RailRiders open series with wild 11-10 win over Buffalo

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Buffalo Bisons 11-10 Tuesday night at PNC Field. SWB came back from a four-run deficit and smashed four home runs to secure the victory.

The Bisons scored the first points of the game at the start of the second. Alan Roden scored Damiano Palmegiani on a force out and Max McDowell followed with a two-run homer to center to make it 3-0 Buffalo.

RailRiders starting pitcher Josh Maciejewski gave up another home run to McDowell in the top of the fourth, making the score 4-0 Buffalo.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre opened their account late in the fourth. Oswald Peraza hit an error and Carlos Narvaez hit his 7th homer of the season, a 2-run blast to right, to bring SWB within two.

Buffalo responded in the top of the fifth when Cameron Eden tripled and scored on a Leo Jimenez double to make it 5-2. With the bases loaded, relief pitcher Duane Underwood Jr. hit Will Robertson to keep SWB within striking distance.

The RailRiders scored three and tied the game in the bottom half of the game. Oscar González doubled to take the lead and moved into third place on a force takedown of Taylor Trammell. Jeter Downs scored Gonzalez on a double to bring the RailRiders within two. After Downs stole third, a Brandon Lockridge RBI groundout made it 5-4. With two outs, Jorbit Vivas tied it with a 369-foot solo shot to right field.

A three-run home run by Trammell gave the RailRiders the lead in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Jose Rojas and González hit back-to-back singles, setting up Trammell’s 430-foot homer to center, giving SWB an 8-5 lead. After Downs walked and stole second and third, Vivas scored on a single to give Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a four-run advantage.

The Bisons took the lead on a two-run homer by Riley Tirotta in the top of the seventh.

SWB kept the bats in the bottom of the seventh. After TJ Rumfield walked, Jose Rojas hit a two-run shot to right field. His team-leading 13th homer of the season put the RailRiders up 11-7.

Robertson and Eden hit homers in the top of the ninth to bring the Bisons within one at 11-10, but Matt Sauer induced a groundout to end the game.

Maciejewski pitched 4.0 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and striking out four. Art Warren (W, 1-0) pitched 1.0 innings, allowing two runs on two hits. Sauer (S, 1) earned his first Triple-A save with 1.1 innings of work. Paxton Schultz (L, 2-2) allowed five runs on four hits in 1.1 innings of work.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre continue their series with Buffalo on Wednesday night. The RailRiders send Will Warren to face Buffalo’s Aaron Sanchez. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.