IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes

Published on August 2, 2015 under International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge boomed long home runs, but the RailRiders could not overcome an early hole in a 5-4 loss to the Columbus Clippers on Saturday night at PNC Field. The Clippers snapped a three-game skid while ending the RailRiders' winning streak at four.

BASH BROTHERS: Sanchez and Judge remain deadlocked for the most home runs on the Yankees' farm this season. Each slugger belted a dozen dingers with Double-A Trenton to start the year, and each man has clubbed three more since arriving at Triple-A. All of the organization's top-four power hitters in the minors wear the RailRiders uniform. IL All-Star Kyle Roller leads SWB with 13 home runs and Greg Bird has a combined 10 with six at Double-A and four in Triple-A.

LUCKY NO. 13: In 13 Triple-A games played, Sanchez has 13 RBIs. His walk total (9) more than doubles his strikeout sum (4). He has gone 13-for-41 for slashes of .317/.431/.610/1.041. Nearly half of his hits have gone for extra bases (6).

GUILTY AS CHARGED: Judge's home run, a two-run shot to left-center in the sixth that drew the RailRiders within at run, was the team's 100th hit of the season from the DH slot. In four games as the DH, Judge has gone 4-for-14 (.286) with five walks (.474 OBP) against four strikeouts.

LORD I WAS BORN A GAMELING MAN: Ben Gamel went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base, tying him with Cole Figueroa for the team lead in multi-hit games at 35. He has hit safely in seven of eight going 12-for-29 (.414) as his average has spiked back up to .290. He has not had a higher contact clip since he closed play on June 28 at .292. In the opening inning, he nabbed Jesus Aguilar at third base when he tried to go first-to-third on Zach Walters' two-run single. It made for Gamel's 11th outfield assist of the season, tying him with Pawtucket's Bryce Brentz for the IL lead.

DÉJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN: The RailRiders were outhit 10-6, but outperformed Columbus in extra-base knocks, 4-2. All four extra-base hits played roles in the team's four runs. Rob Refsnyder delivered the first with a leadoff triple in the third before scoring on a wild pitch. It was Refsnyder's first triple of the season and his second at Triple-A. His only other three-bagger came on June 15, 2014, coincidentally enough at Columbus in his fifth career Triple-A game.

TIGHTROPE WALKING: The RailRiders fell to 19-13 in one-run games (.594), snapping a four-game win streak in single-score games. Half of the RailRiders' last 10 games have been decided by one run. Even with the loss, SWB leads the loop in winning percentage in one-run contests.

THE 'PEN IS MIGHTIER: The bullpen tossed another four scoreless innings between the efforts of Eric Wooten (2.2 IP) and Caleb Cotham (1.1). Neither man allowed a baserunner while whiffing a collective four. The 'pen has allowed just two runs (one earned) over its last 32 innings since the July 23 win at Indianapolis. The 'pen owns a collective 2.82 ERA compared to a 3.85 mark for the starting staff.

SERIESOUS BIZ: SWB has matched its total of wins against Columbus from last season. The 2014 RailRiders went 1-7 versus the Clippers, getting outscored 79-39. Going back to 2013, the Clippers had claimed 14 straight meetings before SWB won the final 2014 clash, a 5-1 final on Aug. 10 in Moosic. That made for Columbus' longest successful run in series history. It trumped a 12-game domination from June 1, 1993-April 9, 1994 when the then-Red Barons got outscored 97-27.

CLOSE CALLS: Despite the lopsided nature of wins and losses in recently, the RailRiders and Clippers have seen 15 of their last 27 clashes decided by one run.

OFF THE RAILS: SWB pitching ended the game by retiring 14 Clippers in a row and 23 of the last 25...The RailRiders have not rallied from a deficit larger than three to win this season...Columbus starter Toru Murata (10-4) became the IL's first 10-game winner with six innings of four-run ball...Yankees manager Joe Girardi told the media yesterday that Luis Severino's MLB debut will come Wednesday at Yankee Stadium against the Boston Red Sox.

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