Día Increíble: SWB sweeps doubleheader

MOOSIC, Pa. (June 9, 2019) - An offensive outburst powered the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to a doubleheader sweep of the Syracuse Mets on Sunday afternoon at PNC Field, 7-5 in the first game and 14-3 in the second. With the pair of victories, the RailRiders are a season-high 11 games over .500.

The RailRiders took game one of the doubleheader thanks to a five-run eruption in the bottom of the second. Mike Tauchman led off the inning with a single, and scored on a Logan Morrison double two batters later. Syracuse starter Chris Mazza walked Brad Miller and Erik Kratz later in the frame to load the bases, and Mike Ford promptly unloaded them with a grand slam to cap the frame.
 
Raynel Espinal allowed a solo home run to Rubén Tejada in the top of the first, but settled in nicely on the bump for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He yielded another home run - a two-run shot for Dilson Herrera in the top of the fourth - but was solid in his 5.0 innings of work, allowing only four hits, striking out six and walking two.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Ryan McBroom smacked a two-run home run down the left field line to add two insurance runs for the RailRiders, who took a 7-4 lead.
 
Kaleb Ort threw the final two innings out of the bullpen, surrendering a run in both the sixth and seventh, but hung on to nail down his first save of the season.
 
In the second game of the twin bill the RailRiders played as los Vejigantes de Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the first time, as part of the team's participation in the Copa de la Diversion. Donning special jerseys and caps, the club erupted offensively in the bottom of the first, sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs, highlighted by a three-run home run by Morrison. SWB knocked Syracuse starter Casey Coleman out of the box after only one out in the frame.
 
The Baby Bombers clobbered three home runs in the contest - a two-run round-tripper from Brad Miller in the second, and another two-run homer by Kyle Higashioka over the advertising wall in left in the fifth.
 
Syracuse tallied three runs against RailRiders starter Daniel Camarena, all on solo home runs as the southpaw lasted 6.0 innings plus three batters. Joe Harvey inherited runners on second and third and no outs in the top of the seventh, but stranded the runners on base to secure the victory.
 
Mike Tauchman had the best day of his RailRiders career on the day, going 6-for-8 with four runs, three doubles, a triple, and one RBI. The output raised his season batting average 60 points from .230 to .290.
 
The RailRiders enjoy an off day Monday, before opening a three-game road series with the Norfolk Tides on Tuesday at Harbor Park. RHP Chance Adams (4-1, 3.35) takes the mound for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while Norfolk sends RHP Tyler Herb (4-3, 4.09) to the slab. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., with pregame coverage with Adam Marco at 6:35 p.m. on the RailRiders Radio Network.