Tanaka said afterward through his interpreter. "I feel there was a little bit of rust, but it was a good five innings."

Stephen Tarpley relieved Tanaka and turned in two innings of one-hit relief to keep the game close, but Buffalo starter Matt Tracy kept the SWB offense quiet in his five innings of work.

The RailRiders got on the board in the bottom of the seventh against Bisons reliever Jose Fernandez. Ryan McBroom and Rey Navarro led off with back-to-back singles, and two batters later Zack Zehner collected an RBI single. Francisco Diaz followed with an RBI single to plate Navarro and tie the game at 2-2.

After L.J. Mazzilli struck out for the second out of the inning, Tyler Wade smacked a double high off the wall in right field to plate Zehner and Diaz and hand Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a 4-2 advantage.

Giovanny Gallegos finished off the game with two scoreless innings of relief, earning his first save of the season.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre wraps up its series with Buffalo on Thursday afternoon at PNC Field. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. LHP Nestor Cortes (2-3, 3.83) takes the hill for the RailRiders, while the Bisons respond with RHP Nick Tepesch (0-3, 4.70). For tickets and more information, call (570) 969-BALL or slide to www.swbrailriders.com/tickets.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Record:

43-40

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics

Images from this story

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders pitcher Masahiro Tanaka
(Tim Dougherty)

International League Stories from July 4, 2018

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