SWB RAILRIDERS: Ninth-inning rally by Lehigh Valley halts winning streak – Scranton Times-Tribune

Lehigh Valley scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to rally past the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, 8-6, in a see-saw game Saturday night at PNC Field in Moosic.

The IronPigs erased deficits of 3-2, 5-4 and 6-5 to stop the RailRiders’ four-game winning streak. Coupled with Rochester’s win over Syracuse on Saturday, the RailRiders (35-25, 72-62) fell into second place in the International League second-half standings, one game behind the Red Wings. Those teams begin a six-game series in Rochester on Monday.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the RailRiders took a 6-5 lead when Yanquiel Fernandez led off with a single. Duke Ellis came in to pinch run and stole second and third, extending his single-season franchise record to 49 and career mark to 91. One out later, Kenedy Corona laid down a squeeze bunt to score Ellis.

However, Lehigh Valley opened the top of the ninth with three straight hits off reliever Bradley Hanner (6-3). Pinch-hitter Gabriel Rincones Jr. doubled. Robert Moore had a RBI double to tie the game and when the ball got past right fielder Corona for an error, Moore went to third. Christian Cairo lined a single to center field past the drawn-in infield to score Moore and put the IronPigs on top, 7-6. With two outs, Carter Kieboom provided an insurance run with a RBI single that plated Cairo.

Kirby Snead came on in relief in the bottom of the ninth for Lehigh Valley. He walked Marco Luciano to lead off the inning, but got a strikeout and game-ending double play to earn his second save. Max Lazar (5-1) was the winning pitcher.

Xavier Rivas started for the RailRiders and allowed two runs with two outs in the top of the first inning on a RBI single by Kameron Misner and a wild pitch. But in the bottom of the second, Tyler Hardman hit a three-run home run to put the RailRiders in front, 3-2.

Without the benefit of a hit in the top of the third, the IronPigs tied it. Colby Thomas walked and was wild-pitched to second. After Keaton Anthony walked, Thomas stole third and scord on a sacrifice fly by Kieboom. Lehigh Valley then took a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth when Kieboom scored from third on a two-out throwing error by third baseman Max Schuemann.

Back came the RailRiders in the bottom of the seventh. Jarred Kelenic singled with one out, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Paul McIntosh. Anthony Volpe followed with a single to score Kelenic and tie the game at 4. With one out, Volpe stole second and Luciano was hit by a pitch. Following a pitching change, Oswaldo Cabrera singled to right field on a 3-2 pitch to score Volpe and make it 5-4 RailRiders.

But Misner hit a two-out home run on a 1-2 pitch in the top of the eighth inning to pull Lehigh Valley even, 5-5.

By winning Saturday, Lehigh Valley took a 12-11 lead in the season series. No matter what happens in Sunday’s finale at 1:35 p.m., it will retain the IronRail Trophy.