Winning pitcher Alexander Cornielle pitched 5.2 innings of shutout ball, allowing one hit and three walks and striking out seven, and Tyler Hardman hit a three-run home run to lead the RailRiders to a 5-1 victory over Buffalo on Wednesday at Sahlen Field for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s fifth straight win.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer started for the Bisons, allowed six hits and five runs (four earned) and struck out five in four innings.
In the top of the first, Oswaldo Cabrera gave the RailRiders (9-4 second half, 46-41 overall) a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly to right that scored J.C Escarra.
The next inning, Hardman blasted a homer to left center that traveled 426 feet and scored Marco Luciano and Yanquiel Fernández for a 4-0 lead.
Escarra added a sacrifice fly in the second inning for a 5-0 lead.
Je’Von Ward gave the Bisons (7-7, 42-47) their only run on a sac fly to center in the ninth.
The series continues Thursday at 6:35 p.m. with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s Elmer Rodríguez (4-3 record, 2.93 ERA) and Buffalo’s Grant Rogers (2-7, 5.35) the probable pitchers.