
SWB RailRiders Game Notes - September 30, 2021
September 30, 2021 - International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (71-52) vs. Rochester Red Wings (49-73)
RHP Clarke Schmidt (0-1, 2.75 ERA) vs. LHP Ben Braymer (7-8, 5.89 ERA)
| Game 124 | Road Game 60 | Frontier Field | Rochester, NY | September 30, 2021 | First Pitch 6:05 p.m. |
RECORDS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN: When Greg Allen stole second base in the sixth inning of game one of the doubleheader on September 25 with Syracuse, he recorded the 140th stolen base of the season for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, setting a new franchise record. In only 120 games, the team surpassed the previous record of 139 held by the 2000 SWB Red Barons, who needed 145 games to set the mark. Through 122 games, the RailRiders have stolen 143 bases in 180 attempts in the 2021 season (79.4% success). The pace of thievery has ticked up in September, with SWB currently 36-for-41 in steal attempts in 22 games during the month (1.64 steals/game). Andrew Velazquez leads the team with 29 stolen bases in 77 games, and Socrates Brito (23) and Greg Allen (23) have also recorded 20-or-more steals. With one more steal, Velazquez can become the first SWB player with 30 steals in a season since Brett Gardner stole 37 with the 2008 SWB Yankees.
RECORD BREAKING SEASON: In the most unusual season in modern minor league baseball history, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders have done their part to re-write the franchise record book, breaking seven team single game or season-long records despite the shortened schedule. Here is a list of the known team records broken:
Longest 9 inning game 4:09, 5/6 @ Syracuse
Most Errors, single game 6, 9/29 at Rochester (tied)
Most No-Hitters thrown, single season 2 (7/21 vs Rochester & 8/19 at Worcester)
Most Strikeouts, single game (offense) 18, 8/5 vs Worcester (tied)
Most Stolen Bases, single game 7, 6/29 at Worcester (tied)
Most Stolen Bases, season 143
Most Walks, single game (pitching) 16, 7/28 @ Syracuse (tied)
STOP HITTING ME!: A prevailing trend around professional baseball has been an uptick in hit batsmen this year, and the RailRiders hitters have not been immune. SWB batters have been plunked 96 times this season, the most of any Triple-A or Double-A team this year. Greg Allen leads the team with 18 HBP in 256 PA, while Rob Brantly and Derek Dietrich are tied for second with 14 each (in 252 and 160 PA, respectively). Max McDowell has been plunked 11 times in only 152 PA. An individual RailRiders batter has been hit by a pitch twice in a game six times this season, including Allen twice, a feat which ties a franchise record and had not been accomplished since 2016 (Cesar Puello, 4/27 vs Lehigh Valley).
OFFENSIVE MARKS: At the end of the 2021 regular season, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders had a combined team on-base percentage of .352, which is the best mark in franchise history. It narrowly beats out the .351 OBP posted by the 2019 RailRiders, despite the team's batting average being 23-points lower in 2021. This is only the fourth time in the 31-year history of the franchise that SWB has posted a team OBP of greater than .345.
HOMERS THAT HELP: As part of The Final StretchTM, Minor League Baseball has announced that it will be donating $50 for each home run hit by each club to a charity within that club's local community. The RailRiders are hitting home runs to benefit the Wyoming Valley Challenger Baseball. Through five Final StretchTM games, the RailRiders have hit seven home runs for a total donation thus far of $350. The Triple-A team which hits the most home runs during the final stretch will receive a $5,000 bonus for their designated organization.
CLOSE CALLS & BLOWOUTS: The RailRiders have played an extraordinary number of close games this season, with 58 of SWB's 123 games being decided by one or two runs (47.1%). Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has performed approximately average in these close contests, going 15-16 (.484) in one-run games and 15-12 (.555) in two-run games. However, the RailRiders have also participated in their share of extreme blowout games, decided by eight-or-more runs. In 13 such contests, SWB is 11-2 (.846) on the season, and is part of the reason why the team is +137 in run differential this season, the third-best mark in Triple-A East.
EYES ON THE FINAL STRETCHTM PRIZE...WHATEVER IT IS: Unlike all other classifications, Triple-A does not have playoffs this year, with instead every team playing 10 extra games in the Triple-A Final Stretch. The Triple-A Final Stretch is a 10-game, 2-week "postseason tournament" which has already seen SWB host Syracuse for five games and concludes with the current series at Rochester. The team with the best overall record over the 10-game period will be dubbed the Final Stretch Champion and receive a prize that MLB has unbelievably still not announced despite the fact that Triple-A's Final Stretch ends on Sunday. Team and individual statistics achieved during the Triple-A Final Stretch will be counted toward regular season numbers, making The Final Stretch a Schrödinger's Cat paradox where it is both the postseason and the regular season at the same time.
International League Stories from September 30, 2021
- Knights Fall to Redbirds 6-4 on Thursday - Charlotte Knights
- Quintana Rockets Jumbo Shrimp Past Stripers, 7-5 - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Lee Locks In, Offense Plates 5 to Edge Clippers - Louisville Bats
- Eight Doubles Lead WooSox Offensive Outburst against IronPigs - Worcester Red Sox
- Bisons Win Sixth Straight, Beating Syracuse 8-5 - Buffalo Bisons
- Redbirds Beat Knights for Second Straight Night - Memphis Redbirds
- Oneil Cruz Homers in Fourth Consecutive Game - Indianapolis Indians
- Mark Payton Hits Two Home Runs, But Mets Fall to Bisons, 8-5, on Thursday Night - Syracuse Mets
- Sounds Power their Way over Indians - Nashville Sounds
- Tonight's Game against Omaha Canceled - Iowa Cubs
- Witt Jr. Joins 30-30-30 Club; Game Suspended in Third Inning - Omaha Storm Chasers
- RailRiders Use Late Rally to Top Plates Thursday Night - Rochester Red Wings
- RailRiders Rally past Rochester in the Ninth - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Demons Exorcised: Saints Finally Win in Toledo, 2-0 - St. Paul Saints
- Offense Falters in 2-0 Shutout Loss - Toledo Mud Hens
- Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (60-65) vs. Nashville Sounds (68-57) - Indianapolis Indians
- September 30 Game Notes: Iowa vs. Omaha - Iowa Cubs
- Tides Routed by Durham, Eliminated from Final Stretch - Norfolk Tides
- Durham Wins Ninth Straight, Blanks Norfolk 8-0 - Durham Bulls
- Owen Named Indians September Player of the Month - Indianapolis Indians
- Memphis Redbirds Game Notes: September 30, 2021 - Memphis Redbirds
- SWB RailRiders Game Notes - September 30, 2021 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Ryan Callahan Foundation to Host Families from Golisano Children's Hospital - Rochester Red Wings
- Columbus Clubs Quartet of Homers to Drop Bats - Louisville Bats
- Cruz Leads Indy in Walk-Off Winner - Indianapolis Indians
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