IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes

Published on July 6, 2014 under International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


OFF FROM THE START: It started without a starter. Opening Day man Bruce Billings was scratched late in favor of reliever Edgmer Escalona and a bullpen night. But the cloud seemed to have a silver lining. A two-run deficit was promptly erased and turned into a one-run lead thanks to a pair of solo home runs and an ill-timed wild pitch. However, after rallying to build that 3-2 lead, the RailRiders collapsed late thanks to a four-run eighth that led to a 6-3 win for the visiting Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays). The loss handed the RailRiders a disappointing series split with the Herd (46-42) and dropped the RailRiders to 6-5 this season against their northern brethren.

NEVER NERVOUS: Yangervis Solarte's SWB debut saw him go 3-for-3 with a sixth-inning double and a walk. He also helped ignite an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play in the third.

CURSES, ZOILED AGAIN: Zoilo Almonte clubbed his team-leading 13th home run and lifted the team's top RBI total to 45. He has hit four of his homers against the Herd, the most by any RailRider against a single squad this season.

UNDER MY PIRELA: Jose Pirela collected two hits and stole a base. The RailRiders' lone All-Star now has a league-leading 106 knocks and ranks among the IL's best in batting average (3rd, .319), runs scored (2nd, 55) and total bases (3rd,148). Only seven men in all of minor league baseball have more hits this season than Pirela. Among them - current Advanced-A Tampa Yankees' center fielder Jake Cave (107).

SHOT BY J.R.: John Ryan Murphy's first-pitch swing at the start of the home fifth resulted in his second Triple-A home run of the season. Both of his hits this month have gone for extra bases, but he is 2-for-14 (.143) with seven strikeouts in four games played in July.

FALLING FROM AHEAD: The RailRiders fell to 30-6 when leading after seven innings. Only Pawtucket (7) has more losses when holding a lead entering the eighth in an IL game this season.

JUST-US LEAGUE: The RailRiders (.270) trail only Rochester (.272) for the league lead in batting average...Only Charlotte (.410) has a better slugging percentage than SWB (.407)...However, the RailRiders own the IL's lowest walk total (270, 3/game), giving SWB a relatively slim .335 OBP...Charlotte ranks last with its .244 contact clip but first by a landslide with 103 home runs...The next-closest club is Toledo at 80...Charlotte has clubbed 59 (57%) of its taters at its brand-new uptown ballpark where it scores an extra half-run a game (4.5-4.0)...Charlotte stands third-worst in the league with its 4.81 ERA while SWB sits in front of the Knights at 4.34...The RailRiders own the IL's fourth-worst fielding percentage (.977) while the Knights boast its eighth-best rate (.978)...Charlotte (.393) trails only Lehigh Valley (.420) for the circuit's best caught-stealing efficiency...SWB sits in last (.204) with the most attempts and steals allowed as well.

OFF THE RAILS: The RailRiders have had 57 different men appear in a game this season (22 position players, 35 pitchers) after Solarte's debut last night...Last year's team had 73 different players see game action...That number fell two short of the IL's single-season record set by Norfolk in 2012...The RailRiders have used 18 different starting pitchers after Escalona was pressed into spot duty last night...Norfolk tied the IL record with 25 starters in that 2012 season...Last night's crowd of 8,085 made for the team's second straight fixed-seat sellout...Earlier today, the Yankees made a number of changes to the RailRiders' roster including: last night's scheduled starter RHP Bruce Billings selected by the Yankees; today's impromptu starter LHP Jeremy Bleich reinstated from SWB's DL; RHP Jairo Heredia received from Double-A Trenton; LHP Francisco Rondon sent to Trenton.

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International League Stories from July 6, 2014


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