SWB RailRiders Game Notes- August 5, 2025
IL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SWB RailRiders Game Notes- August 5, 2025

August 5, 2025 - International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (25-7, 63-41) at Lehigh Valley IronPigs (16-16, 62-44)

August 5, 2025 | Game 105 | Road Game 50 | Coca-Cola Park | First Pitch 7:05 P.M.

RH Brendan Beck (3-1, 4.86) vs. RH Andrew Painter (3-3, 4.50)

Beck: Allowed 3 H over 6.0 scoreless innings in 7/30 Win vs. NAS with 2 K & 1 BB (1-0 RailRiders)

Painter: Allowed 1 R on 7 H over 6.1 IP in 7/30 ND @ WOR with 4 K & 2 BB (5-3 IronPigs)

LAST TIME OUT- MOOSIC, PA (August 3, 2025) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Nashville Sounds 8-7 Sunday afternoon at PNC Field. Jose Rojas powered the RailRiders, driving in four runs to lead Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to a series victory over the Sounds.

The RailRiders opened the scoring in the bottom of the second against Sounds starter Bruce Zimmerman. Jeimer Candelario doubled and crossed on a Rojas double to take a 1-0 advantage. Nashville evened the score with a run on a fielder's choice in the fourth. The Sounds scored three runs on one hit in the top of the fifth to take the lead. A Tyler Black sac fly gave Nashville a 2-1 edge and former RailRider Oliver Dunn doubled in a pair, building a 4-1 lead. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre plated four runs in the home half of the frame to regain the advantage. After Duke Ellis singled and Ismael Munguia doubled, T.J. Rumfield singled in the pair to pull the RailRiders to within one. J.C. Escarra extended the frame with a single, putting runners on the corners. The RailRiders recaptured the advantage when Jemier Candelario doubled for a 5-4 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Rojas blasted his 19th home run of the year, a three-run shot to right field to give the RailRiders an 8-4 cushion. Nashville cut the deficit to one in the ninth after Daz Cameron hit a three-run home run to center field.

Ian Hamilton (1-0) pitched 1.1 innings, allowing one run on one hit to earn the victory. Zimmerman (6-6) tossed 6.0 frames, surrendering five runs on eight hits in the loss. Zach Messinger worked the final 3.1 innings for his second save of the season.

SEVEN IN SIX- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre heads to Lehigh Valley for seven games over six days. The RailRiders and IronPigs have split the season set so far with four wins apiece. Wednesday's doubleheader will make up a game rained out on July 1 at Coca-Cola Park.

SERIES STUFF- The RailRiders won four of six against the Sounds at PNC Field last week and have won or split ten consecutive series since going 1-4 in Nashville from May 21 through 24. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has a league-best 41-16 record since the start of the Worcester series on May 27.

HONORED- Erick Leal was tabbed as the International League's Pitcher of the Week for July 29 through August 3. The right-hander set a new career-high ten strikeouts on Friday, working the first complete game shutout by any RailRiders' pitcher since Sean Boyle's doubleheader game two no-hitter at Worcester on August 19, 2021. Leal is now 6-0 in the second half with a 2.20 ERA over 41 innings of work in seven starts with 40 strikeouts and 11 walks, and gets the nod in game one of Wednesday's twinbill in Allentown.

FOR A SECOND- The RailRiders enter play today a half game back of Syracuse in the second-half race and a half game behind Indianapolis and Jacksonville for the league's best overall mark this season.

EXPERIENCED ADDITION- The Yankees have signed right-hander Kenta Maeda to a Minor League contract. Maeda, 37, has gone 68-56 with six saves and a 4.20 ERA in 226 career games, 172 starts, over nine Major League seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-19), Minnesota Twins (2020-21, '23) and Detroit Tigers (2024-25). His 1,055 career strikeouts are the third-most in Major League history by a Japan-born player. The right-handed pitcher posted a 7.88 ERA in seven relief appearances with the Tigers this season before being designated for assignment on May 1. He was released from the roster on May 7 and signed a Minor League contract with the Chicago Cubs on May 15. Maeda went 3-4 with a 5.97 ERA in 12 starts with Iowa before being released on August 2.

BACK IN THE MIX- Bryan De La Cruz was outrighted to the RailRiders on Sunday night. The outfielder is hitting .251 with ten home runs and 29 runs batted in over 55 games since the Yankees claimed him off waivers from Atlanta on May 1. De La Cruz was designated for assignment on Thursday when New York acquired Jake Bird from Colorado.

ON THE SPOT- Right-hander Leonardo Pestana made a spot start Sunday for the RailRiders; just the second spot start Scranton/Wilkes-Barre needed from its bullpen this season. Pestana joined Edgar Barclay as the only true spot starts the RailRiders have needed this season. Barclay worked three scoreless frames at the outset of the third game of the season on March 30 at Syracuse. Pestana was the 14th pitcher to start a game for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.

CLEANING UP- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had not played any twinbills since May 21 in Nashville when the Sounds swept a doubleheader. The RailRiders returned the favor by taking both games on Friday. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has now played seven twinbills this season, sweeping three and splitting three in addition to the May action in Nashville. They'll play two in Allentown on Wednesday as well.

RE-RANKING THE RANKINGS- After all the movement at the trade deadline last Thursday, two RailRiders have entered MLB Pipeline's top 30 prospect list for the Yankees. First baseman T.J. Rumfield slots in at #27 while reliever Harrison Cohen is right behind at #28, joining outfielder Spencer Jones (#4), reliever Eric Reyzelman (#15) and starter Brendan Beck (#22).

AROUND THE ORGANIZATION- New York lost 8-5 in ten innings at Texas last night. The Rangers tied the game at five in the bottom of the ninth on a Joc Pederson home run and won it on a three-run shot from Jace Jung... Somerset topped Richmond 9-2 on Sunday... Hudson Valley bested Wilmington 10-1...Tampa fell 6-5 at Lakeland in 10 innings.

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International League Stories from August 5, 2025


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