IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes

Published on May 23, 2013 under International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


LAST TIME OUT: In some ways, it was an emblematic conclusion for a difficult 1-7 road trip. Effort could not be questioned. At-bats were long and Columbus pitchers were forced to labor. But opportunities were lost as the RailRiders left 15 men on base, 10 in scoring position, and fell to the host Clippers (Cleveland Indians) at Huntington Park on Tuesday morning, 5-1. A 3-for-16 (.188) showing with men in prime real estate included twice striking out to leave the bases loaded in the late stage of the game. The RailRiders have lost nine of 10 and 11 of 14.

HOW THE WEST WAS LOST: SWB has a losing record against each of the three IL West squads it has faced. It dropped seven of eight to Columbus and has lost three of four to both Indianapolis and Toledo. That makes the team 3-13 (.188) against the IL West. It is 18-10 (.643) against everyone else in the loop.

MARSHALL LAW: The RailRiders have not had their starter post a win since today's man, Brett Marshall, got the victory against Indianapolis on May 7. He was a late scratch on May 12 to be bullpen insurance for the Yankees' doubleheader at Cleveland the next day. He was not used then, but on May 15 he made his Major League debut with 5.2 innings of relief against the Mariners.

GOING GONZO: Earlier today, the New York Yankees announced that infielder Alberto Gonzalez has rejoined the RailRiders. He technically was a member of the club for one day on May 11, but did not play and was recalled the next day to the Bronx. He went 3-for-9 in three games as a Yankee. He also recorded the final out on the bump in the same May 15 game that Marshall debuted in. He is no stranger to SWB. He was the team's everyday shortstop in 2007 and played 47 games for the club in 2008. He has big league time with the Yankees, Nationals, Padres, Rangers and Cubs. He made the Cubs' Opening Day roster this season and hit .217 (5-for-23) over 11 games. He did not make an error while playing mostly second base. He was designated for assignment on April 19 and hit .303 (10-for-33) in 10 games as the starting shortstop for Triple-A Iowa. The Yankees acquired Gonzalez from the Cubs for cash considerations or a player to be named later late on Thursday, May 9 according to multiple published reports. He was part of the Randy Johnson trade between the Yankees and Diamondbacks in 2007.

TOUGH TIMES: Tuesday's starter Chien-Ming Wang has not won since a seven-inning complete game at Charlotte on April 30. In four starts since, Wang is 0-3 with a 4.68 ERA. The IL has hit .314 against him in that time.

OFF THE RAILS: Dave Miley's team boasted the minors' best road record when it left PNC Field (12-2, .857)...The RailRiders collected 11 hits in Tuesday's loss, but 10 were singles...SWB's staff allowed double-digit hits six times on the eight-game road trip...While the RailRiders lost seven of their eight games on the road trip, three of the setbacks came by one run, two were walk-off finishes and the team played a pair of extra-inning games during its travels...Thomas Neal, who was a Clipper in 2011 and spent all of last season with the Indians organization including time in the bigs, went 4-for-12 (.333) on the series with three RBIs and six walks.

THE MOOSE IS LOOSE: With a 3-for-5 showing in Tuesday's loss, Ronnier Mustelier hit .343 (12-for-35) on the road trip with seven RBIs. When he was bidding for a spot with the big club in spring training, Mustelier hit .314 (11-for-35) before injuring himself by running into a railing in pursuit of a pop fly. He entered the road trip hitting .167 (7-for-42) as a RailRider with two RBIs.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: Entering tonight, SWB leads the loop in team fielding percentage (.985) with a league-low 24 errors. The second-best marks in each category belong to Rochester at .981 and 33. Buffalo has also made just 33 errors, but owns a .979 fielding percentage. The RailRiders also boast the IL's best caught stealing efficiency, cutting down would-be base stealers at a .412 rate. Not only does SWB lead the league in efficiency, it also stands alone with a league-high 21 men nabbed in 51 attempts.

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International League Stories from May 23, 2013


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