SWB RailRiders Game Notes- April 2, 2025

Sports stats



IL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB RailRiders Game Notes- April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025 - International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (2-2) vs. Syracuse Mets (1-2)

April 2, 2025 | Game 5 | Road Game 5 | NBT Bank Stadium | First Pitch 1:05 P.M.

RH Erick Leal (No Record) vs. RH Dom Hamel (No Record)

Leal: Making first affiliated appearance since 9/01/19; 8-1 w/ 2.91 ERA for Diablos Rojos del México in '24

Hamel: 5-9 over 27 starts for Syracuse in 2024; 6.79 ERA with 124 K over 124.2 IP; Mets #26 prospect

LAST TIME OUT- Syracuse, NY (April 1, 2025) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders bested the Syracuse Mets 6-2 Tuesday afternoon at NBT Bank Stadium. Andrew Velazquez drove in four to lead the RailRiders to their second straight win on this nine-game road trip to open the season.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre jumped to an early lead in the top of the first. Ismael Munguia singled to start the game and scored on one-out double by T.J. Rumfield for a 1-0 edge. The Mets plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the third against RailRiders Zach Messinger, who was making his Triple-A debut. Luis De Los Santos doubled and scored on a two-base hit from Jakson Reetz, who later scored on a Donovan Walton single that pushed Syracuse ahead 2-1.

The RailRiders evened the game at two in the top of the fourth when Munguia reached with his third single against Mets starter Brandon Waddell, driving in Jose Rojas in the process. In the fifth, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre loaded the bases, keyed by an error charged to reliever Grant Hartwig. Velazquez lashed a single to left, driving in two runs and staking the RailRiders to a two-run lead.

The 4-2 advantage held until the top of the ninth when Velazquez drove in two more with a two-out single, extending the lead to 6-2 to seal the win.

Eric Reyzelman (1-1) worked the win with 1.2 innings of relief. Hartwig (0-1) took the loss for Syracuse.

WORKING BACK- Erick Leal makes his first start in affiliated ball since September 1, 2019. The right-hander was initially signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011 as a Non-Drafted Free Agent. Prior to the 2013 season, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. Leal missed time after Tommy John surgery in 2016 and ultimately split his most recent season stateside between Mytle Beach and Tennessee. From 2021 to 2024, Lea pitched in the Mexican League, first for Rieleros de Aguascalientes and then Diablos Rojos del México. The 30-year old closed 2024 strong, Leal's 2024 season was a return to form, posting an 8-1 record and 2.91 ERA with 95 strikeouts across 80+13 innings pitched. He pitched against New York in the two-day exhibition series in Mexico City, allowing a run on three hits over 2.1 innings on March 25, 2024.

NEW ADDITION- Jake Woodford was signed to a Minor League contract by the Yankees on March 28 and added to the RailRiders roster today. The right-hander went 0-2 with Colorado over seven games (3 starts during Spring Training. He carried a 5.25 ERA with six strikeouts and four walks in 12 innings of work, but opted out and was released by Rockies on March 23. Last season, Woodford spent time with the White Sox and Pirates organizations. He is currently slated to start for the RailRiders on Friday night.

MEET THE METS- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has 24 games against the Syracuse Mets this season. Each of the 12 first-half meetings are at NBT Bank Stadium. All of the second half games are at PNC Field. The top affiliated of the New York teams squared off 24 times last season and split the set 12-12.

MOVED OUT- Edgar Barclay was transferred to Somerset on Tuesday. The southpaw spent all of 2024 with the RailRiders and made a spot start on Sunday at Lehigh Valley, working 3.0 scoreless innings.

EARLY DAY- Everson Pereira's mid-fourth ejection Tuesday was the first since Jeter Downs was tossed from a game on June 28, 2024, against Worcester. Both Downs and skipper Shelley Duncan were ejected in the seventh inning of a 7-5 Oat Milkers win. Steven Jaschinski ejected Pereira yesterday and threw Downs and Duncan out of that game last June.

TWO STRAIGHT- T.J. Rumfield became the first RailRider to homer in consecutive games this season with a ninth inning home run Saturday and his fifth inning home run Sunday.

LONG TIME GONE- Wilking Rodríguez pitched for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre during the 2015 season and made his first appearance for the club since then when he pitched on Saturday; a span of 3,532 days between appearances in a RailRiders uniform.

HEALTH CHECK- Ian Hamilton joined Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on a Major League Rehab Assignment Saturday. The 29-year-old's 2025 Spring Training was slowed due to an infection and he made two appearances in Florida. In his first rehab effort on Saturday, Hamilton allowed two runs on three hits over two-thirds of an inning.

ONE WEEK OUT- The RailRiders continue this nine-game road swing to start the 2025 campaign. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will host Rochester at PNC Field one week from tonight.

AROUND THE ORGANIZATION- New York fell 7-5 to Arizona Monday night. Jasson Domínguez, Anthony Volpe and Ben Rice all homered, but the Diamondback pinned five runs on the Yankees bullpen in the top of the eighth inning to send New York to its first loss of the campaign... Somerset's season begins on April 4 at Hartford... Hudson Valley opens at home Friday against Jersey Shore... Tampa's season starts April 4 as well when they host Lakeland.

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics

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

International League Stories from April 2, 2025


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.

Other Recent Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central