SWB RailRiders Game Notes - April 6, 2023

Published on April 6, 2023 under International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (2-3) @ Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (3-1)

RHP Ryan Weber (0-1, 20.25) vs RHP Jesus Cruz (0-0, 0.00)

STONE COLD GREG- Reigning International League Pitcher of the Year, Greg Weissert made his third appearance of 2023 last night for the RailRiders. He tossed a four-out save after coming in in the eighth inning to induce a fly out for the final out. Weissert needed just 15 pitches to strike out all three batters in a row in the ninth. It was his second save in two attempts this season, after recording 18 total saves in 2022. In 3.1 innings of work, Weissert has allowed no runs and even no hits. He has issued just one walk to his four strikeouts for a clean earned run average.

ON-BASE BAUERS - Jake Bauers snapped a four-game hit streak last night but grew his on-base streak up to five consecutive games with a pair of walks last night. Bauers has played in all five contests thus far, recording six hits including two doubles and a team-high three home runs. He has scored four times and driven in five runs. Bauers has walked a total of six times and only struck out three. The lefty boasts a .429 batting average and a .600 on-base percentage.

BEHIND THE PLATE - Rodolfo Duran, Mickey Gasper, and Jose Godoy open the season as new manager Shelley Duncan's options behind the plate. Godoy has big league time with both Minnesota and Pittsburgh. Duran and Gasper are set to make their Scranton/Wilkes-Barre debuts. Gasper is one of just five players on the roster drafted by the New York Yankees. So far they have split time as catcher with all three getting featured in one game on Opening Weekend.

FIELDING FAUX PAUS - The RailRiders have now had back-to-back contests with three errors committed. Last night, Andres Chaparro made two throwing errors from the hot corner, totaling four on the season. Billy McKinney had a missed catch error at first for his first. The team has a combined eight miscues, behind Omaha's league-leading twelve. However, with all of the inclement weather postponements around the International League, they are not at the bottom of the pack with their .964 fielding percentage.

RODOLFO RBIs -Rodolfo Duran got the offense going for the RailRiders with a three-run shot in the second inning. He also had a run scoring single in the third and an RBI double in the seventh. Duran walked in the ninth inning and was also credited for scoring two runs throughout the game. It was a team-leading fifth RBI. This was Duran's second five-RBI game of his career, the first coming on June 7, 2019 vs Daytona. It was Scranton/Wilkes Barre's first five-RBI contest since Estevan Florial did so on June 9, 2022.

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE - The team's pitching is fourth in the league with a 3.20 earned run average. SWB has given up just 16 earned runs, while LHV has given up the same but in one less contest. The Iron Pigs are just below them with a 3.89 ERA. Out of 30 teams in the league, the RailRiders are fourth from the bottom with a .227 team average. However, that is ticks above where they were prior to last night. The Iron Pigs have a team average of .259 at the plate.

DUNHAM DINGS- Elijah Dunham had back-to-back big nights at the plate visiting Lehigh Valley. Dunham recorded a single and two doubles on Tuesday night and a pair of base hits on Wednesday. It was his third multi-hit game of the 2023. He also batted in a run and stole a base. Manager Shelley Duncan has placed him in the leadoff spot for for three out of his five starts. The other pair have come in the three hole. Dunham has also played in all three outfield positions. In thirteen total chances he has made no errors. It is his first season in Triple-A after coming up through the Yankees system.

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). Randy Vasquez (#14) and Sean Boyle, (#29) will both be essential parts of the pitching staff. Peraza made his big league debut at the end of last season and even aided the Yankees in their postseason race.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (2-3) @ Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (3-1)

RHP Ryan Weber (0-1, 20.25) vs RHP Jesus Cruz (0-0, 0.00)

STONE COLD GREG- Reigning International League Pitcher of the Year, Greg Weissert made his third appearance of 2023 last night for the RailRiders. He tossed a four-out save after coming in in the eighth inning to induce a fly out for the final out. Weissert needed just 15 pitches to strike out all three batters in a row in the ninth. It was his second save in two attempts this season, after recording 18 total saves in 2022. In 3.1 innings of work, Weissert has allowed no runs and even no hits. He has issued just one walk to his four strikeouts for a clean earned run average.

ON-BASE BAUERS - Jake Bauers snapped a four-game hit streak last night but grew his on-base streak up to five consecutive games with a pair of walks last night. Bauers has played in all five contests thus far, recording six hits including two doubles and a team-high three home runs. He has scored four times and driven in five runs. Bauers has walked a total of six times and only struck out three. The lefty boasts a .429 batting average and a .600 on-base percentage.

BEHIND THE PLATE - Rodolfo Duran, Mickey Gasper, and Jose Godoy open the season as new manager Shelley Duncan's options behind the plate. Godoy has big league time with both Minnesota and Pittsburgh. Duran and Gasper are set to make their Scranton/Wilkes-Barre debuts. Gasper is one of just five players on the roster drafted by the New York Yankees. So far they have split time as catcher with all three getting featured in one game on Opening Weekend.

FIELDING FAUX PAUS - The RailRiders have now had back-to-back contests with three errors committed. Last night, Andres Chaparro made two throwing errors from the hot corner, totaling four on the season. Billy McKinney had a missed catch error at first for his first. The team has a combined eight miscues, behind Omaha's league-leading twelve. However, with all of the inclement weather postponements around the International League, they are not at the bottom of the pack with their .964 fielding percentage.

RODOLFO RBIs - Rodolfo Duran got the offense going for the RailRiders with a three-run shot in the second inning. He also had a run scoring single in the third and an RBI double in the seventh. Duran walked in the ninth inning and was also credited for scoring two runs throughout the game. It was a team-leading fifth RBI. This was Duran's second five-RBI game of his career, the first coming on June 7, 2019 vs Daytona. It was Scranton/Wilkes Barre's first five-RBI contest since Estevan Florial did so on June 9, 2022.

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE - The team's pitching is fourth in the league with a 3.20 earned run average. SWB has given up just 16 earned runs, while LHV has given up the same but in one less contest. The Iron Pigs are just below them with a 3.89 ERA. Out of 30 teams in the league, the RailRiders are fourth from the bottom with a .227 team average. However, that is ticks above where they were prior to last night. The Iron Pigs have a team average of .259 at the plate.

DUNHAM DINGS- Elijah Dunham had back-to-back big nights at the plate visiting Lehigh Valley. Dunham recorded a single and two doubles on Tuesday night and a pair of base hits on Wednesday. It was his third multi-hit game of the 2023. He also batted in a run and stole a base. Manager Shelley Duncan has placed him in the leadoff spot for for three out of his five starts. The other pair have come in the three hole. Dunham has also played in all three outfield positions. In thirteen total chances he has made no errors. It is his first season in Triple-A after coming up through the Yankees system.

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). Randy Vasquez (#14) and Sean Boyle, (#29) will both be essential parts of the pitching staff. Peraza made his big league debut at the end of last season and even aided the Yankees in their postseason race.

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