IL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB RailRiders Game Notes - September 4, 2021

Published on September 4, 2021 under International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Buffalo Bisons (61-41) vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (59-43)

Game 1: RHP Thomas Hatch (1-5, 3.47 ERA) vs. LHP JP Sears (2-0, 3.20 ERA)

Game 2: RHP Kyle Johnston (0-0, 1.35 ERA) vs. RHP Deivi García (2-6, 7.01 ERA)

| Games 103 & 104 | Home Games 51 & 52 | PNC Field | Moosic, PA | September 4, 2021 | First Pitch 5:05 p.m. |

DOUBLE TROUBLE: The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and Buffalo Bisons play their second doubleheader of the week today, with the Bisons having swept Tuesday's by scores of 5-1 and 3-0. That marked the first time in six twin bills that the RailRiders had been swept by their opponent this season. In fact, SWB had split each of their first five doubleheaders this season. The RailRiders are 3-3 in openers, while posting a 2-4 mark in nightcaps.

SIX IS ENOUGH: With losses in the final two games of the series at Lehigh Valley and in the first four games of the Buffalo series, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders enter play on Saturday night riding a six-game losing streak for the first time all season. Remarkably, the RailRiders have only suffered three other losing streaks of three straight throughout the season. In 2019, SWB had three four-game losing streaks, a five-game losing streak and one six-game losing streak. There was also one stretch where the team lost 11-of-12 games played from 8/6-17. Since the beginning of August, the RailRiders have posted an 11-17 record, and have fallen a season-worst 2.0 games out of first place.

CERTIFIED STRIKEOUT BOYS: RailRiders pitchers struck out a season-high 17 batters on Friday night in a 1-0 loss against the Buffalo Bisons. That was the highest strikeout total of the year for SWB, surpassing the 15 K mark accomplished three times, most recently on August 8 against Worcester. The 17 strikeouts recorded by the RailRiders on Friday was the most since the staff struck out 18 on May 5, 2019 against the Syracuse Mets. That contest was also notable for SWB scoring 14 runs (10 earned) against Mets starter Mickey Jannis, and a 7 RBI performance from Kyle Higashioka.

CLOSE CALLS & BLOWOUTS: The RailRiders have played an extraordinary number of close games this season, with 52 of SWB's 102 games being decided by one or two runs (50.98%). Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has performed perfectly average in these close contests, going 15-15 (.500) in one-run games and 11-11 (.500) in two-run games. However, the RailRiders have also participated in their fair share of extreme blowout games, decided by eight-or-more runs. In 12 such contests, SWB is 10-2 (.833) on the season, and is part of the reason why the team is +123 in run differential this season, second-best in Triple-A East.

ONE OF THE BEST: Throughout the 2021 season, the RailRiders bullpen has been the backbone of the pitching staff, posting a 2.99 ERA as a unit and racking up 42 of SWB's 59 wins. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has the third-best bullpen ERA in full season baseball (minors and majors), trailing only Buffalo (2.82) and Somerset (2.85). The bullpen is posting impressive rates of 10.82 K/9, 4.04 BB/9, and has limited opposing batters to just a .204 batting average this season.

KEEPING IT: Despite the recent swoon and an overall disappointing month of August (11-15 record), the RailRiders hit the 100-game mark of the season with one of the best records in team history through that benchmark game. At 59-41, the RailRiders have the third-best 100-game record in the RailRiders Era (2013-Present), trailing the 2017 squad (63-37) and the 2016 National Championship team (62-38). The 2021 RailRiders own the best mark through 50 games (34-16), but sat exactly at the .500 mark in their next 50 games.

ALLEN STARTED THE FIRE!: RailRiders OF Greg Allen has been on a tear in 20 games since being returned to the team from the Yankees. The switch-hitter is batting .383 (23-for-60) with 11 R, 4 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, 10 K, and 5 HBP. Allen had a 12-game on-base streak snapped on Saturday with an 0-for-3 performance, but during the streak his season batting line improved from .263/.402/.343 to .321/.440/.460, a 155-point jump in his OPS.

SWEET ESCAPE: Despite two consecutive losses to Lehigh Valley to end the road trip, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are 33-19 (.634) on the road this season, the second-best mark of any team in Triple-A this season. Only Jacksonville (33-21) can claim as many wins away from home in Triple-A East, and in the Northeast Division, Worcester (29-22) has the second-best road record. In Triple-A baseball, only Reno (35-19) has more wins on the road than Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

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