Norfolk, Va. – A season-best three homers plated all of the runs the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders required in a series-tying win over the Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles) at Harbor Park on Tuesday night, 4-3. The RailRiders (16-17) posted their eighth one-run win to snap the Tides’ (18-14) five-game winning streak.
Kyle Roller got the scoring going with a two-out, two-run homer to left field in the first inning, his team-leading fifth of the year. While Chris Parmelee’s run-scoring fielder’s choice got Norfolk on the board in the bottom half of the inning, back-to-back jacks by Cole Figueroa and Austin Romine at the start of the fourth gave SWB a 4-1 edge.
Prospect Christian Walker’s sac fly in the bottom half of the fourth cut the hosts’ deficit to two and Michael Almanzar’s sac fly in the ninth rounded out the scoring.
Rehabbing big leaguer Chris Capuano (1-1) allowed just two runs over six innings for the win. He threw 76 pitches (55 strikes). Jacob Lindgren took the baton from there with two scoreless frames while Nick Rumbelow allowed an unearned run in the ninth to bolt down his fourth save.
Right-hander Mike Wright was scratched late as the Norfolk starter. The Orioles’ No. 8 prospect per Baseball America was in uniform and in the Norfolk dugout during the game. Usual reliever Steve Johnson (1-1) started in his place and took the loss.
The three-game series concludes on Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 p.m. Southpaw Matt Tracy (0-0, 4.50) faces fellow lefty Chris Jones (0-1, 3.06).
The RailRiders return home on Monday, May 18 to start a seven-game homestand with the first of three against the Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox). It will be a Dollar Dog Night with all hot dogs priced at $1. For tickets or more information, call 570-969-BALL (2255) or visit the team’s website, www.swbrailriders.com.
OFF THE RAILS:
With two RBIs on Tuesday, Kyle Roller (16) overtook Slade Heathcott (15) for the team lead.
With the efforts of Jacob Lindgren and Nick Rumbelow on Tuesday, the SWB bullpen has allowed just one unearned run over its last 16.2 innings.
Heathcott went 0-for-4 as the team’s top active hitting streak was snapped at nine games.
Rob Refsnyder doubled on a two-hit night and stole a bag to extend his on-base streak to 14 games.
Ramon Flores went 1-for-4 and scored a run. He has reached base safely in 21 of his last 22 games.
Cole Figueroa had three homers all of last season. Two of them came at Harbor Park. The lone exception, which was also his most recent homer before his Tuesday tater, came one year and a day earlier on May 11, 2014 at SWB. That was also a solo shot to begin an inning, a fifth-inning effort against Eric Ruth.
The RailRiders improved to 8-4 in one-run games. The team has won four of its last five single-score games.
Former New York Yankee Chaz Roe tossed three perfect innings of relief for Norfolk.
The Tides retired the last 13 RailRiders hitters in a row.
You must be logged in to post a comment.