NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



SWB RailRiders Game Notes - May 8, 2021

May 8, 2021 - International League (IL) - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (3-1) at Syracuse Mets (1-3)

RHP Brian Keller (First Start) vs. RHP Jordan Yamamoto (First Start)

| Game 5 | Road Game 5 | NBT Bank Stadium | Syracuse, NY | May 8, 2021 | First Pitch 6:35 p.m. |

FILLING THE VOIT: 2020 MLB Home Run King Luke Voit joined the team on May 4 to begin a rehab assignment and went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in the season opener. Before his 0-for-3 showing on Friday night, in his last five games with SWB (dating back to 8/24/19), Voit hit a blistering .600/.636/1.200 (12-for-20) with 3 2B, 3 HR, and 6 RBIs while collecting multiple hits in every game. In 15 career games with the RailRiders since being acquired from St. Louis in July 2018, the slugger is hitting .382/.452/.691 (21-for-55) with 4 HR and 9 RBIs.

EVERYONE DIGS THE LONG BALL: After shattering the SWB franchise record with 212 home runs in 2019, the RailRiders are at it again, hitting nine home runs in the team's first four games. The nine round-trippers hit by SWB puts the club in a tie for second in the Triple-A East League with Nashville, both behind Durham (10). The Tampa Tarpons (NYY, Low-A) 11 HR each, and the RailRiders are among five clubs tied for third overall who have hit nine.

ONE FOR THE AGES: The RailRiders played their longest 9-inning game in franchise history on Thursday at Syracuse, clocking in at 4:09. That surpassed the previous record of 4:01, when the then-Red Barons locked horns with the Pawtucket Red Sox on Sept. 1, 2000. Thursday's game also featured 13 walks by SWB pitchers, three shy of the club record set against Tidewater in 1991. Early in the season, it stands as the longest game in Triple-A East League history, but wasn't even the longest 9-inning game in minor league baseball on May 6. That distincion belongs to the Lake County Captains (High-A, CLE) and Lansing Lugnuts (High-A, OAK) who completed a 7-6 Captains win in 4:18.

CALL IT A COMEBACK: Previous to Tuesday's season opener, the last time SWB and Syracuse faced each other was in the memorable Game 141 of the 2019 season, when the RailRiders completed the Miracle on Montage Mountain. Trailing 7-1 entering the bottom of the 7th and having just one hit to that point off starting pitcher Ervin Santana, the RailRiders scored five times to make it a 7-6 deficit. When Syracuse responded with six runs in the top of the 8th inning it seemed as if the RailRiders' fate was sealed, but instead they plated a season-best eight runs in an inning and grabbed a 14-13 lead en route to a win. Fittingly, this game was the final regular season game ever played in the International League, a circuit which began play in 1884 but has been disbanded and reconstituted as the Triple-A East League.

THROW OUT THE RECORD BOOK: The 2019 season was one for the record books in Triple-A baseball, and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders were no exception. Here is a look at the team and individual offensive club records that fell during the last season where games were played:

Most HR in a season by a lefty: Mike Ford, 23 HR Old record -- Eric Valent, 21 HR (2001)

Most HR in a month: Logan Morrison, 11 HR (June) Old record -- 2x, Last: W. Magee, Jr., 10 HR (July 1998)

Most R scored in a season: 786 R Old record -- 746 R (1998)

Most RBI in season: 741 RBI Old record -- 695 RBI (1998)

Most HR in a season: 212 HR Old record -- 164 HR (1998)

Most HR at home in a season: 109 HR Old record -- 61 HR (2008)

Grand Slams, season: 8 GS Old record -- 5 GS (2x, Last: 2005)

Most Extra-Base Hits in a season: 530 XBH Old record -- 488 XBH (1998)

Total Bases in a season: 2,282 Total Bases Old record -- 2,190 Total Bases (1998)

Highest slugging percentage: .484 SLG Old record -- .449 SLG (1998)

Highest on-base percentage: .351 OBP Old record -- .349 OBP (1997)

VETERANS DAY: The RailRiders 31-man Break Camp roster is one of the most veteran-laden in recent club history, featuring a whopping 19 players with MLB Service Time and 3,523 total games played in MLB. Derek Dietrich (746 G) has played in the most MLB games on the roster, while Luis García (326 G) narrowly edges out Adam Warren (323 G) for the most pitching appearances.


• Discuss this story on the International League message board...

International League Stories from May 8, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central