The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders split a doubleheader with the Rochester Red Wings on Saturday at PNC Field, losing 15-3 in the first game and winning the nightcap 5-3.
The Red Wings started the offense in the second inning of the opener, with Travis Blankenhorn hitting a single to left and Drew Millas hitting a 1-1 pitch from RailRiders starter Edgar Barclay for a 2-0 Rochester lead.
Rochester increased the lead in the third. With two on, James Wood hit his fourth home run of the series and MLB rehabber Joey Gallo followed with a solo shot to make it a 6-0 Red Wings advantage. The Wings added two runs in the fourth on a sac fly and an RBI double from Carter Kieboom for an 8-0 lead.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre sent all nine hitters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs on two hits and four walks. Carlos Narvaez doubled to start the inning and scored on a sac fly from Kevin Smith. Caleb Durbin worked a walk with the bases loaded to bring home Oscar González and Everson Pereira singled in Jose Rojas to cut the deficit to five at 8-3.
The Red Wings added a run on a bases loaded walk by Eric Mejia in the top of the fifth to push the lead back to six at 9-3. Rochester increased their scoring on Millas’ second home run of the day, a sixth inning blast to left with two aboard for a 12-3 advantage and tallied three more on a second home run of the day by Wood; a 443-foot shot to left-center in the seventh.
Barclay (L, 3-2) took the loss after giving up the first eight runs over four innings. Adonis Medina (W, 3-0) pitched an inning of relief and earned the win behind Joan Adon.
In game two, Travis Blankenhorn hit a two-run home run off SWB starter Cody Poteet in the top of the first for another early advantage.
The RailRiders equalized in the bottom of the third. T.J. Rumfield drove in a pair with the bases loaded to tie the game at 2-2.
Rochester regained the advantage in the fourth with an RBI single by Jake Alu, but Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. González hit a 454-foot home run to center to tie the game at three. Jeter Downs doubled with two outs and scored on a double from Josh VanMeter to give the RailRiders a 4-3 lead.
Jose Rojas completed the RailRiders scoring with a solo home run off Rico Garcia in the sixth inning.
Poteet (W, 3-0) struck out nine and walked one over five innings in the win. Anthony Misiewicz pitched two perfect innings of relief for his third save of the season. Jackson Rutledge (L, 2-2) allowed four runs on six hits over five innings in the loss.
The RailRiders and Red Wings conclude this series on Sunday. Gates open at 11:45 A.M. for a kid’s catch in the outfield starting at noon. The first 500 moms will receive a crossbody bag to celebrate Mother’s Day. Yoendrys Gómez and Spenser Watkins start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Rochester, respectively. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
