RAILRIDERS HOLD OFF RED WINGS

RailRiders Hold Off Red Wings

Tyler Austin Homers for Second Time in Three Games

 

Moosic, Pa. – The SWB RailRiders (Triple-A/ New York Yankees) escaped a bases-loaded situation in the ninth and held on for a 7-5 win over the Rochester Red Wings Friday night at PNC Field. The RailRiders (55-34) moved to 4.5 games ahead of the Red Wings (51-39) in the International League North Division.  

Matt Wotherspoon (2-0), recalled from Double-A Trenton earlier in the day, fired 3.1 scoreless innings for the win in relief. He worked around five hits, walked one and hit one batter while recording one strikeout. Jose Berrios (8-4) was knocked around for six runs, three earned, on nine hits over his 5.2 innings. He walked three and struck out five.

The Red Wings loaded the bases off reliever Johnny Barbato with two away in the ninth, but the right-hander got John Ryan Murphy to fly out to left, sealing the victory. It was Barbato’s second save.

SWB capitalized on the game’s first error to score three runs in the second. After walks to Jake Cave and Jonathan Diaz, Pete Kozma hit into a potential double-play grounder. The throw from shortstop Wilfredo Tovar back to a covering Berrios was dropped, however, allowing Cave to score and Kozma to second.

Ben Gamel smashed his fifth triple to left-center, plating Kozma and Donovan Solano thundered a run-scoring double to right for a 3-0 lead.

Rochester rallied with five off starter Kyle Haynes in the fourth. With two in scoring position and one out, Logan Schafer singled home Daniel Palka. Tovar reached on a fielding error by Solano at third base that allowed Adam Brett Walker to score. Murphy’s sacrifice fly to center tied the game and brought around Tommy Field.

The Red Wings third baseman launched a triple to the right field corner that glanced off the glove of a diving Aaron Judge on the warning track. Tovar scored to put Rochester up 4-3. Darin Mastroianni followed with a run-producing single for a 5-3 lead.

Gamel and the RailRiders quickly responded in the home half. Kozma singled with two away and raced home on a double by Gamel, who was thrown out at third base to end the frame.

Tyler Austin vaulted SWB back in front with a two-run blast to deep left-center in the sixth. The shot was his ninth with the RailRiders and second in three games.

A wild pitch in the ninth tacked on an insurance run for the RailRiders and proved the margin.

The RailRiders look for eighth series victory in 10 tries when they face the Rochester Red Wings at 7:05 p.m. Saturday night. Right-hander Luis Cessa (2-1, 3.63) opposes left-hander Logan Darnell (8-7, 3.55). It’s Friends and Family Night at PNC Field with a replica jersey giveaway to the first 1,000 kids, presented by Rock 107. For tickets or more information, please call 570-969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.