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RailRiders Fall 10-3 in Opener to Chiefs

Ford blasts opposite-field homer for team-leading sixth of the season
May 25, 2018

MOOSIC, Pa. (May 25, 2018) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders fell to the Syracuse Chiefs 10-3 on Friday night at PNC Field. The defeat snapped a three-game home winning streak for the RailRiders

MOOSIC, Pa. (May 25, 2018) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders fell to the Syracuse Chiefs 10-3 on Friday night at PNC Field. The defeat snapped a three-game home winning streak for the RailRiders

The Chiefs pounced early on David Hale and took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Jaff Decker led off with a double and scored on a Jacob Wilson single, while a groundout from Irving Falu plated Matt Reynolds.
 
Syracuse padded its lead to 3-0 on back-to-back doubles from Decker and Reynolds in the top of the third. Hale would surrender two more runs in his 4.1 innings of work in the game, surrendering eight hits while striking out one and not issuing a walk.
 
Nestor Cortes relieved Hale in the top of the fifth, and allowed two inherited baserunners to score and two runs of his own to run the Chiefs advantage to 7-0.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the RailRiders finally broke through against Chiefs starter César Vargas. After Tyler Wade and Brandon Drury drew walks, Mike Ford blasted a three-run home run over the wall in left to close the gap to 7-3. The round-tripper was Ford's team-leading sixth of the season.

The Chiefs tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh against Cortes expand their lead to 10-3, with a two-run single by Hunter Jones highlighting the frame. Jones' base-hit was the last of 15 hits for the Chiefs in the game, the most surrendered by the RailRiders pitching staff since allowing 16 to Gwinnett on April 17.
 
John Simms closed out the victory for Syracuse, throwing three scoreless innings of relief while scattering three hits.
 
Wade had a strong night at the plate for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, finishing 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a triple and a run scored. Kyle Higashioka hit a triple in a 1-for-3 performance, his first three-base hit since 2015 while playing with A-Advanced Tampa.
 
The RailRiders continue their four-game series with the Chiefs on Saturday evening at PNC Field. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. RHP Erik Swanson (0-0, 4.76) gets the ball for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while Syracuse counters with RHP Austin Voth (2-2, 5.58). For tickets and more information, call (570) 969-BALL or slide to www.swbrailriders.com/tickets.