RailRiders Claim Opener Despite Phillips' Homer

MOOSIC, Penn. - In perhaps his final outing in his first season as a starting pitcher, Pawtucket right-hander Chandler Shepherd spun six effective innings, but the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders rode their early offense to a 3-1 victory Friday night at PNC Field.
The RailRiders (71-64) scored a run in each of the first two innings, and Pawtucket only managed three hits against a trio of Scranton arms in the opener of a four-game, home-and-home series.
Shepherd (L, 7-10), who had made three professional starts entering this season, made his 25th of the 2018 campaign and fired six innings of two-run ball with three strikeouts and one walk. The 26-year-old only ceded one hit over his final four innings and lowered his ERA to 3.89.
Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers played seven innings at third base and went 1-for-3 with a single and a pair of strikeouts. Pawtucket second baseman Brandon Phillips tagged a solo homer in the seventh inning in a 1-for-4 showing.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Erik Swanson (W, 3-2) fanned eight in 6.1 frames of one-run work, and Raynel Espinal and Joe Harvey (S, 8) combined to strike out six in 2.2 hitless innings to stamp the victory.
The RailRiders started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from Mike Ford.
An inning later, Scranton's Francisco Diaz singled to left to double the lead to 2-0.
After Phillips teed off for a solo jack in the top of the seventh inning, the RailRiders countered in the home half of the seventh with an RBI single from Gio Urshela.
The PawSox now wrap up their two-game stint in Moosic, Pennsylvania, against the RailRiders on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. Pawtucket right-hander William Cuevas (10-7, 3.39) is slated to start opposite RailRiders lefty Nestor Cortes Jr. (6-5, 3.63). Radio coverage on WHJJ (920 AM and 104.7 FM) and throughout the PawSox Radio Network begins with PawSox Insider at 5:05 p.m.
The PawSox conclude the season Sunday (6:15 p.m.) and Monday (1:35 p.m.) at McCoy Stadium. Good tickets are available, and fans can visit the McCoy Stadium box office, which is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m., and during all home games. Fans can also call (401) 724-7300 or log on to PawSox.com for tickets.