CAVE HOMERS IN HOMECOMING GAME

Cave Homers in Homecoming Game

Norfolk-Area Native Posts 10^th Homer, RailRiders Fall

Norfolk, Va. – The SWB RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) suffered a 3-2 defeat to the host Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles) in their Monday evening series opener at Harbor Park. The RailRiders (63-38) have lost three in row for the first time since starting the season 0-3. The Tides (45-57) have won five straight games.

The RailRiders never knew a lead in the game and suffered their first deficit in the opening inning on Drew Dosch’s RBI double off of starter Domingo German. SWB tied it in the third when three straight men reached with two outs, capped off by Billy McKinney’s run-scoring single off Norfolk starter Alec Asher (2-1). In the home half of the third, Pedro Alvarez connected on an RBI single that chased German in favor of J.P. Feyereisen (1-2).

German was yanked off the hook when Jake Cave smashed a first-pitch homer to begin the fifth. Cave, who attended Hampton, Va.’s Kecoughtan High School just a 17.5-mile drive away from Harbor Park, deadlocked the game, 2-2. The draw would not last long. Mike Yastrzemski tripled to open the next half-inning and later scored on a single by Alvarez for the game-deciding tally.

Stefan Crichton worked around a pair of ninth-inning baserunners to log this second save for Norfolk.

The four-game series continues at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday night as SWB southpaw Dietrich Enns (1-1, 2.10) is slated to face fellow lefty Jayson Aquino (3-7, 4.34).

The RailRiders return home on Tuesday, Aug. 1 to open a six-game homestand. It starts with the first of three against the Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays) at 7:05 p.m. The Two Dollar Tuesday presented by La Tolteca means $2 lawn tickets and $2 tallboys every Tuesday during the 2017 season. For tickets or more information, please call 570-969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.

OFF THE RAILS:

Jake Cave went 2-for-4 with his solo homer and a walk. Named the IL’s Batter of the Week on Monday morning, he has hit .377 in 35 Triple-A games this season with 10 homers. Including his Double-A tenure this season, he has 15 big flies in 2017. He entered the year with 19 career homers.

In his first game action since Wednesday, Miguel Andujar reached base four times including a single and a walk. He has hit safely in 10 straight games, lifting his Triple-A average by 57 points from .255-.312. Andujar was on the temporarily inactive list for the birth of his daughter, Emma.

Billy McKinney went 2-for-5 with an RBI. In 20 games played with SWB, he has hit .321.

SWB entered the game tops in full-season minor league baseball with an 18-6 (.750) record in one-run games.

The RailRiders lost their first three games of the season at Buffalo and had not suffered three straight losses since.

The defeat snapped the RailRiders’ season-long six-game road winning streak. SWB entered the game an IL-best 30-19 away from PNC Field.