RailRiders Drop Marathon Affair, 8-5

Moosic, Pa. - A 3:51 seesaw affair Saturday night at PNC Field saw the Pawtucket Red Sox (Boston Red Sox) battle back from two separate deficits to top the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) 8-5. The win extended Pawtucket's current winning streak to a season-high 11 games and marked the second-straight defeat for the RailRiders.

Bruce Billings worked a 1-2-3 first before the RailRiders tagged Pawtucket starter Chris Hernandez for two runs in the home first. Hernandez issued back-to-back walks to Rob Refsnyder and Zoilo Almonte to put runners at first and third. A fielder's choice by Adonis Garcia erased Almonte before John Ryan Murphy's dribbling base hit up the middle plated SWB's first two runs.

Pawtucket had an answer, using a four-run second to build a 4-2 lead. Travis Shaw reached on a walk and Carlos Rivero added a base hit, both scored on Deven Marrero double down the left-field line that went just passed the diving glove of third baseman Rob Segedin. With the score even at 2-2, two more runs crossed on a wild pitch and a run-scoring base hit by Mookie Betts swelled the lead to 4-2.

A three-run home second saw the RailRiders regain the lead. A ground ball RBI by Refsnyder plated Antoan Richardson from third to make it a one-run affair. With runners and second and third, Garcia slapped a single to right two plate two mores runs to regain the lead at 5-4.

Pawtucket scored four unanswered runs the rest of the way, tying the game in the visiting third with a run-scoring base hit by Marerro. Three more Pawtucket runs crossed in the visiting fifth. A triple by Corey Brown scored Marrero from first, while a sacrifice fly by catcher Dan Butler plated Brown from third. Betts plated the games final run with a solo home run to left that brought the game to its final score of 8-5.

Jeremy Bleich (0-4) fired two perfect frames before the three-run sixth slated him with the loss, while Dalier Hinojosa (2-5) notched the win, firing two scoreless frames.

The RailRiders continue the ten-game homestand Sunday, July 27 when SWB hosts the Red Sox for a 1:05 p.m. start. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will toss left-hander Bryan Mitchell (1-1, 4.15) while the Red Sox counter with the righty Matt Barnes (5-7, 4.89).  John Sadak and Aaron Berlin will have the call on MyNetwork TV while Jim Riley fills in on radio with the pregame show beginning at 12:35 p.m. on NEPA Sports Radio -The GAME, Northeast PA's largest 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 swbrailirders.com.

OFF THE RAILS

The 3:51 affair marked the RailRiders' longest nine-inning game of the season and the franchise's longest as a New York Yankees affiliate.

Adonis Garcia went 2-for-3 with a double and extended his current hitting streak to nine games with a single in the second. During Garcia's run of success, the RailRiders' outfielder has gone 14-for-39 (.359) with four extra-base hits and six RBI.

The Red Sox tagged Bruce Billings for five runs and six hits in three innings. The three innings pitched marked Billings' shortest outing since he went three frames against the Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) on June 1. The start against the Tribe also marked the last time Billings failed to go at least five innings in an appearance, a run of seven consecutive games.

- SWB RailRiders - All Aboard! -