SWB RAILRIDERS: Take series opener from Syracuse – Scranton Times-Tribune

Taking advantage of six Syracuse errors, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders began a six-game series against the Mets on Tuesday night with a 13-5 victory at PNC Field in Moosic.

Marco Luciano led a 12-hit attack with three hits, while George Lombard Jr., J.C. Escarra and Kenedy Corona added two hits apiece as the RailRiders (14-6, 51-43) won their fourth straight and ninth time in their last 11 games.

Elmer Rodriguez (6-3), the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect, allowed three runs and three hits in five innings with four walks and three strikeouts.

The RailRiders staked Rodriguez to a 4-0 lead after four innings. Yanquiel Fernandez had an RBI double and Oswaldo Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first. Tyler Hardman reached on a throwing error with the bases loaded in the third that scored Escarra. In the fourth, Corona reached on an infield single, advanced to third when the throw skipped past the first baseman and scored when the throw from the right fielder got past third base.

Syracuse got three runs in the top of the fifth off Rodriguez. Ben Rortvedt and Vidal Brujan each had RBI singles and M.J. Melendez drew a bases-loaded walk.

But the RailRiders scored four times in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Ernesto Martinez Jr. crushed a home run to center field. Corona walked and came all the way around to score when Duke Ellis’ bunt single was thrown away for an error with Ellis advancing to third. Lombard had an RBI single, which extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Lombard scored later in the inning on a wild pitch to make it 8-3.

Run-scoring singles by Nick Morabito and Ji Hwan Bae in the top of the eighth pulled the Mets within 8-5. But the RailRiders secured the victory by scoring five times in the bottom of the eighth. Lombard and Escarra had RBI singles, Luciano hit an RBI double, Fernandez had an RBI groundout and Hardman hit a sacrifice fly.

The series continues Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.

Before Tuesday’s game, the Yankees made moves affecting the RailRiders. Reliever Jake Bird and pitcher Brian Hendry were added to the roster and catcher Edinson Duran was reinstated from the development list. Pitcher Kyle Carr was placed on the seven-day injured list and outfielder Cole Gabrielson was transferred to Double-A Somerset.