Mustelier's Clutch Hits Mean Victory
Toledo, Ohio - Ronnier Mustelier may not have a set position just yet, but everyone knows one thing about the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRider (Triple-A/New York Yankees) - he can hit. He showed that in clutch spots on Friday night as he notched three knocks, all with two outs, and drove in three runs in such circumstances as the RailRiders rallied to beat the host Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers) in extras, 4-3.
Mustelier's 10th-inning single through the right-side hole scored former Mud Hen Brennan Boesch from third base as the RailRiders avoided a sweep defeat at the hands of the IL's worst squad, which fell to 14-29 and had a four-game win streak snapped. The win halted a season-worst five-game slide for SWB as Dave Miley's unit improved to 21-19.
Southpaw reliever Clay Rapada (1-0) got the win with one scoreless inning of work while Cody Eppley secured his third save in four tries. Both men stranded a pair of inherited runners. Eppley did so with men at second and third and two outs in the 10th when he retired Argenis Diaz on a grounder to, who else, Mustelier at third base.
Toledo got the game's first two runs on a Kevin Russo RBI double in the second and a run-scoring single by Diaz in the fourth against starter Graham Stoneburner. The sinkerballer left in line for the win after six innings of two-run ball thanks to Dan Johnson crossing on a Michael Morrison wild pitch in the fifth and Mustelier's two-out, two-run double in the sixth.
It spoiled a great fill-in start by Toledo's Luke Putkonen who allowed just one run on one hit over four-plus frames. He had allowed one baserunner on a walk through the first four. Mud Hens reliever Jess Todd (1-3) took the loss.
Before the game, the Yankees announced that Andy Pettitte was being placed on the DL (strained left trapezius). Lefty Vidal Nuno was recalled to take Pettitte's spot in the rotation. That makes Saturday's TBA for SWB when it begins a four-game series at Columbus against the Clippers (Cleveland Indians). The Clippers are expected to throw southpaw T.J. House (1-2, 6.65). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with pregame coverage starting 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. The Voice of the RailRiders, John Sadak, will be on the call.
- SWB RailRiders - All Aboard! -