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IL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB RailRiders Game Notes - August 14, 2021

August 14, 2021 - International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Lehigh Valley IronPigs (40-45) vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (50-33)

RHP Austin Ross (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP J.P. Sears (0-0, 1.80 ERA)

| Game 84 | Home Game 45 | PNC Field | Moosic, PA | August 14, 2021 | First Pitch 6:05 p.m. |

STARTING SLOW: The RailRiders sport a 3.98 ERA as a team through 83 games this season, but starting pitching has been a weak spot for the team. Starters have pitched to the tune of a 12-20 record and a 5.30 ERA, while the bullpen is 38-13 with a 2.99 ERA. SWB starters have lasted an average of just over 3.2 innings per start this season, and have sported a 5.65 RA/9 (both earned and unearned runs allowed per game on an ERA scale). Meanwhile the RailRiders have the third-best bullpen ERA among full-season minor league clubs, trailing Buffalo (2.91) and Somerset (2.92).

SUPER GREG: RailRiders OF Greg Allen has been on a tear in six games since being returned to the team from the Yankees. The switch-hitter is batting an even .500 (8-for-16) with 2 R, 2 2B, HR, RBI, 4 K, and 2 HBP. Overall, Allen is riding a seven-game hitting streak which has raised his season batting line from .263/.402/.343 to .309/.430/.477, a 133-point jump in his OPS.

MIND THE CLOCK: Wednesday night's game with Lehigh Valley featured two pitch clock violations -- one against RailRiders pitcher Josh Maciejewski for taking too long to deliver a pitch, and one against Iron Pigs outfielder Matt Vierling for taking too long to step in the box. In 81 games, the RailRiders have seen only 11 pitch clock violations against themselves or their opponents this year, after 31 were called in the 2019 season. Those were the first pace of play violations called in a RailRiders game since June 22, when both Luis Gil and Lehigh Valley's Mauricio Llovera were cited for taking too long to come set with a runner on base.

BEEN A LONG TIME: With a loss to Lehigh Valley on Wednesday and Buffalo's 5-0 win over Rochester, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders wake up Thursday morning in second place in Triple-A East Northeast for the first time since the beginning of play on May 7. That day, the RailRiders beat the Syracuse Mets 7-3 to move into a tie for first in Triple-A East Northeast, and would at least share the throne until the end of play on August 11. During SWB's 97-day reign atop the division, the average price of a gallon of gas jumped from $2.89 to $3.17, "Save Your Tears" by The Weeknd and Ariana Grande was de-throned as the No. 1 song, and Hoy Park's entire RailRiders career happened.

ROUGH PATCH: After Friday's loss to Lehigh Valley, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders continue to be mired in their worst stretch of the season, having dropped nine out of their last 12 games. There have been two three-game losing skids for SWB in this span, only the second and third times this year that the RailRiders have dropped three in a row, respectively. Through 83 completed games, the RailRiders have not dropped four straight games. In 2019, SWB had three four-game losing streaks and one six-game losing streak. There was also one stretch where the team lost 11-of-12 games played from 8/6-17.

THREE DOZEN SIDES OF BACON: The COVID-19 pandemic has created one of the most unusual season schedules in the history of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise. With the season beginning a full month later than traditional, all teams in Triple-A East will play 120-game regular season schedules, followed by the 10-game Triple-A Final Stretch. The RailRiders, along with the rest of the Northeast Division teams, will exclusively play teams within the division. This leads to a schedule where SWB plays the rival Lehigh Valley IronPigs an unprecedented 36 times. For perspective, the RailRiders play the Rochester Red Wings and the Buffalo Bisons a combined 36 times. The RailRiders currently lead the 2021 IronRail Series 12-10, but Lehigh Valley has taken three of four games in the current set.

FALLING BEHIND: The RailRiders have made a habit of notching comeback wins this season, but the flip side is that is predicated on the team falling behind in many games this season. Through 83 games this season, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has allowed the first run in 46 games, notching a 23-23 record in those contests. The RailRiders have been out-scored 92-74 (-18) in the first two innings of games this season, a shocking number considering the team is +94 in run differential this season, the third-best mark in Triple-A East (Durham, +167; Buffalo, +110). Most of the damage has been done in the middle innings, with SWB sporting an impressive +68 run differential in innings four through six.

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