IL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Game Notes

Published on April 17, 2022 under International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Norfolk Tides (7-3) vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (4-5)

Games 10 & 11 | Home Games 5 & 6 | PNC Field | Moosic, PA | Sunday, April 17, 2022 | First Pitch 12:05 PM

GAME ONE

LHP Kevin Smith (0-1, 2.35) vs LHP Matt Krook (1-1, 0.00)

GAME TWO

RHP Kyle Bradish (0-0, 0.00) vs LHP Manny Bañuelos (0-0, 3.00)

LAST TIME OUT

MOOSIC, PA (April 15, 2022) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders dropped their fourth straight game to the Norfolk Tides Friday evening by a score of 14-7. Ronald Guzmán and Miguel Andújar supplied most of the offense for the RailRiders, combining to drive in five runs.

RailRiders starter Luis Gil took the ball for the second time this season, allowing seven runs (six earned) on five hits and five walks in 1.2 innings. Norfolk countered with Kyle Brnovich, who allowed three runs over four innings in his second start of the season.

Norfolk scored two runs in the opening frame on an RBI double by Kyle Stowers and a run-scoring groundout from Tyler Nevin. That trend would continue from Norfolk's three and four hitters, as Stowers and Nevin combined to go 7-for-11 with 13 RBI on the evening. With a grand slam along the way, Nevin tied a franchise record with eight RBI.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre got on the board in the bottom of the inning on a two-out, RBI single by Max McDowell. The RailRiders struck again in the third via a two-run home run from Miguel Andújar to make the score 9-3 Norfolk. The long ball was Andújar's first of the year.

José Peraza drove in one in the fifth on a fielder's choice ground out. Then in the sixth, Ronald Guzmán came through with a two-run, two-out double to get the RailRiders to within five at 11-6. Guzmán is now 4-for-10 with two home runs and five RBI this series.

NEWS & NOTES

FIRST THINGS FIRST - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders host the Norfolk Tides today for the final two games of a six-game set. The RailRiders enter on a five-game losing streak, their longest losing streak since dropping nine games in a row from August 28 to September 5, 2021 (vs Lehigh Valley and Buffalo). The Tides enter on a four-game winning streak, now their longest of the young season. The RailRiders are 2-0 in double-headers.

HIGH TIDE - Norfolk enters today as one of the top offenses in the International League. They lead in on base percentage (.382), are second in walks drawn (57), runs scored (71) and second in OPS (.866), are third in the league in batting average (.275) and fourth in total bases (171). The Tides finished 2021 with the lowest batting average in the Triple-A East (.220), fewest runs scored (527), fewest hits (908), second fewest total bases (1,548) and second lowest on base percentage (.312). Norfolk finished with the fifth worst record in the league at 52-78.

THAT STAR IS KROOKED - Southpaw Matt Krook gets the start in game one today. He allowed an unearned run and took the loss in the home opener on Tuesday and has yet to be charged with an earned run across 9.2 IP. He is set to make his third start of the season, second against the Tides.

MAN, OH MANNY - Manny Bañuelos is getting his first start of the season in game two, making his second appearance. The southpaw pitched for Team Mexico at this past year's Olympics and pitched in China the last two seasons before returning to Mexico and eventually the US.

HEHEHE, HAHAHA, RYAN - Ryan Weber will piggyback behind Bañuelos in game two. The right-hander last pitched against Syracuse, tossing four innings of one run ball. It was his RailRiders debut. He has pitched at PNC Field three times in his career, all three times with a different team (Pawtucket, Durham, Gwinnett). The last time he pitched at this ballpark was August 22, 2019 while with Pawtucket (6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, L). The right-hander has been a member of five MLB organizations after being drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2009.

SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TODAY - Kevin Smith will take the ball for Norfolk in game one, facing Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the first time. He is in his second season with the Tides after appearing in 16 games (15 starts) in 2021. He also pitched for the Bowie Baysox (six games, five starts). Smith was originally a seventh round draft pick by the New York Mets in 2018 out of Georgia. He was traded to Baltimore in 2020: Baltimore Orioles traded RHP Miguel Castro to New York Mets for LHP Kevin Smith and Player To Be Named Later. Victor Gonzalez sent to Orioles to complete trade, 9/20/2020.

SO (B)RAD - Kyle Bradish gets the start for Norfolk in game two. He pitched in the opener of this series, tossing four scoreless innings with two hits allowed in his first start of the year. He pitched for the Bowie Baysox and Norfolk Tides last season. He combined to toss 100.1 innings with a 3.68 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 24 games (22 starts). Bradish was originally drafted in the fourth round in 2018 by the Los Angeles Angels out of New Mexico State but was traded in 2019 as a part of a package for RHP Dylan Bundy.

GUZ, THE MÁN - Ronald Guzmán has been hot in this series with extra base hits in three straight games. He also drove in three runs on Friday, a single-game high. The last time he drove in three or more runs in a game was July 31, 2019 (four RBI) while playing for the Nashville Sounds. He homered in back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday. The 27 year-old has reached base in all seven games he has played in. It's the longest stretch for any RailRider this season. Guzmán missed nearly the entirety of the 2021 season due to a season-ending injury on April 13. A cartilage tear in his right knee which required surgery limited him to just seven games last season.

STREAKY - Ender Inciarte has a hit in five straight games (6-20, 2 HR, 4 RBI). He went 1 for 3 last night... Greg Bird has gone hitless in his last four games (0-13)... Adam McKay has not allowed a run in back-to-back outings... Ronald Guzman has an extra-base hit in three straight games (two home runs and a double)...

QUICK HITS - The RailRiders have not attempted a stolen base in six of their last seven games... Phillips Evans doubled twice on Thursday. He is the third RailRider to do so... Matt Pita enters tonight leading the team with a .500 batting average (unqualified). He has appeared in four games and has gone 4 for 8... Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as not won in nine days... The RailRiders did not sweep a double-header in 2021...

AROUND THE ORG - The Yankees (5-2) defeated Baltimore (2-6) on Saturday 5-2. Josh Donaldson hit his first NYY home run. Nestor Cortes faces Bruce Zimmerman today at 1:05 PM...Somerset (5-3) blanked Erie (4-4) yesterday 6-0. Ken Waldichuk earned his second win, striking out nine. They wrap up the series at 1:05 PM... Hudson Valley's (4-4) late inning rally fell short to Rome (5-3) 3-2. The Renegade's struck out 18 times, a season high. They play today at 2:00 PM... Tampa (5-3) walked off on Dunedin (3-5) 8-7 despite committing seven errors in the game. Benjamin Cowles brought in Marcos Santos with an RBI single to win it. The two play today at 12:00 PM...

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International League Stories from April 17, 2022


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