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IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes

September 5, 2016 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The RailRiders overcame a two-run deficit and scored a walk-off win, 5-4, over the Syracuse Chiefs on Sunday afternoon at PNC Field. The RailRiders became the first IL team to reach the 90-win mark since the 2002 SWB Red Barons finished 91-53. The Chiefs have lost nine straight to SWB.

A STINGY BUNCH: With a combined ERA of 2.98, Tommy Phelps' boys have a chance to become the first IL club to finish with a sub-3.00 ERA since the 1980 Columbus Clippers (2.92). The 2001 SWB Red Barons set the franchise record for lowest team ERA at 3.19.

SWING AND A MISS: SWB pitching picked up eight strikeouts yesterday for a franchise-record 1,190 in 2016. That breaks the mark of 1,157 set by the 2013 unit.

THE 'PEN IS MIGHTIER: Caleb Ramsey's fifth-inning sac fly that scored Khayyan Norfork snapped the SWB bullpen's scoreless-innings streak at 27.2. The 'pen posted 47 strikeouts in that span.

SOL MAN: IL All-Star Donovan Solano's 161 hits lead the IL with former SWB Yankee/current Bison Jesus Montero in second at 155. Solano will likely become the second SWB player to lead the IL in hits in the Yankees era, joining Jose Pirela who paced the circuit with 163 in 2014. Pirela's 163 hits mark the most by an SWB player in a season during its time as the Yankees' top affiliate. Solano stands 15 hits shy of the SWB single-season record of 176 set by Marlon Anderson in 1998. His 120 singles stand two shy of the SWB record set by David Doster with 122 in 2002. Solano led the IL in August in batting average (.413); slugging (.606) and OPS (1.035).

THE TURNPIKE TUSSLE: The IL North champion RailRiders will host Game Three of the Governors' Cup Divisional Series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, winners of the Wild Card, on Friday, Sept. 9 at 6:35 p.m. If necessary, they will also be home for Game Four on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 6:35 p.m. and Game Five on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1:05 p.m. SWB won 10 of 18 meetings with the IronPigs this summer to claim the "IronRail Series" trophy. Lehigh Valley hosts Game One of the playoff series on Wednesday Sept. 7 at 7:05 p.m.

FTW!: The RailRiders' 90 wins make for SWB's highest total in the Yankees era of the franchise. Even with a cancelled contest that lessened the RailRiders' 2016 schedule to 143 games, the team could tie the franchise record for wins in a season today. No IL club had won 90+ games since the then-SWB Red Barons won a franchise-record 91 affairs in 2002. The Red Barons played all 144 games (.632), so a RailRiders' win today would make for the best winning percentage in fran- chise history (.636). The RailRiders boast Triple-A's best record and own the most wins in baseball.

TIME TO MAKE THE DONUTS: The RailRiders' 24 shutout wins pace the minors and continue to redefine the single-season franchise record. The 2009 SWB Yankees previously held the franchise record with 16 blankings. Only one IL team, the 2015 Rochester Red Wings (21), is believed to have recorded as many as 21 shutouts since the then-Tidewater Tides had 21 in 1975.

ROAD WARRIORS: The 2016 RailRiders finished their road schedule a fran- chise-record 47-25 (.653), breaking the mark of 45 wins set by the 2002 Red Barons. At 47-23 (.671), only the PCL's Nashville Sounds (Oakland Athletics) have a better road record in Triple-A.

OFF THE RAILS: SWB is 28-9 against Buffalo and Syracuse, but 27-24 against the rest of the IL North...Cesar Puello's 18 bruises lead Triple-A...Jonathan Diaz picked up his Triple-A best 16th sacrifice of the season yesterday, tying the single- season franchise record set by Tony Medrano in 2005...Medrano posted 108 sacrifices on his 14-season pro career, but never reached the bigs...Diaz has 140 sacrifices between the minors (137) and MLB (3) over his 11 pro seasons including parts of three in The Show...One IL playoff spot remains up in the air...The victor of today's game between Gwinnett and Charlotte will take the IL South crown and will face Columbus in the other best-of-five divisional playoff round.

Today's Probables SWB: LHP Richard Bleier (2-3, 3.83) vs.

SYR: RHP Joe Ross (0-2, 4.91) ON THE BUMP: Richard Bleier began '16 on the DL before an Apr. 24 SWB debut at his former club SYR (4IP, 6H, 1R, 0BB, 2K). A 6th-rd'er in '08 out of FGCU by TEX, he moved from SS-A his draft year to AAA by '13. He mostly started until '12 when he only relieved as a 25-year-old AA repeater. He has since had time w/TOR and WSN orgs inc. stints w/BUF ('14) and SYR ('15). He entered '16 w/a career 2.3:1 GO:AO ratio. He went 7 inn. in each of his last 3GS before his first SWB tour ended w/an MLB promo in late May. He has not lasted more than 4.2IP in 4GS since his return. His last start was his lone loss in that run, Aug. 26 vs. ROC (4IP, 10H, 6R, 0BB, 4K, 1HR, 1WP).

Joe Ross makes his fourth rehab start for SYR and his third in a row. He threw one inning last Sun. and an 1.2 on Tue. He gave up just one hit Tue. He has been on the DL since July 3 (right shoulder inflamma- tion) and made two rehab starts in late July (one w/Hagerstown, one w/Syracuse) before he was shut down again until last Sunday. He posted a 3.49 ERA in 16 starts w/ WAS before he was injured. Originally a 1st-rd'er by SD (25th overall) in '11, his MLB career from '15-16: 32G/29GS, 12-9, 3.56, 1.19. He attended Bishop O'Dowd HS in Oakland, Calif. (4.5 miles from OAK's stadium), the alma mater of Jeff Kobernus, Tyson Ross, Ryan Drese and Kevin Maas.

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