So Sweep: RailRiders take series from PawSox

PAWTUCKET, RI (July 3, 2019) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders beat the Pawtucket Red Sox 5-3 at McCoy Stadium on Wednesday night to sweep a three-game set. Kyle Higashioka, Thairo Estrada and Zack Zehner all hit home runs to help the RailRiders sweep a series for the fifth time this season.

After being held in check in the first, the RailRiders opened the scoring in the second inning for the second straight game. Higashioka drilled the first pitch he saw from Teddy Stankiewicz to the bleachers in right-center; a 406-foot drive for the All-Star's 13^th home run of the year.
Ben Heller made a rehab appearance for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, working the first two innings, allowing a pair of hits and striking out a pair.
In the third, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre added three runs on three hits. Tyler Wade doubled home Clint Frazier before Estrada hit a 1-1 pitch on to the left field berm to extend the advantage to 4-0. It was Estrada's fifth of the season for the RailRiders.
The PawSox tallied back-to-back homers in the bottom of the third. Adonis Rosa relieved Heller and surrendered home runs to Cole Sturgeon and Chris Owings cutting the RailRiders edge to 4-2.
Rosa and Stankiewicz settled in over the next four innings. The Pawtucket starter allowed one hit between the fourth and seventh innings while Rosa faced two over the minimum. The RailRiders reliever allowed a single and a sac bunt in the eighth but closed the inning with a strikeout and a line out to center.
In the ninth, Zehner, promoted back from Trenton earlier in the day, hit a solo home run off Mike Shawaryn to extend the lead to 5-2. Gorkys Hernández homered in the home half of the inning to close the scoring.
Rosa (2-0) earned the win with six innings of relief work, striking seven with one walk surrendered.
Stankiewicz (4-5) took the loss, allowing four of the five runs over seven innings with pair of strikeouts. David Sosebee worked the ninth for his fourth save.
The RailRiders begin a five-game, four-day series against the Rochester Red Wings at PNC Field on Thursday, July 4. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. with a first pitch at 7:05 and fireworks slated after the final out. For tickets and more information, call (570) 969-BALL or slide to www.swbrailriders.com/tickets.