SWB RailRiders Game Notes - April 18, 2023

April 18, 2023 - International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (7-8) vs St. Paul Saints (8-6)

RHP Randy Vasquez (0-1, 7.36) vs RHP Bailey Ober (0-1, 0.00)

AMAZING ANDRES- Rookie Andres Chaparro was on a tear this week, batting .417 with ten hits including five homers and one double. He has batted in seven runs and has secured eight of his own. He only struck out three times in six games played. Chaparro stole his first base of the season last week.

BAUERS BOMBS - With his three home runs and eight runs batted in, Jake Bauers wrote himself into the record books. The last RailRider to record eight RBI in a contest was Chris Gittens on June 27, 2021 at Lehigh Valley in a nine-inning contest. It was also the first three home run contest for a player since Mike Ford in 2019.

LIMITED FREE PASSES- The RailRiders pitching staff has only allowed 54 walks through 15 games this season. That is the fourth lowest issued in all of Triple-A Buffalo's staff leads the way with just 39 base on balls. The Saints have allowed 70 walks. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has hit nine batters, while St. Paul has just had two hit batters by pitchers.

PATIENCE AT THE PLATE - When Chaparro stepped in against No. 29 Mets prospect Grant Hartwig in the second game on Sunday, he quickly worked a 2-0 count on breaking balls down in the zone. But then the game slowed down for them both. The 23-year-old fouled off a fastball before watching another ball down in the zone and taking another heater for a strike. With the count, 3-2, Chaparro became a veritable foul ball machine. The right-hander threw every pitch in his arsenal and Chappy fouled back a dozen in a row. On pitch No. 17 and foul ball No. 12, the ball popped up near first baseman Mark Vientos. New York's No. 8 prospects didn't get a good read on the ball, though, and it dropped next to him in foul ground. The next pitch was a ball in the dirt and Chaparro took his base. He was three pitches short of tying the record for longest plate appearance in history. That record was set by the Blue Jays' Brandon Belt in 2018, when he was on the Giants, but the now-Blue Jays first baseman's hard work only resulted in a flyout.

HOMER HEAVEN - The RailRiders have had ten different players launch a home run this season. The team has compiled 25 long balls, tied for third in all of Triple-A. Jake Bauers and Andres Chaparro both have six homers, while Michael Hermosillo has three of his own. The Saints batters have amassed 15 home runs by twelve different hitters. Four have had a pair each.

LEADING THE CHARGE - Manager Shelley Duncan has been rotating through his starting lineup pretty consistently, seemingly focusing on pitching matchups. While every player has gotten at least one rest day, only one has participated in all but one contest. Andres Chaparro, has started in fourteen games this season on both corners of the infield and as the designated hitter. Out of the bullpen, Nick Ramirez and Matt Bowman have the most appearances with six total apiece.

GAMES PLAYED - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has played all fifteen contests on the schedule this summer, while St. Paul has missed one at home due to inclement weather. In Triple-A, the least number of contests played is the Iowa Cubs with just twelve completed.

ATOP THE YANKS FARM - The RailRiders will showcase top prospect Oswald Peraza (#3 per MLB prospect rankings in the Yankees system) alongside outfielder Elijah Dunham (#18) in his first Triple-A season. Randy Vasquez (#14) and Sean Boyle (#29) are both set to be essential parts of the starting pitching staff. Peraza made his big-league debut at the end of last season and even aided the Yankees in their postseason race.

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics

International League Stories from April 18, 2023

Indians Walked Off By Redbirds In Series Opener, 5-4 - Indianapolis Indians
Chasers Drop Series Opener to Stripers 4-1 - Omaha Storm Chasers
'Birds Blast Back-to-Back Bombs to Beat Indy - Memphis Redbirds
Mets Drop Wild and Wacky Series Opener to Durham, 9-8, in Ten Innings - Syracuse Mets
Blank You Very Much, Saints Shut Out Railriders 6-0 - St. Paul Saints
RailRiders Blanked by Saints - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Stripers Clip Omaha 4-1 to Snap Losing Streak - Gwinnett Stripers
Mud Hens Homer Twice in Win - Toledo Mud Hens
Bulls Beat Mets 9-8 in Ten for Sixth Straight Win - Durham Bulls
Amaya Powers Jacksonville to 3-2 Win Over Nashville - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Sounds' Late Rally Falls Short in Jacksonville - Nashville Sounds
Wings Drop First Game in Norfolk, 5-3 - Rochester Red Wings
Alfaro, Abreu Lead WooSox to Win Over IronPigs - Worcester Red Sox
Cowser Stays Hot In Tides' Win Over Rochester - Norfolk Tides
Knights Fall to Bats 5-4 in Tuesday's Opener - Charlotte Knights
Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (7-8) at Memphis Redbirds (10-5) - Indianapolis Indians
SWB RailRiders Game Notes - April 18, 2023 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Sogard Drives in Lone Run, WooSox Drop Series Finale to Columbus - Worcester Red Sox
Flurry of Roster Moves Announced Tuesday - Charlotte Knights
Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - April 18 at Norfolk - Rochester Red Wings
Bisons April 18th Game against Iowa Postponed - Buffalo Bisons
Charlotte Checkers, Charlotte Knights Announce Queen City Winter Classic - Charlotte Knights
Jumbo Shrimp to Host Bark and Brew Pregame Beer Festival on April 30 - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

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