SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE RAILRIDERS GAME REPORT

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre  15  -  Buffalo 12

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre outlasts Buffalo in a game that features 27 runs, 27 hits and 41 baserunners

MOOSIC, PA (September 1, 2019) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders were victorious against the Buffalo Bisons 15-12, Sunday afternoon at PNC Field. 
The RailRiders began the first inning with Major League rehabber Luis Severino on the mound. He gave up a run and struck out two Bison batters in the top of the first. Moving into the bottom half, Trey Amburgey began the inning with a walk and Edwin Encarnacion, SWB’s other Major League rehabber in the game, singled and then Breyvic Valera walked to load the bases. A wild pitch from Buffalo pitcher Anthony Kay allowed Amburgey to score. Shortly after, Mandy Alvarez hit an RBI fielder’s choice and plated Encarnacion giving the RailRiders a 2-1 lead. 
Andy Burns drilled a solo home run for the Bisons in the top of the second and the game was knotted 2-2. At this point, Severino exited the game and the scheduled starting pitcher for the RailRiders, Michael King, took over. In the bottom half, Encarnacion got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and SWB plated a run. Erik Kratz nailed a two-run single followed by Alvarez a three-run homer against Kay and the RailRiders led 8-2.
In the bottom of the third, Amburgey hit an RBI double to left field and plated a run for the RailRiders that notched an additional tally, making it 9-2.
King retired the first nine batters he faced until issuing a walk to Buffalo batter Forrest Wall in the top of the fifth. The Bisons plated two more runs in the inning to elevate their score 9-4. Buffalo kept the momentum in the top of the sixth as Santiago Espinal singled on a ground ball to center and drove home Michael De La Cruz and Wall, cutting the RailRiders lead down to three. 
In the bottom half of the sixth, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre added a tally on a wild pitch by Conor Fisk. Breyvic Valera reached on an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a single by Kratz. With Gosuke Katoh at the plate, Fisk bent a curve into the dirt and passed De La Cruz, allowing Valera to score for a 10-6 lead.
Buffalo added a run in the top of the seventh as Socrates Brito doubled home Anthony Alford. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre answered in the bottom of the inning when Billy Burns singled on a line drive to center and plated Zack Zehner. The RailRiders plated two more runs to lock in a 13-7 advantage. 
In the top of the eighth, Wall homered for the Bisons. RailRider Gosuke Katoh topped that by slamming a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning, elevating the home team’s lead to 15-8. 
Although the Bisons walked five times and had one man reach via a hit-by-pitch in the top of the ninth and plated four additional runs, the RailRiders pocketed the victory with a final score of 15-12. 
The winning pitcher for SWB was King (3-1) over 5.0 innings of work and Anthony Kay (3-5) took the loss for the Bisons over 2.2 innings in which he allowed nine runs (three earned runs).
With the win, the RailRiders assure themselves that they will at least tie for first place in the I.L. North Division with the Syracuse Mets. They now expectedly await the result of the Syracuse-Rochester game later Sunday night at 6:05 p.m., which could result in an I.L. North Division title should the Mets fall for a third straight day.
The RailRiders wrap up their regular season Monday afternoon against the Bisons. First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning at 11:35 a.m. on the RailRiders Radio Network. For tickets and more information, call (570) 969-BALL or slide to www.swbrailriders.com/tickets.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Record:

75-64