IL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB RailRiders Game Notes - May 23, 2021

Published on May 23, 2021 under International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (13-4) at Rochester Red Wings (3-14)

RHP Brody Koerner (0-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. LHP Ben Braymer (0-2, 11.91 ERA)

| Game 18 | Road Game 12 | Frontier Field | Rochester, NY | May 23, 2021 | First Pitch 1:05 p.m. |

FAST OUT OF THE GATE: With their 13th win of the season in 17 games on Saturday, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders have kept themselves in elite company across minor league baseball. Entering play on Saturday there are five teams across minor league baseball with 13-4 records, with only Jacksonville at that mark among Triple-A teams. Within the Yankees organization, the Tampa Tarpons also are off to a 13-4 start to the season. Overall, the Yankees have the best organizational record in baseball (47-21, .691), a full 4.5 games better than Cleveland (32-24, .636). The RailRiders are off to their best start to a season since the 2009 SWB Yankees went 17-3 in the month of April.

MARATHON MEN: After Saturday night's 9-8 win over the Rochester Red Wings took 4 hours and 6 minutes to complete, the RailRiders have played three of the four longest 9-inning games in franchise history this season. In a cruel twist, Satuday's game also included a 10-minute delay for "wet grounds" at the start of the game. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had not played a game lasting longer than four hours since Aug. 21, 2015 against Rochester, although that game lasted 14 innings. Before this season, there had never been a four hour 9-inning game in the RailRiders era (2013 - Pres.) of SWB baseball.

DINGER ALERT: After shattering the SWB franchise record with 212 home runs in 2019 (previously 164 in 1998), the RailRiders are at it again, hitting 27 home runs in their first 17 games this season. The 26 round-trippers hit by SWB puts the club in a tie for fourth place in Triple-A East with Gwinnett, trailing Durham (32), Charlotte (27) and Worcester (27). The RailRiders are tied for eighth in minor league baseball in home runs, and it is a true team effort, as only Chris Gittens (t-10th, 4) ranks in the top 15 in home runs in Triple-A East.

WALK-A-THON: Through 17 games this season, the RailRiders have drawn 101 walks, the most in all of Triple-A baseball. No other team in the minors' highest level has taken more than 94 bases on balls (Gwinnett). Overall, the RailRiders are 4th in all of minor league baseball in walks, with Tampa (Low-A, NYY) leading the way with 116 walks. SWB's team .375 OBP is best in the Triple-A East League, and ranks 5th across all levels of the minors. There are currently three teams in Triple-A East with team OBPs greater than .360. Rochester (.305) has the fourth-lowest OBP of the 20-team league. The Red Wings also have the second-lowest team SLG (.345) in the circuit, and have a .650 team OPS, the second-lowest in all of Triple-A (Louisville, .622).

OH SAY CAN YOU GENESEE?: The current six-game road trip marks the one and only trip to Frontier Field for the RailRiders during the 2021 season, with the final 12 games against the Red Wings to be played in Moosic. Despite an all-time winning record against Rochester, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has historically struggled in Roc City, going only 1-7 last year and a combined 4-11 at Frontier Field in 2018 and 2019. In the RailRiders era (2013-Present), SWB has only one winning season in Rochester, when they went 4-3 in 2017. However, following today's contest, the 2021 season will officially be added to that list as the RailRiders have won 4 of 5 from the Red Wings to clinch a series victory. Including the four wins in 2021, SWB is 130-140 (.481) all-time in Rochester.

#SQUADUP: The RailRiders received three players this week from Double-A Somerset, and all three have made meaningful impacts in the series against Rochester. INFs Hoy Park, Brandon Wagner and OF Thomas Milone have combined to hit .339 (19-for-56) with 10 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBIs, 12 BB, 17 K and 2 HBP. In Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Red Wings, Park and Milone drove in all three SWB runs, while all three have contributed strong play on the defensive end as well.

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics

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International League Stories from May 23, 2021


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