IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes

Published on April 14, 2019 under International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


BUFFALO BISONS (2-7) @ SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE RAILRIDERS (6-4)

LHP Gio Gonzalez (1-1, 7.20) vs. RHP David Paulino (0-0, 2.45)

| Game No. 11 | PNC Field | Moosic, PA | April 14, 2019 | First Pitch 1:05 p.m. |

MOOSIC, PA - Thairo Estrada blasted his first two home runs of the season as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders hit four long balls as a team en route to a 10-4 victory over the Buffalo Bisons on Saturday afternoon at PNC Field.

In the top of the second Buffalo loaded the bases with no outs against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Drew Hutchison, but the right-hander bounced back to strike out the next two batters before inducing an inning-ending groundout.

That was how the day would go on the mound for Hutchison (1-1), who turned in 6.0 innings of scoreless work, allowing two singles and walking four while striking out a season-high eight. At one point he retired 10 straight Bisons batters and only allowed one baserunner to advance into scoring position all day.

The RailRiders immediately capitalized in the bottom of the second when Billy Burns struck a two-run double, plating Ryan McBroom and Zack Zehner to take a 2-0 lead. SWB tacked on in the bottom of the third, as Gosuke Katoh and McBroom walloped back-to-back home runs to open up a 5-0 cushion. Thairo Estrada smacked a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to extend the RailRiders advantage to 6-0, but the Bisons battled back with three runs in the top of the seventh against David Sosebee to cut the deficit to 6-3. The RailRiders responded immediately with four runs in the bottom half of the inning and cruised the rest of the way.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre battled back in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs against Zach Jackson. Kellin Deglan grounded into a double play to plate a run, and after a walk to Burns, Jackson was lifted from the game. New reliever Danny Barnes uncorked a wild pitch to score another run, and Estrada smashed an opposite-field home run to put a cap on a four-run inning which saw the RailRiders take a 10-3 lead.

Rex Brothers tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, and J.P. Feyereisen allowed a run on two bloop hits in the ninth to seal the victory. The four SWB pitchers combined to allow only seven hits and strike out 11 Buffalo batters.

TRUCKING AT THE TOP: INF Mike Ford has gotten out to an incredibly hot start to the 2019 season, picking up a hit in all 8G in which he has played, including 5 multi-hit performances. He ranks Top-10 in the International League in: AVG (.452, 3rd), HR (4, T-3rd), RBI (11, T-3rd), OBP (.528, 4th), SLG (.935, 1st), OPS (1.463, 1st), H (14, T-2nd), XBH (7, T-1st) and Total Bases (29, T-1st). All of this, despite not having played in two of the RailRiders first 10G.

THEY'VE DUG UP A GEM IN GIO: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Opening Day starting pitcher was LHP Gio Gonzalez, who has pitched in the big leagues for 11 seasons among three different organizations (Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers). He ranks 118th on the all-time MLB career strikeout list, with only six players ahead of him who have ever worn a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Jersey:

No. 3 Roger Clemens 4,672 K 2007 Rehab

No. 15 Curt Schilling 3,116 K 1996 Rehab & 2000 Rehab

No. 42 Andy Pettitte 2,448 K 2012 Rehab

No. 45 Cole Hamels 2,419 K

No. 72 Kevin Millwood 2,083 K

No. 111 Randy Wolf 1,814 K 2001 Rehab

No. 118 Gio Gonzalez 1,748 K

GETTING IT DONE EARLY: The Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders entered Saturday's game having scored in the first inning in 6 of their previous 8 games, to the tune of 14 total runs. In each of those six games in which they scored they have had an extra-base hit, and all told, RailRiders hitters are 17-for-39 with 6 2B, HR, 5 BB, HBP for a slash line of .436/.511/.667.

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 12-for-13 SB over the first 10G of the year, but have been held without a SB over the last 3G. Leading the way is OF Billy Burns who is 5-for-5 SB which puts him in the IL lead.

THE FUTURE IS SOON: The Toronto Blue Jays have a number of top prospects ready to make an impact in the big leagues, led by the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, Vladimir Guererro Jr. The third-baseman injured his oblique during spring training and began the year with 4G on an MiLB rehab assignment with the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays (4-for-15 (.267 AVG), 2B, RBI, BB) and since joining Buffalo Thursday for his season-debut in Triple-A they are 0-2. Other top-30 prospects in the Blue Jays system according to Baseball America that populate the Buffalo Bisons roster include INF Bo Bichette (No. 2), RHP Sean Reid-Foley (No. 8), INF Cavan Biggio (No. 9), OF Anthony Alford (No. 11), RHP David Paulino (No. 23) and C Reese McGuire (No. 28).

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics

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International League Stories from April 14, 2019


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