Axelrod Tames RailRiders in 8-4 Loss

Moosic, Pa. - Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds) starting pitcher Dylan Axelrod pitched well into the seventh inning and Donald Lutz led the charge for the Bats (60-63) with a 3-for-5 effort that included two extra-base hits in an 8-4 win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) Monday night.

Already trailing 3-0 after a bases loaded walk and a well-placed double by Juan Siverio in the second, the RailRiders (58-64) responded with their own crooked number in the home half of the frame. Zolio Almonte set the table with a leadoff single, and Kyle Roller blasted his second home run in as many days to draw the deficit to one. Carmen Angelini's sacrifice fly to center field plated Zelous Wheeler from third to even the tilt at 3-3.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Matt Tracy fired a perfect fourth before allowing the go-ahead run in the fifth. Neftali Soto's double in the same inning plated Felix Perez who reached on a two-out base hit. Against right-handed reliever Matt Daley, the Bats' offense came alive. All nine men marched to plate in the frame, highlighted by Lutz' majestic home run to open the frame and an bases loaded RBI knock by Jason Bourgeois that helped push the game out of reach.

Rob Refsnyder clubbed a solo home run in the eighth, his first since July 23, but the deficit proved too much to overcome. Axelrod (8-8) spun 7.2 innings and allowed seven hits and two home runs while striking out four in the win. Tracy (1-6) took the loss, last just five innings and allowing four runs in his sixth of the season with SWB.

The RailRiders continue the eight-game home swing with the second game against the Louisville Bats Tuesday, August 12 at 7:05 p.m. SWB is still yet to announce a starter while the Bats counter with right-hander Brett Marshall (0-8, 8.14). John Sadak and Aaron Berlin will have the call on radio with the pregame show beginning at 6:35 p.m. on NEPA Sports Radio - The GAME, Northeast PA's largest sports radio network: 100.7 FM, 1340 WYCK-AM, 1400 WICK-AM, 1440 WCDL-AM and 106.7 FM. For season ticket information, single-game tickets or to book a ballpark group outing, call (570) 969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.

OFF THE RAILS:

Kyle Roller slammed his 15th homer at Triple-A and his 24th of the season including his time at Double-A Trenton. In ten games this month he has hit .324 (13-for-38) with two doubles, five homers and eight RBIs. He is tied for the 11th-most homers in all of minor league baseball.

Matt Tracy took the loss for the fourth straight time. He has not won since he fired 5.1 innings against the Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox) on July 20. During the skid Tracy has worked 16.2 innings and allowed 28 hits and 12 earned runs while pitching to an ERA of 6.61.

- SWB RailRiders - All Aboard! -