RailRiders Rally Late to Beat Braves, 4-3
Moosic, Pa. - For a second consecutive game, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, this time Melky Mesa put the RailRiders in front, as they defeated the Gwinnett Braves (Atlanta) on Saturday night, 4-3. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has now won all six matchups with Gwinnett this season.
The RailRiders pushed in front with a run in the first. Corban Joseph led off with a double, and advanced to third on Curtis Granderson's single up the middle. Zoilo Almonte then grounded into a double play, but the grounder allowed Joseph to score from third for the game's first run.
SWB plated two more runs in the second. Dan Johnson led off with a single. Thomas Neal, who was activated off the disabled list before the game, singled to right field to move Johnson to second. After Mesa reached on a fielder's choice that retired Neal at second and advanced Johnson to third, Bobby Wilson singled to left to score Johnson. An out and hit by pitch to Joseph later, the bases were loaded for Granderson. He singled to right field, which drove home Mesa to give the RailRiders a 3-0 lead.
Gwinnett cut into the SWB lead with two runs in the fourth. Ernesto Mejia led off with a double, and moved to third on Brandon Boggs' single. Todd Cunningham followed with a single to left, driving home Mejia. One out later, Paul Janish grounded out to short, scoring Boggs from third base.
The Braves tied the game in the sixth when Ernesto Mejia led off with a home run off of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Chien-Ming Wang.
The game remained tied at three until the eighth, when Neal drew a one out walk, and scored on Mesa's double to left field. Mesa was previously 0-13 on the home stand, but has five hits in two games against Gwinnett, including two doubles Saturday night.
Granderson, playing in his third rehab game with the RailRiders, went 2-4 with a run batted in. He is now 4-12 with a home run and three RBIs since joining SWB on Thursday.
Jason Heyward is on a rehab assignment with Gwinnett and batted second. He went 0-3 and was hit by a pitch.
Cody Eppley (2-1) recorded the final out of the eighth and the first out in the ninth to get the win for SWB. Clay Rapada finished the game for his first save of the season.
Cory Rasmus (1-1) allowed the Mesa double in the eighth and was handed the loss for Gwinnett.
The RailRiders and Braves will play game three of their four game series Sunday afternoon at PNC Field, first pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. It's a special Mother's Day edition of Family Funday presented by NEPA Honda. The first 1,000 mothers at the ballpark will receive flowers, and kids can run the bases after the game. Brett Marshall (2-2, 4.60) will start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while Gwinnett will counter with Daniel Rodriguez (1-3, 6.51).
- All Aboard -