Game 1: Jhony Brito (1-1, 6.39) vs. Brian Van Belle (1-0, 5.40 ERA)
The RailRiders returned home for their first home series after the All Star Break. They come into the series having an 8-5 record after their hot start to the second half of the year and looked to pick it back up again Worcester.
Jhony Brito took the ball and was spectacular, going 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 8 K as the RailRiders took game 1 of the series 5-3 over the Woo Sox. After Brito, Matt Krook came on to pitch 1.2 innings of perfect baseball striking out 3 hitters.
Greg Allen started his rehab assignment returning to Triple-A going 1-3 and looking solid as he tries to make his way back up to the big leagues.
Scranton flexed their muscles offensively in this one going deep twice from two heavy hitters. (Jamie Westbrook (13th), Andres Chaparro (18th). The offense put up 11 hits and started the series off strong against Boston’s Triple-A squad.
Bravo Brito: A season-high 8 Ks and the W 🔥#PlayerOfTheWeek presented by the Electric City Trolley Museum. pic.twitter.com/dqr8coDIGP
— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) July 25, 2023
Final: Scranton 5 Worcester 3 (Scranton leads series 1-0)
Andres Chaparro (Chris McCormack)
Game 2: Tanner Tully (5-3, 4.80) vs. Kyle Barraclough (4-0, 2.88)
Coming off a win in the RailRiders looked to take game 2 as Tanner Tully toed the slab in the Electric City. He struggled early in the first walking the first 2 batters he faced and giving up a single to load them up for the WooSox. Tully however was able to get out of the jam only allowing 1 run on a sac fly and Scranton escaped the 1st only trailing 1-0.
After a scoreless 2nd inning, Tully was tagged with 3 more earned runs allowing 1 in the third and 2 in the 4th. Scranton then found themselves down 6-0 heading into the bottom of the 6th. Greg Allen stepped up and delivered a 3-run bomb to cut the Worcester lead to 2 and Scranton trailed 5-3.
Greg Allen 3 run JACK! @swbrailriders now trail 5-3.#RepBX #EverythingMajor
— Bobby Santoro (@bsantoro112) July 20, 2023
The game would eventually slip away as DJ Snelton would come on in relief and give up 6 straight runs. Snelton did not record an out and it was quickly 11-3 Worcester. Scranton was able to tack on 2 more runs but ultimately fell to the WooSox 11-5.
Worcester 11 Scranton 5 (Series tied 1-1)
PNC Field (Chris McCormack)
Game 3: Randy Vazquez (2-8, 5.21 ERA) vs. Dinelson Lamet (0-0, 2.70 ERA)
Thursday night’s game was a thriller that saw 9, yes NINE lead changes. Randy Vasquez took the ball for the RailRiders and allowed three runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Vasquez earned a no decision after lasting only 4 innings.
Everson Pereira led off the scoring with a solo shot, his second since being called up to Triple-A. Scranton lead 1-0 until the top of the 4th when Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to reach and Bobby Dalbec singled him home to tie things up at one. Worcester would then take the lead in the 5th scoring 2 more runs of Vasquez and grabbing a 3-1 lead.
Jake Bauers in his rehab assignment did what Scranton fans saw him do all year before he was called up. Bauers launched a game tying 2 run shot to dead center field that traveled 417 feet and just like that we were knotted up at 3. Scranton would then take a 4-3 lead when Bauers scored on an Andres Chaparro single in the bottom of the 7th.
Jake Bauers on his rehab assignment picks up where he left off in triple-A belting a 2 run homer to tie it at 3!@swbrailriders #EverythingMajor
— Bobby Santoro (@bsantoro112) July 21, 2023
The bullpen could not hold that lead however as Worcester put up 4 runs off Scranton reliever Matt Bowman in the top of the 8th and jumped out to a 7-4 lead.
The craziness continued in the bottom of the 8th when Jamie Westbrook drew a walk, Jesus Bastidas singled, Brandon Lockridge walked to load the bases. A sacrifice fly from Michael Hermosillo plated one run and a balk drove in another. Pereira laced a base knock to bring in Lockridge tying things up at seven. Chaparro followed it up with a double to center field driving in the go-ahead run. Just like that, the RailRiders were 3 outs away from escaping with a win.
It was not to be, however, as Greg Weissert gave up a 3 run home run to Stephen Scott (his second of the game) and Scranton fell to Worcester 10-8 in a heart breaker.
Final: Worcester 10 Scranton 8 (Worcester leads series 2-1)
Game 4: Will Warren (4-3, 4.74 ERA) vs. Shane Drohan (2-3, 5.76 ERA)
Austin Wells (Chris McCormack)
Friday night in the Electric City! The weekend arrived with Scranton trailing the WooSox 2-1 in the series and in much need of a win. Excitement surrounded the team as the Yankees number 2 prospect Austin Wells was (finally) called up to Triple-A.
Wells had been having quite the year down in Somerset and Jose Trevino going down for the year, Ben Rortvedt was called up to the show. Wells slid right into the heart of the Scranton lineup as he continues to climb the Yankee ladder.
The Railriders took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Greg Allen scored on a wild pitch and Jake Bauers then came home on a catchers interference with the bases loaded.
Scranton extended the lead in the bottom of the third when Carlos Narvaez took a 1-0 offering 413 feet to center field with a runner on for a 4-0 lead through 3 innings. The game was then suspended due to lighting issues at PNC Field. Never a good sign when there’s an electrical problem in the Electric City. Nevertheless the game was resumed early Saturday.
Clayton Beeter would begin the resumed game and went a stellar 4 innings giving up only one run on two hits and striking out seven batters.
#TheBeetGoesOn https://t.co/kUqTZw0F4f
— Bobby Santoro (@bsantoro112) July 22, 2023
Austin Wells tallied his first Triple-A hit with an infield single and the RailRider offense continued to roll. In the bottom of the 8th Andres Chaparro smacked a solo shot for his 19th of the year to start the scoring. Everson Pereira stayed hot in this one as well extending his hitting streak to 11 games on a 2 RBI single.
Final: Scranton 8 Worcester 3 (Series Tied 2-2)
Game 5: Deivi Garcia (2-1, 4.76 ERA) vs Rio Gomez (2-5, 5.10 ERA)
The nightcap on Saturday was all Worcester as Scranton tried to put together a bullpen game. Clayton Beeter who originally was the starter had to pitch the early game due to the suspension the night before. Device Garcia got the start instead and gave up 1 run and struck out 3 in his 1.2 innings of work.
Once Garica was lifted from the game, the Woo Sox jumped on the Scranton bullpen. Worcester scored four in the top of the third. Ryan Fitzgerald doubled to plate two and Niko Kavadas hit a two-run home run to make it 5-0 Woo Sox.
The RailRider offense was virtually non existent in the night game. The only real offense game from Jake Bauers as we went deep once again to cut into the Worcester lead. Bauers on the day accounted for 3 of Scranton’s 6 hits going 3-for-4 with the long ball and RBI.
Final: Worcester 10 Scranton 2 (Worcester leads series 3-2)
Game 6: Mitch Spence (7-5, 4.56 ERA) vs Briane Van Belle (1-1, 6.30)
A Sunday matinee is how the series would come to a close as Mitch Spence too the hill to try and split the series.The first 2 innings flew right by and in the bottom of the 3rd, Jamie Westbrook got the scoring started with a solo shot over the right center field wall putting Scranton up 1-0 through 3 innings of play.
Mitch Spence began to struggle in the top of the 4th when the Worcester offense came to life. With a run already in to tie the score at 1, Spence walked Niko Kavadas to load the bases with 2 outs. Daniel Palka singled to center driving in 2 more runs and just like that it was 3-1 WooSox.
Everson Pereira then led off the bottom of the 4th, and the teams hottest hitter jumped on a 2-2 pitch and drilled it over the wall in center to cut the lead down to just one run.
Everson Pereira went deep twice on Sunday (Chris McCormack)
In the very next inning, Pereira stepped up with runners at 2nd and 3rd. He wasted no time and absolutely demolished the first pitch he saw over the center field wall once again. The 455 foot rocket gave the RailRiders a 5-3 lead.
Everson Pereira are you kidding me?! His second long ball of the day gives the @swbrailriders a 5-3 lead! #EverythingMajor#RepBx
— Bobby Santoro (@bsantoro112) July 23, 2023
Carlos Narvaez tacked on another run later in the inning driving in Andres Chaparro on a 2 out double.
The 6th and 7th innings flew by with no scoring from either side as we entered the 8th. Matt Bowman came on to try and hold the lead but struggle and gave up 2 runs to shorten the lead to just 6-5 going into the 9th. Greg Weissert came on looking to lock down the save and the series split. He made short work of the Woo Sox only allowing a walk and he nailed down his 7th save of the season.
That’s a wrap from Scranton! The @swbrailriders take the Sunday game 6-5! #EverythingMajor #RepBX pic.twitter.com/xe2nr0LjRM
— Bobby Santoro (@bsantoro112) July 23, 2023
Final: Scranton 6 Worcester 5 (Series Split 3-3)
The RailRiders split the series at 3 games a piece and now have a 45-48 record on the year. They are currently 11-8 to start the second half and sit in 5th place behind Lehigh Valley for the top spot in the division, They will travel to 3rd place Buffalo this week as they try to climb the standings and join Somerset and Hudson Valley as Yankee farm teams to make the playoffs.
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