SWB Game Notes - July 28, 2026
IL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes - July 28, 2026

Published on July 28, 2026 under International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (16-9, 53-46) @ Iowa Cubs (13-14, 43-56)

July 28, 2026 | Game 100 | Road Game 51 | PNC Field | First Pitch 7:38 P.M.

RH Dom Hamel (3-9, 6.91) vs RH Jace Beck (0-0, 6.75)

Hamel (7/22 vs SYR): 3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 BB, 4 SO, 49 P (28 S) [Mets, 5-4]

Beck (7/22 @ GWN): 3.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 3 SO, 72 P (41 S) [Stripers, 7-5]

LAST TIME OUT

MOOSIC, PA (July 26, 2026) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders bested the Syracuse Mets 3-2 in the series finale. The RailRiders earned the 3-3 split with a Sunday victory.

For the third straight game, the Mets got runs in the first frame. Nick Morabito and Ronny Mauricio singled to reach and Christopher Morel followed with an RBI double.

In the fourth, the RailRiders tied it up and took the lead. George Lombard Jr. led off with a walk and J.C. Escarra doubled to put them both in scoring position. Marco Luciano knocked a run-scoring single and Escarra crossed the plate on a Mets error for a 2-1 advantage.

Abrahan Gutierrez gave the RailRiders some insurance in the eighth inning. Gutierrez hammered the first pitch he saw on to the bridge beyond the left field wall to make it 3-1. George Lombard Jr. notched a single in his final at-bat of the game to continue his hitting streak to 16 straight games.

Christopher Morel launched a homer in the top of the ninth inning but Yovanny Cruz struck out the final two batters to end the contest.

NEWS AND NOTES

AGAINST IOWA - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Iowa have not squared off since the 1990 season. After the dissolution of the Triple-A alliance, and, eventually, the American Association, Iowa joined the Pacific Coast League. The Red Barons and Cubs met five times that summer. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre swept a two-game home series in June. SWB last traveled to Des Moines for a three-game set from September 18-20, 1990, losing all three games in their most recent trip to Iowa.

IN THE LEAGUE - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre are tied for second place in the International League alongside Indianapolis. The RailRiders boast a 16-9 record against the Indians 17-10 who have played two more contests. They are two games behind the league leading Durham Bulls who are 18-7. Iowa is middle of the pack with a 13-14 record.

THE HOMER GAME- The RailRiders have now dropped to fourth most home runs in the International League after only recording two last week in six games against Syracuse. Ernesto Martínez Jr. hit one in the opener and Abrahan Gutierrez smacked the other in the series finale. SWB has 139 homers in 99 games. The Iowa Cubs are middle of the pack with 105 on the season.

COMPLETE OPPOSITE SIDES - SWB has the best pitching earned run average in the International League. In 99 games, the arms hold a 4.19 ERA allowing 395 earned runs. The RailRiders have let up 97 home runs, second least in the IL. Meanwhile, Iowa has the worst ERA with a 6.13 in 100 games. The Cubs have allowed a league-high 592 earned runs. In addition, the home team has allowed the most homers with 149 let up.

GEORGE'S GAME - George Lombard Jr. has been stellar for the RailRiders since his return off the Injured List. He has hit .462 in eight games back and has continued his hit-streak. The Yankees #1 prospect began his now 15-game hit streak back on June 12 but paused due to a stint on the Injured List. In that time, the righty has had 24 hits, including ten doubles and three home runs. He is also amidst a 24-game on-base streak that dates back to May 29. Throughout that, he has had 29 hits, 19 walks, and was hit by a pitch twice.

CAUGHT YA- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre catchers have combined to throw out 45 base runners. This is the highest caught stealing number in Triple-A. Payton Henry led the way, sniping 20 runners, while Ali Sánchez followed with a dozen gunned own. J.C. Escarra has caught nine, while Abrahan Gutierrez and Austin Wells have each nabbed a pair. Iowa is in the bottom of the pack with just 27 runners caught stealing.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS- The RailRiders are 20-14 in one run games after winning their Sunday contest, 3-2. Opposingly, Iowa holds a 11-13 record in close encounters.

CASTRO'S COMMAND- Reliever Kervin Castro was recently called up to New York as the "27th Man" as a part of their doubleheader on July 22. He entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs and struck out a pair of batters to strand the runner. With the Yankees, he holds a 3.38 ERA in two appearances with no walks and four strikeouts. With Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the righty holds a 1.95 ERA in 21 outings with just six walks while striking out 30. Castro has two wins and three saves proving why he is on the 40-man roster. Last season, Castro held a 1.53 earned run average in 35 appearances out of the bullpen for SWB.

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics

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International League Stories from July 28, 2026


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