SWB RailRiders Game Notes

May 22, 2018 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE RAILRIDERS (19-23) @ PAWTUCKET RED SOX (18-22)

RHP Chance Adams (1-2, 4.69) vs. RHP William Cuevas (1-2, 4.06)

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| First Pitch 6:15 p.m. | Pregame Show 5:45 p.m. |

LAST TIME OUT: With a new-look lineup, it looked like a new result was in the cards for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, a pair of late runs for the Pawtucket Red Sox took the first game of the four-game series Monday night at McCoy Stadium 5-4.

Before a crowd of 3,719 fans, the RailRiders had a 3-0 lead four batters into the game off PawSox starter Jalen Beeks. After Tyler Wade was retired to begin the game, Clint Frazier lasered a home run into the Pawtucket bullpen in left field for a 1-0 lead. The next man up was Brandon Drury who singled to centerfield, setting the table for Greg Bird. Bird turned on a high fastball from Halen Beeks and drilled it to the top of the bleachers in right-centerfield for a resounding 3-0 lead.

Following that, however, the PawSox began to rally. They scored runs in the bottom of the second and fourth innings off SWB starting pitcher, Erik Swanson. The righty was making his Triple-A debut after a remarkable start to his season with the Trenton Thunder in which he led all of Minor League Baseball with 2 ER over 40.2 IP (0.44 ERA). He finished the night with a no-decision, exiting with a 4-3 lead after three runs allowed over 5.2 innings pitched with eight strikeouts.

MORE BIG LEAGUE HELP: INF Greg Bird and OF Billy McKinney are in the scheduled lineup for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders again Tuesday night after both rehabbing Monday night. They will be the fourth and fifth big leaguers to rehab injuries with SWB this season trying to make it back to the majors. Earlier this season OF Aaron Hicks (3G), INF Brandon Drury (11G) and OF Clint Frazier (2G) have all played game for the RailRiders as MLB rehabbers.

NUMBERS ARE (RED) ROCKETING UP (TO THE MAJORS): Monday afternoon it was announced that OF Clint Frazier was optioned back to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders after appearing in one game for the New York Yankees (1-for-2, 2B, R, 2 BB). He retruns following an absolutely torrid stretch with the RailRiders. He had been working his way back to the big leagues battling concussion symptoms throughout Spring Training and the early part of the season. After going 0-for-4 in first game with RailRiders this year, Frazier had been 19-for-his-last-47 (.404 AVG), 4 BB/1 HBP (.462 OBP), 3 2B/2 3B/4 HR (.809 SLG) in his last 12G before the promotion to the big leagues.

MAZZILLI FLEXING THE MUSCLE: RailRiders INF L.J. Mazzilli crushed his fourth home run of the season clear out of Coca-Cola Field Saturday in Buffalo. It gives him 4 HR in 73 AB (18.3 AB/HR) this season between SWB and Las Vegas (AAA, NYM). Entering 2018 his career high was 11 HR in 505 AB in 2014 (45.9 AB/HR) and 73.8 AB/HR (26 HR in 1,191 AB) in his career.

KEEP LOOKING AT ME, SWAN: Monday night featured the Triple-A debut of RHP Erik Swanson who had been the best arm in Minor League Baseball statistically through the end of last week. He began the season on the Double-A Trenton Thunder Opening Day roster and was tranferred to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders before Monday's game. He was promoted to SWB after 7G/6GS with Thunder: 5-0, 0.44 ERA, 40.2 IP, 21 H (.154 BAA), 3R/2ER, 12 BB (2.7 BB/9), 52 K (11.5 K/9). Those numbers ranked first or second in the Eastern League at the time of his promotion: ERA (1st, 0.44), Wins (T-2nd, 5), Strikeouts (T-1st, 52), WHIP (1st, 0.81), BAA (1st, .154), K/9 among starters (1st, 11.19) and Fewest Baserunners/9 (1st, 7.78).

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