INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Unearned runs opened the door, while a phantom home run and an infield hit slammed it shut as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders fell to the Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) on Tuesday night, 3-2. Four of the five clashes between the RailRiders (51-47) and Indians (57-40) have been decided by one run.
The RailRiders led 2-0 thanks to run-scoring hits by Ramon Flores and Rob Refsnyder in the first and third innings respectively. However, errors by Flores pursuing hits in the sixth and eighth led to unearned runs that tied it up. Tony Sanchez used a groundout for the sixth-inning score while the eighth-inning RBI came on a Keon Broxton single.
In the ninth, Willy Garcia seemed to end the game with a leadoff homer to left field. But after third-base umpire Max Guyll twirled his index finger, Garcia stopped at third base and the ball eventually came in from the outfield. After a conference, the three-man umpiring crew awarded Garcia third base.
SWB manager Dave Miley called right fielder Jose Pirela in as a fifth infielder, but Steve Lombardozzi singled off the glove of first baseman Kyle Roller to send Garcia home for the walk-off winner.
Nick Goody (0-1) suffered his first blown save and loss at Triple-A while IL All-Star Blake Wood (1-2) got the win.
The four-game series continues at 1:35 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. SWB right-hander Esmil Rogers (0-0, 2.96) will face fellow righty Adrian Sampson (8-7, 3.75). The RailRiders will give away a special copy of Yankees Magazine to the first 2,500 fans in attendance on Friday, July 24, when the team hosts the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers). For more information please call (570) 969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.
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