Comeback Kids: RailRiders rally... again

MOOSIC, Pa. (June 15, 2021) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders scored 10 runs in their final two at-bats and pulled off a stunning 12-6 comeback win over the Syracuse Mets on Tuesday night at PNC Field.

The Mets jumped out to an early lead, scoring five times in the top of the first inning against Deivi Garcia. The right-hander only recorded one out in the game and walked four batters while throwing 35 pitches in the frame.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre answered right back when Estevan Florial led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run off Akeem Bostick. Syracuse tallied a run off Brian Keller in the second to take a 6-1 lead, but struggled to generate any offense after that. The Mets had only one hit after the second inning.

Rumor has it this ball is still in the air. 💣 pic.twitter.com/1KzUVKzOpo

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) June 15, 2021

The RailRiders cut the deficit to 6-2 in the bottom of the fifth, when Florial doubled and score on a Hoy Park single. Park finished the game 4-for-4 with two runs scored, a walk, a triple and three RBIs. Florial collected his second straight three-hit game, adding a home run and two doubles, scoring four runs and driving in three.

In the bottom of the seventh against former RailRider Stephen Tarpley, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rallied for three runs. A two-run triple from Park and a sacrifice fly from Trey Amburgey closed the gap to 6-5.

Albert Abreu threw two hitless innings following Keller’s 3.2 innings of relief, and Trevor Lane and Kyle Barraclough (4-0) each contributed a scoreless inning of relief to give the offense a chance.

Robinson Chirinos led off the bottom of the eighth with a double off the wall in left field off Stephen Nogosek (0-4) and after Greg Allen was sent in to pinch run and a walk to Derek Dietrich, Rob Brantly singled to plate the tying run. Armando Alvarez lifted a sac fly to center to chase home Dietrich and the RailRiders led 7-6.

The flood gates opened from there, as the RailRiders struck for seven runs in the inning and eight hits, sending 12 to the plate. A total of 10 different batters came to the plate for SWB in the eighth, and they all had at least one hit or one RBI.

Braden Bristo fired a scoreless ninth inning to close out the win, finishing off the third win for the RailRiders in their last seven games in which they erased a deficit of greater than four runs. It was also Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s second win in its last at-bat in the last three games.

POSTGAME NOTES: Amburgey finished the game 0-for-2 with a walk, two RBIs and two sacrifice flies, ending his 20-game hitting streak. His on-base streak now stands at 27 consecutive games, five shy of Brandon Drury’s club record set in 2018.

The RailRiders continue their series with the Mets on Tuesday night at PNC Field. RHP Luis Gil makes his Triple-A debut for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while Syracuse counters with LHP Thomas Szapucki (0-2, 3.51 ERA). For tickets and more information, call (570) 969-BALL or slide to www.swbrailriders.com/tickets.