IL1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB Melonheads Game Notes

Published on June 9, 2018 under International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


LOUISVILLE BATS (21-36) @ SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE MELONHEADS (27-32)

LHP Branden Finnegan (1-4, 4.18) vs. LHP Josh Rogers (5-4, 3.29)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

| Game No. 60 | Saturday June 9, 2018 | PNC Field | Moosic, PA |

| First Pitch 6:35 p.m. | Pregame Show 6:05 p.m. |

MOOSIC, PA (June 8, 2018) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders entertained a capacity crowd of 10,000 fans on Friday night at PNC Field as they beat the Louisville Bats 4-3.

The game remained scoreless for three and a half innings before the RailRiders broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mark Payton walked, Kyle Higashioka singled and Bruce Caldwell bashed a three-run home run deep over the right-centerfield wall to give Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a 3-0 lead.

The Bats countered in the top of the fifth as D.J Peterson led off the inning with a walk, Gabby Guerrero reached on an error by the shortstop, and Dilson Herrera smacked a double that scored both runners.

In the bottom of the sixth inning Ryan McBroom added to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre total when he blasted a lead-off solo home run to center field. Louisville answered with a run in the top of the ninth as Guerrero singled, Chadwick Tromp walked, pinch-hitter Hernan Iribarren singled and then Herrera walked with the bases loaded.

Justus Sheffield had a solid outing for the RailRiders picking up the win after throwing six innings allowing only one hit and two unearned runs. He struck out eight batters while only walking three and improves to 1-2 on the season.

Giovanny Gallegos and Tommy Kahnle pitched well in relief throwing a combined two innings without allowing a hit. Cody Carroll picked up the save after stranded the bases loaded in the ninth inning after the tying run got to third base with one out. Ryan McBroom was 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run, and Brandon Drury extended his on-base streak to thirty games after going 1-for-3 with a walk.

BRING THE HOME TEAM TO YOU: Rogers hails from New Albany, IN which is a 5.5-mile drive from Louisville, KY, and he had quite the following May 29 when he fired 7.0 shutout innings at Louisville Slugger Field. Rogers was on campus for the 2013, 2014 and 2015 baseball seasons. In 2013 (injury redshirt), the Cardinals hosted a regional at Patterson Stadium before sweeping (2)Vanderbilt in two games in the Super Regional to advance to the College World Series (lost both games). In 2014 they hosted Kennesaw State in a Super Regional and swept them to advance to the College World Series (lost both games). In 2015 they were the No. 3 overall seed and lost 2-out-of-3 games to Cal State Fullerton in their own Super Regional to fall just short of a third straight College World Series: 3-2 L (10) // 9-3 W // 4-3 L (11)

HOME COOKING: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre opened a 10-game, nine-day homestand Tuesday with a 6-3 win in the first of a three-game set against Durham before dropping the next two games to drop the series. The Louisville Bats are now in town Friday through Sunday, after which the longest homestand of the season concludes with four games over three days against Rochester -- including a doubleheader on June 12 to make up for a rainout on May 12. The homestand begins with the RailRiders owning a 15-12 record at home on the year (now 17-14) and were 5.0 games back of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (now 7.0 games back).

KEEPING PACE: INF Brandon Drury doubled in the 7th inning Tuesday to extend his hit streak to 9-straight games which is the longest by a RailRider this season, but the streak ended with an 0-for-2 Wednesday. His on-base streak is now 30 games however after reaching twice Friday night against the Bulls; every contest he has played in Triple-A this season between his rehab stint and after he was optioned on May 14. Drury's streak is the second longest in RailRiders history dating back to the name-change in 2013. Having eclipsed Cole Figueroa's 26-game run in 2015, the only RailRider left in front of him is OF Jake Cave holds the RailRiders mark at 31 in-a-row last season.

LONG TIME, NOT GONNA SEE: The RailRiders will not face the Indianapolis Indians again until August 13-15, and after ushering the Durham Bulls out of town, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will not face the Bulls again until August 10-12 at DBAP. Following Sunday's game, the RailRiders won't see Louisville again until 2019.

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



International League Stories from June 9, 2018


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.

OurSports Central