RED WINGS EDGE RAILRIDERS 6-2

Refsnyder Spoils No-No, Bullpen Dominates

Red Wings Claim Season Series

Rochester, N.Y. – The SWB RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) fell to the Rochester Red Wings (Minnesota Twins) at Frontier Field on Monday night, 6-2. The RailRiders lost the season series to the Red Wings, 9-8.

Rochester starter Tyler Duffey carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Rob Refnsyder’s one-out single to center field. It would prove one of three hits for the SWB offense on the night.

Rochester put crooked numbers on the board in the second and third against starter Brady Lail. Byron Buxton and James Beresford each knocked home a score in the second while all nine Red Wings came to the plate in a four-run third. The inning included RBIs for Mitch Garver, Heiker Meneses and two for James Beresford. Lail had been lifted with the bases loaded and two outs in favor of Johnny Barbato, who gave up the Beresford two-run single.

SWB scored twice after Refsnyder cracked the seal in the seventh thanks to Jake Cave’s two-run double.

Duffey (1-0) got the win while Lail (6-6) suffered the loss.

The SWB bullpen combined to record 13 strikeouts over 5.1 scoreless innings. Barbato struck out five over his 2.2 innings while James Pazos whiffed all five Red Wings he faced. At one point the bullpen struck out eight straight men before Beresford singled off of Nick Goody.

The RailRiders’ road trip shifts to Buffalo for a series with the Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays). It gets underway at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday night with SWB right-hander Luis Severino (8-1, 3.60) facing right-hander Scott Copeland (3-2, 3.47).

The team returns home on Friday, Sept. 2 to host the Bisons. The Glow-in-the-Park Friday will see the team sport its neon green and black jerseys. And the first 2,500 fans will receive a Friday Night replica jersey courtesy of PNC Bank. Game 12 of the 2016 Legends Series will have former Yankee Graig Nettles in attendance thanks to Maines Food and Party Warehouse and Mohegan Sun Pocono. It will be Penn State Night at PNC Field with a post-game Jack Williams Tire and Auto and Yokohama Tire Fireworks Show. On Friends and Family Day for $40 fans can purchase four meal vouchers and four tickets, presented by McDonald’s. It’s also Mother-Son Night Out.

OFF THE RAILS:

Johnny Barbato entered the night having stranded all 17 of his inherited runners on the season between Triple-A SWB (12) and the New York Yankees (5). He had not allowed an inherited runner to score since Aug. 8, 2015 at Toledo.

The bullpen’s 13 strikeouts fell one short of the franchise record that was set the night before, also at Rochester.

Lehigh Valley lost at Buffalo, 3-2, lowering the RailRiders’ magic number to win the division. It rests at four to claim the division outright and three for at least a share of the crown. In the case of a tie, the RailRiders would win the tiebreaker thanks to claiming the season series, 10-8.

From 08-13, SWB never lost the season series to Rochester, going 64-32 head-to-head. The RailRiders have lost two of the last three regular-season series to the Red Wings, going 24-29 in that time.

Mason Williams finished 0-for-4, but hit the ball hard twice. He lined out to center to start the game and laced a groundout to first in the sixth.

Cesar Puello went 1-for-3 with a walk. In 14 games played this month he has gone 13-for-35 (.371) with five extra-base hits, eight RBIs and four runs scored.

The International Leagues year-end All-Star team and superlative honors will be announced on Tuesday, Aug. 30.

Heiker Meneses entered the game with four hits in 19 games played for Rochester. He singled in each of his first two at-bats on Monday with an RBI and a run scored.