IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes

Published on April 10, 2019 under International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE RAILRIDERS (3-3) @ LEHIGH VALLEY IRONPIGS (4-2)

LHP Nestor Cortes (1-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Cole Irvin (0-0, 3.60)

| Game No. 7 | Coca-Cola Park | Allentown, PA | April 10, 2019 | First Pitch 7:05 p.m. |

ALLENTOWN, PA (April 9, 2019) - The Gio Gonzalez that baseball fans have come to know over the last decade was on full display Tuesday night, stifling the Lehigh Valley IronPigs over 6.0 shutout innings as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders won 5-1.

Gonzalez allowed eight runs over 4.0 innings Opening Night, but a different southpaw showed up to pitch in front of 5,024 fans at Coca-Cola Park Tuesday. After allowing a screaming groundout to the first batter of the game, he settled in and recorded his next five outs via the strikeout. All told, it was a 10-strikeout performance from the two-time All Star as he scattered three hits and walked just one batter.

The IronPigs scored their lone run of the night off the Danny Coulombe in the seventh inning, who later exited with an injury as he was escorted off the field by RailRiders' Athletic Trainer, Darren London. The final two shutout innings were spun by Raynel Espinal to slam the door on the win, setting up a rubber game Wednesday night.

Offensively, the RailRiders jumped on the scoreboard early - scoring in the first inning for the fifth straight game. The first inning featured three runs, including an RBI double from Thairo Estrada (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB) who had been held hitless in his first two games of the year entering Tuesday. Three RailRailriders had three-hit nights, including Billy Burns who is now up to four stolen bases after stealing a pair and going 2-for-4 with a double.

GETTING IT DONE EARLY: The Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders enter Wednesday's game having scored in the first inning in five straight games, to the tune of 10 total runs. In each of those games they've had an extra-base hit, meaning that all told, RailRiders hitters are 12-for-26 with 5 2B, HR, 3 BB for a slash line of .462/.517/.769.

RUNNING LIKE CRAZY: Last season's version of the RailRiders recorded 49 SB on 79 tries (62.0%) which was 11 fewer SB than any other team in the league (Lehigh Valley & Gwinnett: 60 SB), and by percentage was the second worst in the league (Louisville, 60.0%). That said, last April was a strong month for SWB on the base paths, going 14-for-15 in SB but only 35-for-64 (54.6%) over the final 115G of the season (1 SB every 3.3G from May 1st onward). The 2019 RailRiders are off to a torrid start, having gone a perfect 10-for-10 SB over the first 6G of the year. Leading the way is OF Billy Burns who is 4-for-4 SB which ties him with Toledo's Danny Woodrow for the IL lead.

CRIKEY, IRVIN WAS GOOD: After a strong 2018 season, LHP Cole Irvin returns to the IronPigs for another go-around the International League. A season ago, Irvin was the best left-handed pitcher the IL had to offer, finishing 14-4 with a 2.57 ERA and .227 BAA over 26G/25GS spanning 161.1 IP.

GG WENT KKKKKKKKKK: Tuesday night, LHP Gio Gonzalez struck out 10 batters over 6.0 shutout innings. It eclipsed the early season-high set by LHP Nestor Cortes Friday @ Buffalo when he notched 9 K. Over 138G a season ago, a RailRiders starting pitcher logged 10K only three times: LHP Josh Rogers, 4/12 @ Charlotte (7.0 IP, 10 K); RHP Chance Adams, 5/16 vs. Lehigh Valley (7.0 IP, 10 K); LHP Nestor Cortes, 7/16 @ Toledo (6.0 IP, 10 K).

SOME PHUTURE PHILLIES: MLB.com has a number of players on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs listed as top prospects in the system. According to their initial MLB Pipeline rankings, five players- all pitchers- rank as Top-30 prospects: RHP Enyel De Los Santos (No. 6), LHP JoJo Romero (No. 7), LHP Ranger Suarez (No. 10), LHP Cole Irvin (No. 16) and RHP Edgar Garcia (No. 28). In addition to De Los Santos, Romero, Suarez and Irvin, the IronPigs have Jared Eickhoff and Drew Anderson, who were both top-30 prospects at times in the past few years, round out an early-season six-man rotation.

DRIVING THE BASEBALL: Sunday, the RailRiders earned a 10-2 win over the Buffalo Bisons, and the longball played a big role. The team hit six homers, which is more than they hit in any game all of last year. Leading the way was Mike Ford, who became just the fifth player in SWB history with a 3-homer game, and only the third to do it in a nine-inning game (Last: Zoilo Almonte, 7/23/2014 @ Gwinnett). The only other instance in a nine-inning game was Gary Bennett, 8/16/1998 @ Buffalo.

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International League Stories from April 10, 2019


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