RAILRIDERS IN FINALS

DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN: The SWB RailRiders splash into the 2017 finals after dispatching of the nearby rival Lehigh Valley IronPigs in four games. The RailRiders advanced to the 2016 finals after the franchise's first postseason sweep, a three-game broom cleaning of the IronPigs. SWB never trailed in that series and outscored the IronPigs, 20-3. This year's series victory came with the RailRiders outscoring the 'Pigs, 16-9, and holding the edge in home runs on the set, 4-1. RailRiders pitching held the IronPigs to a 5-for-32 (.156) showing with men in scoring position during the four-game series.

 

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: SWB pitching did not allow a run on the road during last season's Governors' Cup playoffs, a 36-inning span. The RailRiders held the IronPigs scoreless in both semifinal meetings at Coca-Cola Park and the IL South champ Gwinnett Braves failed to score in two GCCS clashes at Coolray Field as SWB earned its second title.

 

PLAYOFF HISTORY: SWB has made the Governors' Cup finals for the seventh time in franchise history (1992, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017). SWB has claimed the IL North 12 times in its lore, including eight division titles in 11 seasons as the Yankees' top affiliate. The SWB franchise's first Governors' Cup crown came in 2008. The then-SWB Yankees beat the Pawtucket Red Sox in four games and bested the Durham Bulls in four in the championship with a 20-2 win in clincher. However, those then-SWB Yankees lost to the Sacramento River Cats (then-Oakland Athletics) in the "Bricktown Showdown", 4-1. This marks SWB's first trip to back-to-back finals since the 2008-09 teams. Both times, SWB faced Durham for the right to hoist the Governors' Cup. As the Phillies' top farm club, the then-Red Barons also made consecutive finals appearances in 2000 and 2001.

SOL MAN: Donovan Solano ended the regular season with 13 hits in his last 32 at-bats (.406). He had 16 multi-hit showings over his last 38 games. In August, he slashed .361/.388/.557/.945 over 25 games with 10 doubles, three homers and 15 RBIs. During the first-round defeat of Lehigh Valley, Solano led the team in hits (7) and OBP (.526). Only Billy McKinney (5), who slugged a team-high two homers, had more RBIs than Solano (4).

 

I'M JUST A CAVE MAN: The IL's July Player of the Month, Jake Cave owned the IL's second-longest hitting streak of the season overall (19, .440, July 15-Aug. 4) and its longest at home (24, .429, June 19-Aug. 4). The MVP of last year's finals entered 2017 with 19 career round-trippers. He had 20 between Double-A Trenton (5) and SWB (15) this year, tying him with Mike Ford (20) for the lead on the Yankees' farm. His .305 overall batting average ranked second among Yankees minor leaguers this season.

 

CAN DO: Miguel Andujar had hitting streaks of 15 and 17 games since joining the Triple-A ranks this season. He hit safely in 38 of his last 44 to end the regular season. Over the 44-game span he slashed .337/.382/.541/.923 with nine doubles, a triple, eight homers and 25 RBIs. His 82 RBIs between Double-A and Triple-A ranked third on the Yankees' farm. His overall numbers also ranked among the farm's best in AVG (1st, .315) and HR (T-4th, 16). He hit .294 with four extra-base hits and three RBIs in the first round.

 

HIGH, FAR, GONE: The RailRiders boast seven players with double-digit homers this season. It marks the first time SWB has had seven or more 10+ homer hitters since the 2008 team had eight, paced by Cody Ransom's 22 big flies. The 2008 unit won the franchise's first-ever Governors' Cup title, beating Durham in four games in the finals including a 20-2 rout in the clincher. The SWB franchise record for homers in a season was set by the 1998 Red Barons with 164. The record as the Yankees' top affiliate (2007-Present) was set by the inaugural 2013 RailRiders at 133. This year's RailRiders obliterated that mark with a new Yankees-era record and 2017 league-high 153 homers.

 

PINSTRIPE PRIDE: Seven Yankees minor league affiliates, all four full-season clubs plus Short Season-A Staten Island (NYP), the Rookie Pulaski Yankees (APP) and the Rookie GCL Yankees East made their respective playoffs this season. The Yankees' top affiliate has won the IL's Governors' Cup 16 times, by far the most by affiliation.

 

OFF THE RAILS: The RailRiders posted the IL's best overall record at 86-55 (.610)...SWB's offense ranked among the IL's best in: R/G (1st, 4.7), AVG (1st, .272), OBP (1st, .334), SLG (1st, .442), OPS (1st, .775), 2B (T-2nd, 272), 3B (1st, 36), HR (1st, 153) and SB (6th, 93)...No IL team had led the league in R/G, AVG, OBP and SLG in the same season since the 2004 Buffalo Bisons (Cleveland Indians)...Those Bisons won a league-best 83 games and the Governors' Cup title...The 2016 RailRiders paced the league in R/G, AVG, SLG and OPS, but ranked 2nd in OBP...The 2015 RailRiders led the IL in R/G, AVG, OBP and OPS, but finished 4th in SLG...SWB pitching ranks among the 2017 IL's best in ERA (1st, 3.33), WHIP (1st, 1.19) and K/9IP (2nd, 9.2)...SWB had 10 walk-off wins including seven in extras...The club owned the IL's best record in one-run games (23-13, .639) and in extras (9-1)...No IL team had more wins when trailing after seven innings than the RailRiders (7)...SWB stood an IL-best 42-29 (.592) away from PNC Field...With 1,249 strikeouts, the 2017 RailRiders became the first team in franchise history to eclipse 1,200K...SWB had a losing record against just two foes during the regular season, its vanquished first-round opponent, Lehigh Valley (7-11), and its combatant in the finals, Durham (3-4).

 

SIMPLY THE BEST: Manager Al Pedrique was named IL Manager of the Year for the second straight year. He became the fourth IL skipper to earn the honor in consecutive years, joining Rick Sweet (Louisville), Jack Tighe (Toledo) and Eddie Haas (Richmond) as the only managers to win it back-to-back years. Sweet was the last to do it from 2008-09. Pedrique became the first SWB manager to win the award in consecutive seasons and joined Dave Miley as the only two to win it twice.

 

CATCH IT HERE: PNC Field will host the 2017 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game on Sept. 19 at 7:07 p.m. For tickets or more information, please call 570-969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com. The RailRiders claimed the franchise's second-ever Governors' Cup as IL champs and the team's first-ever Triple-A national title with a win over El Paso in 2016.