IL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB RailRiders Game Notes - August 20, 2021

Published on August 20, 2021 under International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (54-36) at Worcester Red Sox (48-45)

LHP JP Sears (0-0, 4.15 ERA) vs. RHP Kutter Crawford (1-2, 5.03 ERA)

| Game 91 | Road Game 45 | Polar Park | Worcester, MA | August 20, 2021 | First Pitch 6:35 p.m. |

NO HITS FOR YOU!: In game two of Thursday's doubleheader at Worcester, Sean Boyle threw the second no-hitter of the season for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He walked only one batter and hit another with a pitch while striking out six in a 7-inning, complete game effort. SWB previously threw a 9-inning combined no-hitter on July 21 against the Rochester Red Wings at PNC Field, with Luis Gil, Reggie McClain and Stephen Ridings teaming up in the effort. The twin no-nos are the first no-hitters thrown by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre under the Yankees affiliation (2007 - Present), and the first overall since Jeremy Cummings no-hit Rochester on Sept. 3, 2006. With the RailRiders having thrown a one-hitter on May 27 against the Buffalo Bisons, 2021 is the first season in franchise history to feature both a no-hitter and a one-hitter in the same season.

- The RailRiders second no-hitter was the fourth thrown in Triple-A East this year. The Iowa Cubs have also thrown two no-nos this year, using four pitchers to no-hit the Indianapolis Indians on May 9, and had three pitchers no-hit St. Paul on July 11.

- Two other teams have thrown two no-hitters this season in minor league baseball, Amarillo (AA, Arizona) and Wisconsin (High-A, Milwaukee). Wisconsin had the shortest number of days elapse between no-hitters (12 days), followed by Amarillo (22 days), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (29 days), and finally Iowa (63 days).

- Last night's effort was the 30th no-hitter in minor league baseball this season, with the last having come on August 12, when there were two no-hitters thrown -- One by South Bend against Fort Wayne, and the other by Fredericksburg against Salem.

- Thursday marked the second no-hitter that Boyle has been involved with this season, having also started a 7-inning no-hitter on July 10 for Hudson Valley against Brooklyn.

- Yankees affiliates have thrown a total of four no-hitters this season with Hudson Valley (July 10), Somerset (August 8) and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (July 21 and August 19) getting in on the action. OF Frederick Cuevas has been a starting outfielder in three no-nos (HV, 7/10; SWB 7/21; SOM, 8/8).

- The July 21 no-hitter was the first no-no for a Yankees Triple-A affiliate since 2002, when Adrian Hernandez, Bob Scanlan and Kevin Lovinger of the Columbus Clippers no-hit the Indianapolis Indians in a 15-1 win. The Clippers threw four no-hitters while affiliated with the Yankees from 1979 - 2006, including one by Mariano Rivera in 1995.

DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION: The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders pounded out 11 hits including seven extra-base hits on Wednesday night's 9-1 victory over the Worcester Red Sox. Astonishingly, that was the ninth win of the season for the RailRiders by a margin of eight-or-more runs. However, it was the team's first such win since an 8-0 win over Rochester on July 21, a game more noted for being a combined no-hitter. The RailRiders took home six victories by eight-or-more runs in their first 45 games of the season, but have only done so three times in their last 45. Entering play Friday, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is +106 in run differential this year, third-best in Triple-A behind Durham (+181) and Buffalo (+110).

SUPER GREG: RailRiders OF Greg Allen has been on a tear in 10 games since being returned to the team from the Yankees. The switch-hitter is batting .483 (14-for-29) with 6 R, 4 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, and 2 HBP. Overall, Allen is riding an 12-game on-base streak since July 15 which has raised his season batting line from .263/.402/.343 to .321/.440/.460, a 155-point jump in his OPS.

WE'RE GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER: Since mid-July the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders roster has been radically changed owing to injuries, two COVID-19 outbreaks and the taxi squad, but the roster is beginning to resemble its old self. Chris Gittens has been activated off the injured list and optioned to the RailRiders, while Trey Amburgey continues to be with the RailRiders on an MLB rehab assignment. Catchers Rob Brantly and Max McDowell are back after stints as a COVID replacement player and on the taxi squad, respectively. Outfielder Matt Pita is back from a leg injury, and RHPs Sal Romano and Nick Goody have re-signed minor league contracts with the Yankees after leaving the organization in July. RHPs Stephen Ridings and Nick Nelson have also been returned by the Yankees.

STARTING SLOW: The RailRiders sport a 3.95 ERA as a team through 90 games this season, but starting pitching has been a weak spot for the team. Starters have pitched to the tune of a 13-21 record and a 5.17 ERA, while the bullpen is 41-15 with a 3.01 ERA. SWB starters have lasted an average of just over 3.2 innings per start this season (least in Triple-A East), and have sported a 5.49 RA/9 (both earned and unearned runs allowed per game on an ERA scale). Meanwhile the RailRiders have the second-best bullpen ERA among full-season minor league clubs, trailing Buffalo (2.92).

ROUGH PATCH: With Sunday's loss to Lehigh Valley, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders completed their 12-game homestand with a 4-8 record. In their last 20 games, SWB is 7-13, by far the worst stretch of the season. 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 88 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.

144 in '22: The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders announced their 2022 schedule this morning, featuring 144 games from April 5 through Sept. 21. This will be the first time since 2016 that Triple-A plays a 144-game schedule, as the number was gradually reduced from 144 to 140 following that season. Highlights of the season include SWB's first-ever matchups with St. Paul and Jacksonville, and the first series at Omaha since 1990.

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