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IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Game Notes

May 7, 2019 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (15-14) @ SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE RAILRIDERS (15-12)

RHP Rookie Davis (0-2, 7.13) vs. RHP Chance Adams (1-1, 5.79)

| Game No. 28 | PNC Field | Moosic, PA | May 7, 2019 | First Pitch 6:35 p.m. |

SYRACUSE, NY (May 5, 2019) -- On a day where a sweep was on the line for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, they left very little doubt with a five-run 1st inning and a 14-1 lead in the top of the 4th inning en route to a 14-3 victory Sunday afternoon at NBT Bank Stadium.

In the top of the first against knuckleballer Mickey Jannis, Mike Ford and Ryan McBroom each singled. Both advanced on a wild pitch and Ford scored on a passed ball for a 1-0 edge. McBroom crossed on a wild pitch with Kyle Higashioka at the plate, who then singled in Brad Miller for a 3-0 advantage. Zack Zehner hit a 2-2 pitch out over the wall in right field for a 5-0 RailRiders lead. It was the first home run of the season for the RailRiders outfielder and just his third extra-base hit of the season

After Syracuse manufactured a run against spot-starter Raynel Espinal with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the 1st inning, it was a 5-1 game. The RailRiders added to their lead in the 3rd inning with Higashioka homer off Jannis with a runner on; his first of the season to give the RailRiders a 6-1 lead. Ultimately the RailRiders scored two more runs and led 8-1 after three innings. In the top of the fourth, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre scored a season-high six runs on a season-best seven hits in an 11-batter frame. Trey Amburgey and Ford reached on singles and Miller walked to load the bases for Highashioka, who hit a grand slam over the left field wall for a 12-1 lead. The RailRiders added two more in the inning to forge ahead 14-1. Higashioka matched his career high in the game with 7 RBI, matching a June 2016 performance at Akron in Double-A.

The RailRiders pitching was dominant, striking out a season high 18 batters on a day where four relief pitchers were used. Espinal (4.0 IP, 6K), Kaleb Ort (2.0 IP, 5 K), Rex Brothers (2.0 IP, 6 K) and Cale Coshow (1.0, K) on the performance.

BIG LEAGUE EXPERIENCE, BUT STILL A ROOKIE: Tuesday's starting pitcher for the Indianapolis Indians is former New York Yankees farmhand, Rookie Davis. He last pitched in the organization through the end of the 2015 season, making 6 appearances/5 starts with Double-A Trenton and going 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA and 24 K in 33.1 IP with a .292 BAA. That following offseason the Yankees traded RHP Caleb Cotham, RHP Rookie Davis, INF Eric Jagielo and INF Tony Renda to Cincinnati for LHP Aroldis Chapman. None of those players remain as active in the Reds organization, while the Yankees turned around and traded away Chapman (who they ultimately re-signed with New York a few months later) for RHP Adam Warren, INF Gleyber Torres, OF Billy McKinney and OF Rashad Crawford. Davis has pitched in the big leagues, going 1-3 with an 8.63 ERA in 7G/6GS for the Reds in 2017 with 38 H in 24.0 IP (.365 BAA).

LOOK AT KATOH GO: INF Gosuke Katoh entered Saturday's game against the Mets with a four-game hitting streak that was snapped with an 0-for-4. Entering Tuesday's series-opener against the Indianapolis Indians he is batting .350 this season, good for 6th in the International League. Thanks to his team-best 7th HR Friday @ Syracuse and ability to walk, he also entered the weekend 3rd in slugging (.663) and the 3rd best OPS in the league at 1.078 -- just a smattering of points behind Louisville's Josh Van Meter for the league lead (1.167).

HOLD YOUR HORSES: The 2019 RailRiders are off to a torrid start out of the starting gates with stolen bases, having gone 21-for-24 (87.5%) over the first month of the season, well ahead of Charlotte (12-for-15, 80.0%) for best percentage in the league. However, entering their game on Kentucky Derby Saturday against the Syracuse Mets they too strayed out of their paths. Brad Miller was caught twice and Matt Lipka once in a combined 0-for-3 performance by the RailRiders who won despite not having their lucky horseshoes with the Saturday night.

TRUCKING AT THE START: INF Mike Ford had gotten out to an incredibly hot start to the 2019 season, and earned his promotion to the MLB when the Yankees purchased his contract April 16 with INF Greg Bird going on the Injured List. He picked up a hit in the first 9G of the season he played for the RailRiders. Entering that most recent game in which he appeared for the RailRiders, he ranked Top-10 in the International League in: AVG (.471, 3rd), HR (5, T-2nd), RBI (14, 1st), OBP (.525, 3rd), SLG (1.029, 1st), OPS (1.554, 1st), H (16, T-2nd), XBH (9, T-1st) and Total Bases (35, 2nd). In 10G with the New York Yankees, Ford batted .179 (5-for-28) with a double, home run (4/23 @ LAA off Chris Stratton) and 8 BB (.379 OBP).

EXTRA INNINGS, EXTRA TIME FOR WINNING: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre won Wednesday's game over the Rochester Red Wings in thrilling fashion, walking off with an 8-6 win in 10 innings thanks to a Ryan McBroom 2R HR. Saturday night, they used a pair of runs in the top of the 10th inning to overcome Syracuse's homer from Carlos Gomez that gave the Mets momentum heading to extra. The RailRiders are now 5-1 this season in extra innings, and Manager Jay Bell is 22-10 (.688) in extra innings in 2+ seasons at the helm of Tampa/Trenton/SWB.

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