SWB Game Notes - May 15, 2026
IL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes - May 15, 2026

Published on May 15, 2026 under International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Syracuse Mets (21-20) vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (22-18)

May 15, 2026 | Game 41 | Home Game 21 | PNC Field | First Pitch 6:35 P.M.

#13 RH Zach Thornton (0-1, 4.50) vs RH Dom Hamel (1-5, 9.49)

Thornton (5/9 vs ROC): 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 SO, 84 P (60 S) [Red Wings, 7-4]

Hamel (5/8 @ WOR): 4.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 1 HB, 2 BB, 5 SO, 95 P (62 S) [Woo Sox, 8-3]

LAST TIME OUT

MOOSIC, PA (May 14, 2026) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Syracuse Mets 11-3 Thursday night at PNC Field. The RailRiders racked up five homers, pounding the Mets with 14 hits to take the third game of the set.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre jumped out to an early advantage in the bottom of the first against Mets #2 Prospect Jonah Tong. Yankees #1 Prospect George Lombard Jr. reached on an error, and Yanquiel Fernández singled before Oswaldo Cabrera roped an RBI base hit to right for a 1-0 edge. Fernández crossed on a wild pitch to take a two-run lead. Syracuse loaded the bases in the top of the second against RailRiders starter Adam Kloffenstein, cutting the lead in half 2-1 on a Ben Rortvedt sacrifice fly.

The RailRiders answered by plating five runs in the home half of the frame, highlighted by a pair of two-run homers. Jonathan Ornelas tripled to lead things off, Duke Ellis walked, and Lombard Jr. recorded his first RBI in Triple-A on a forceout to pull ahead 3-1. With two outs, Marco Luciano launched his first homer with the team, giving SWB a four-run cushion. After Cabrera walked, Seth Brown unloaded the second two-run homer of the inning, 394 feet to right, to pull ahead 7-1. In the bottom of the fourth, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre crushed three homers to go up ten runs. Luciano walked to lead off, and Cabrera lifted a slider over the right field wall for the third two-run homer of the game. Ernesto Martínez Jr. and Payton Henry bombed back-to-back blasts, giving the RailRiders an 11-1 advantage.

The Mets plated a run in the top of the fifth when their #3 Prospect Ryan Clifford scored Jackson Cluff on a forceout, and Rortvedt recorded his second RBI of the contest on another forceout in the sixth to pull within eight to cap the scoring.

Ornelas was a homerun away from the cycle, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and Cabrera was 2-for-2 with three walks, two runs, and three RBIs while every RailRider in the starting nine recorded at least one hit. Kloffenstein tossed 4.2 frames, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out five. Yovanny Cruz (5-1) worked 1.1 frames, allowing one run on one hit to earn the win. Tong (1-3) threw 1.2 innings, surrendering seven runs on five hits, striking out three in defeat.

NEWS AND NOTES

IN THE STANDINGS - With a win yesterday, the RailRiders put themselves just two games out of first place in the International League. This is the highest ranked they have been since April15, exactly a month ago. The 20-team league features an East/West division that does not make a difference for playoff goals. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is tied for fourth place and has been in the upper echelon of teams all season. Memphis, Louisville, and Gwinnett are tied for first place with 25 total wins. Syracuse is just behind the RailRiders, 3.5 behind top ranked teams.

PITCH IT TO ME - SWB has the best earned run average, 2.03, on the week amongst pitching staffs in the International League. In 31.0 innings pitched, the arms allowed just 7 earned runs with just one homer. The pitchers worked 45 strikeouts in three games, the most in all of Triple-A. Throughout the entirety of the season, SWB is ranked third in the IL in ERA with a 4.12 overall.

LONG BALLS ARE LOUD- With five a home runs hit last night, SWB has smacked 61 long balls on the season. This is fourth most in all of Triple-A, behind the leading St. Paul Saints with 70. Spencer Jones led the team with eleven, but Yanquiel Fernández has the most on the active roster with nine total. Sixteen players have hit at least one for the RailRiders.

ZACH ATTACK - Zach Messinger has impressed lately out of the bullpen in all different spots for Manager Shelley Duncan. With 2.0 clean innings yesterday, he has now pitched 10.2 frames scoreless for the RailRiders. He allowed just one hit and five walks with eight strikeouts. Messinger has dropped his ERA to 4.01 in ten appearances through 24.2 innings of work. The 26-year-old has been back and forth between starter and reliever after being drafted by NYY in the 13th round back in 2021 but has only worked out of the bullpen this summer.

DYLAN'S DAY - Reliever Dylan Coleman has been light's out since being activated off the injured list on April 21. In 7.1 innings pitched, through seven appearances, he has not allowed an earned run. The righty has let up just two hits and six walks while totalling nine strikeouts. Coleman was signed as a free agent by New York on January 17 after being released last May from the Orioles system.

BELLY-TO-BELLY - Ernesto Martínez Jr. and Payton Henry hit back-to-back home runs yesterday to total five in the contest for the RailRiders. It was the second time this season that two players have hit consecutive jacks. The first to do it was Jasson Dominguez and Anthony Volpe on April 21 against Rochester.

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics

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International League Stories from May 15, 2026


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