IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes

Published on April 29, 2014 under International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


EARLY START, LATE FINISH: A game that started one minute early at 7:04 p.m. nearly concluded the next morning, but its finish proved sweet as the RailRiders won a back-and-forth battle with the Bulls in 13 innings, 10-8.

NEARLY NINE: The RailRiders were an out away from winning the game in a regulation nine innings, but Wilson Betemit had other ideas. He slammed a two-out, two-run tater to right off of Matt Daley to forge the 8-all deadlock and force free baseball. It made for Daley's third blown save in four tries.

WELCOME BACK: Zelous Wheeler, activated off the DL earlier in the day after missing 18 days of game action, began the lucky 13th inning with his first home run of the season. He fell a triple shy of the cycle and worked a walk.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Wheeler's heroics set the stage for reliever Jim Miller (1-1) to notch his first win of the season. Miller, who turned 32 on Monday, worked around two hits over the last two frames. He got the birthday win with 12 minutes to spare.

CURSES, ZOILED AGAIN!: Like Wheeler, Zoilo Almonte fell a triple shy of the cycle. The newly-minted clean-up hitter smashed his team-leading sixth home run and drove in four runs. That tied for the second-most RBIs he has delivered in a game on his career. He had turned the trick only once before at Triple-A, nearly one year ago on April 29, 2013 at Charlotte. His career-high six-RBI day came on Aug. 16, 2012 at Reading (Philadelphia Phillies) while with Double-A Trenton. Almonte served as the clean-up hitter for a second straight day and just the fourth time at any level since serving as Trenton's usual four-hole bat in 2012.

JUMP FOR ZOI: Almonte's six home runs and 18 RBIs not only lead the team, they have him on an accelerated pace as well. The switch-hitter, who has hit three home runs in his last four games, is set to slug 38 homers and 113 RBIs at his current rates. His 18 RBIs tie him for the most on the Yankees' farm with prized Double-A catching prospect Gary Sanchez. Almonte's career-high marks came in 2012 when he bopped 21 homers and drove in 70 scores for the Eastern League runner-up Thunder. As a left-handed hitter this season, Almonte has posted slashes of .350/.391/.683. As a right-handed bat, he started the year 0-for-22 before connecting on a run-scoring double in the eighth inning last night against Jeff Beliveau. It nearly resulted in two tallies, but Cole Figueroa's relay throw nabbed Dean Anna at the plate.

SWING & A MISS: The RailRiders won despite striking out a franchise-record 18 times. The wave of waves and misses broke a record that had stood since June 3, 1998 when SWB whiffed 17 times at Columbus. Last year's record-setting 20-inning win over Toledo on July 25 only saw SWB strike out 12 times.

OFF THE RAILS: Robert Coello's hot start continued with 1.2 innings of perfect relief...He struck out three and stranded two inherited runners as 12 of his 15 pitches went for strikes...He has yet to allow a run as a RailRider...The RailRiders turned multiple double plays (2) for the first time since their Opening Day win at Syracuse (2)...SWB notched its second win in 11 games when the opponent scores first...Monday's game saw the team set new season-high marks in runs scored (10), hits (17) and time of game (4:44)...Adonis Garcia snapped an 0-for-11 slide with his fourth-inning double...He had been without a hit since the close of his 11-game hitting streak...Anna notched his first knock as a RailRider in the 13th inning...He later scored the insurance run on Russ Canzler's two-out single to center...Durham infielder Robby Price made his first career pitching appearance to record the final out in the top of the 13th.

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International League Stories from April 29, 2014


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