IL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Game Notes

Published on May 22, 2022 under International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (14-26) vs Worcester Red Sox (19-22)

Game 41 | Road Game 23 | Polar Park | Worcester, MA | Sunday, May 22, 2022 | First Pitch 1:05 PM

LHP Ken Waldichuk (No record) vs RHP Josh Winckowski (1-0, 2.10)

WALDICHUK: Earned win with Somerset, going 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, ER, BB, 6 K on 5/15 @ Altoona Curve (12-8 W)

WINCKOWSKI: Took no decision, going 6.0 scoreless innings, 2 H, BB, 9 K (season-high) 5/17 vs SWB (4-3 W)

LAST TIME OUT

WORCESTER, MA (May 21, 2022) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders won a thriller on Saturday by a 7-6 final over the Worcester Red Sox. After losing a 6-0 lead, Esteven Florial gave the RailRiders the lead in the ninth inning with an RBI single for the win.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre started the scoring in the top of the second inning. Max McDowell drove home Derek Dietrich with a double. Armando Alvarez just missed a home run, flying out to deep center field to bring home Ronald Guzmán on a sacrifice fly. SWB added a pair of runs in the fourth when Alvarez did hit a home run, a two-run shot for his third of the year. Greg Bird followed suit with a two-run homer in the fifth inning as the RailRiders jumped out to a 6-0 lead, their largest of the series. RailRiders' starter Manny Bañuelos was solid in 5.2 innings of work. The southpaw struck out a season-high seven batters in shutout baseball, allowing just five baserunners on three hits and two walks.

Worcester found offense in the home half of the seventh. With the bases loaded, Yolmer Sánchez launched a grand slam to the left field berm to cut the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lead to two, 6-4. They would tie the game in the eight after a bases-loaded catcher's interference followed by a walk to knot the game at six.With one out in the ninth inning, Ryan LaMarre one-hopped over the wall in center for a ground-rule double. Florial dropped a single into shallow center in front of a sliding Jarren Duran for a 7-6 advantage. The WooSox threatened with three baserunners in the ninth, but Shelby Miller stranded two runners on to end the game. The win snapped a four-game losing streak and gave the RailRiders their first victory at Polar Park this season.

NEWS & NOTES

FIRST THINGS FIRST - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are wrapping up their first trip to Polar Park as they take on the Worcester Red Sox one more time today. The two teams are scheduled to play 24 games against each other this season with the first two series of the year in Massachusetts. Polar Park opened in 2021 as this is just the second season of this ballpark's existence. The RailRiders played here 19 times last season, going 11-8 at Polar Park. They will play 12 games in Worcester this season.

TO THE WALD - Today will mark Ken Waldichuk's Triple-A debut. He entered the 2021 season as the Yankees number 10 prospect according to Baseball America. The lefthander made six starts with the Somerset Patriots this year, three of which were scoreless outings. He has never allowed more than three runs this season, allowing more than three runs just twice in the 2021 season (16 games).

TAKE A WALK - The RailRiders have drawn just four walks in the first five games of this series. The fewest walks the RailRiders have drawn in a six-game series this season is 18, which occurred last week against the Syracuse Mets. They struck out 54 times in that series, averaging nine strikeouts per game. At this pace (10.4 strikeouts per game), they would surpass that strikeout total (on pace for 62.4 strikeouts) while drawing fewer walks (0.8 walks per game, which would equal 4.8 walks in the series).

YA GOTTA SCORE - Prior to yesterday's game, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had not scored more than three runs in a single game this series. When the RailRiders score three runs or less, they are 3-21 (.125 winning percentage) this year. During the 2021 season, the RailRiders were 12-32 (.272 winning percentage) in those same games. This team has yet to be shut out in the series, but have been shut out six timeS this year. In 2021, they were shut out eight times all season.

IS THE WORD - Greg Bird had his batting average drop to .143 on the season after an 0 for 4 performance on May 13. Since then, Bird has a five-game hitting streak where he is 8 for 20 with two home runs and three doubles, raising his season average 53 points. His two double performance on Wednesday evening was the fourth time this season a RailRider hit two doubles in a game. He picked up three hits on Saturday, the first time he had done that this season. He finished a triple shy of the cycle.

STREAKY - Greg Bird enters today on a five-game hitting streak... Miguel Andújar's four-game hitting streak and nine-game on base streak were snapped on Friday with an 0 for 4 performance... Esteven Florial and Ronald Guzmán have hits in four-straight games... Shelby Miller has not been charged with a run in five straight appearances... Derek Dietrich snapped a four game hitless streak with the RailRiders on Saturday (0-12) with a first at bat double...

WALKING OFF, BUT NOT HAPPY - The RailRiders suffered their fourth walk off loss of the season on Thursday night 3-2 in their 38th game. Thirty-eight games into the 2021 year, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had lost just once on a walk off. They were walked off on four times in the entirety of the 2021 season, one of those to Worcester on July 14 (wild pitch from Braden Bristo).

QUICK HITS - Estevan Florial was appointed as the "27th Man" with the NY Yankees today for their doubleheader with Chicago... Of their 26 losses this season, the RailRiders have lost eight of those by just one run... Including this series, the RailRiders are 12-12 all-time at Polar Park... Scranton/Wilkes-Barre won their 200th franchise victory over the Worcester/Pawtucket franchise yesterday... SWB has two more wins (8) on the road than they do at home (6)... After winning their first four games on the road, the RailRiders have a 4-14 mark away from PNC Field...

ON DECK - The RailRiders are wrapping up their series with the Worcester Red Sox today. They will return home on Tuesday, May 24 to host the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. It's "Twosday". Get 2-for-1 lawn or bleacher seats online only and enjoy $2 Landshark Lager tallboys for two hours after gates open, presented by PrimoHoagies & The River.

AROUND THE ORGANIZATION - The New York Yankees (29-10) defeated the Chicago White Sox 7-5 in a heated battle in New York on Saturday. DJ LeMahieu belted a grand slam. The benches cleared in the fifth inning. Jameson Taillon faces Johnny Cueto today to wrap up the series at 3:05 PM... The Somerset Patriots (25-12) clobbered the Reading Fightin Phils 10-1 on Saturday night. Elijah Dunham and Josh Breaux both homered in a big night for the Patriots. The two wrap up their series at 1:05 PM... The Hudson Valley Renegades (17-19) pummeled the Brooklyn Cyclones 12-2. James Nelson launched a grand slam to pace the Renegades to their second straight win. They two play a doubleheader today at 12:30 PM... The Tampa Tarpons (15-21) played six innings against the St. Lucie Mets before the game became suspended. Tampa was leading 4-0. Jasson Dominguez has two RBI in the game. Chandler Champlain struck out nine in five scoreless innings.

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