Big First Frame Lifts Red Wings

Rochester, N.Y. - For the fourth time in four games, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) scored before the Rochester Red Wings (Minnesota Twins) had a chance to hit.  But unlike the first three affairs at Frontier Field, the Red Wings responded and defeated Dave Miley's club, 5-4.  SWB saw its four-game win streak snapped as it fell to 5-7 while Rochester halted a seven-game slide as it improved to 3-11.

Corban Joseph reached on a Ray Olmedo error to begin the game.  A walk and a groundball double play later, Dan Johnson brought him home with a single to right for a 1-0 RailRiders lead.  Then came the home first when Rochester's first four batters all reached and scored.  Chris Colabello punctuated the performance with a monster two-run homer to left, his fifth of the year.  The former indy ball masher picked up another RBI with his groundball in the third and Rochester had all of the runs it would need. 

The RailRiders made a run at it.  Johnson delivered another two-out, run-scoring single in the fifth, while solo homers from Melky Mesa and David Adams in the eighth and ninth off reliever Luis Perdomo drew the RailRiders within a run.  Perdomo would rally though.  After Adams' blast, his first as a RailRider, Perdomo retired Zoilo Almonte on a grounder to third and got Johnson looking at a called strike three for his first save. 

Rochester starter Virgil Vasquez (2-1) got the win.  His counterpart Dellin Betances (0-2) took the loss.  Betances allowed five runs on four hits over four frames.  He walked three, struck out four and fired a wild pitch.  He threw 76 pitches (45 strikes).

The RailRiders return home for an eight-game homestand.  It starts with the first of four against the Syracuse Chiefs (Washington Nationals) on Friday night at 7:05 p.m.  Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang (NR) gets the nod for SWB against fellow right-hander Yunesky Maya (0-1, 5.25).  Pregame coverage gets underway 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.

OFF THE RAILS:

SWB pitching had not allowed a run in 20 consecutive innings before the Red Wings four-run first on Thursday.

On the series, the RailRiders outscored the Red Wings, 22-6.

David Adams went 2-for-4 with his homer, a walk and scored twice.  After starting the season 2-for-12 (.167), the third baseman has gone 9-for-19 (.474) to lift his season-long contact clip to .355.

Melky Mesa went 3-for-4 on the night he launched his third home run of the season.  Not only have all three of his dingers come against the Red Wings, all of the team's seven have come at the expense of Rochester pitching.

Jim Miller and Josh Spence gave the RailRiders a chance to come back by combining on four scoreless innings of relief.  The duo allowed just two hits and struck out eight while walking none.

The RailRiders still posted a series victory by taking three of four, and a winning road trip at 4-2.

Hard winds gusted at nearly 30 mph towards left field most of the night.

Rochester's 28 hits on the series included 24 singles.

The Red Wings won despite a 1-for-4 showing with men in scoring position on Wednesday.  They went 2-for-33 (.061) with men in prime real estate on the series.

Rochester was off to the franchise's worst start since at least 1940 entering the night.

- SWB RailRiders - All Aboard! -