Sports stats

IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes

September 1, 2015 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Nemesis no more. The SWB RailRiders bested the team that had their number most of the season, the Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays), by a 6-4 score on Monday night. The RailRiders lowered their magic number to three with second-place Rochester while taking the rubber match and series from the Bisons (67-70). The RailRiders had lost three straight series against the Bisons, going 2-7 in that time.

MVG: Earlier today, Ben Gamel was named both an IL postseason All-Star and its Rookie of the Year. The 23-year-old co-leads MiLB with 14 triples and ranks among the IL's top three in batting average (3rd, .304), hits (3rd, 146), slugging percentage (2nd, .476), extra-base hits (3rd, 49), runs scored (3rd, 74) and total bases (2nd, 229). He leads the loop in outfield assists (13). The Neptune Beach, Fla. native gave his team the lead for good last night with a two-run homer in the seventh, his 10th of the year. He entered 2015 with 10 career home runs over five seasons and 1,634 at-bats. He also singled for his team-best 50th multi-hit game. The usual leadoff man paces the club with 61 RBIs. Gamel is SWB's first IL Rookie of the Year since Austin Jackson in 2009.

AUGUST & EVERYTHING AFTER: The RailRiders recorded their third straight 17-win month with the IL's fourth-best August record (17-12). Only Indianapolis (2.57) had a better August ERA than SWB (2.67) while only two teams boasted better batting averages than SWB's .263 mark: Gwinnett (.282) and Columbus. Individually, RailRiders ranked among the IL's August best in: batting average (Gamel, 5th, ..357), XBH (Gamel, 1st, 16), HR (Judge, T-2nd, 6), RBI (Judge, T-10th, 17), SLG (Gamel, 3rd, .589), OPS (Gamel, 3rd, .984).

IT'S MAGIC TIME: Tonight and tomorrow mark the RailRiders' final regular-season games against Rochester with a magic number of three. Any combination of SWB wins and Rochester losses totaling three would cement a higher finish for the RailRiders and the team's first playoff spot/IL North crown since 2012. To do so before returning home, the RailRiders need to sweep this short two-game set.

HOUSE OF HORRORS: The RailRiders lead the season series with Rochester, 10-8, but they have lost 14 of their last 19 games at Frontier Field going back to 2013. The series win at Rochester from June 16-18 marked the first for SWB since the first-ever RailRiders took three of four from April 15-18, 2013.

HEARING THE CALL: Eight RailRiders have been summoned to the New York Yankees with today's expansion of MLB rosters. The list includes: INF/OF Dustin Ackley, RHP Andrew Bailey, RHP Caleb Cotham, OF Rico Noel, LHP James Pazos, INF/OF Jose Pirela, INF Rob Refsnyder, C Austin Romine. The wave of moves also saw UTIL Cole Figueroa and former RailRider, then at Double-A Trenton, OF Tyler Austin designated for assignment.

THE (KINDA) NEW GUYS: The Yankees have sent eight players to SWB from lower levels. Five in the group, INF Ali Castillo, INF Cito Culver, RHP Mark Montgomery, INF Rob Segedin and LHP Cesar Vargas, have seen time with SWB this season. The new faces include OF Jake Cave, C Kyle Higashioka and RHP Conor Mullee. Higashioka was on the RailRiders' Opening Day roster, but never saw game action.

MAKING HISTORY?: Depending upon who fills in the holes left by the mass of September call-ups, the 2015 RailRiders could challenge the IL's revolving-door records. Entering today, 71 different players saw time in a game for SWB including 24 different starting pitchers. The 2012 Norfolk Tides set the gold standard with 75 different players used and tied the mark for most starting pitchers with 25. The Buffalo Bisons employed 25 different starting pitchers to set and tie the record in 2002 and 2004.

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics



International League Stories from September 1, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central