The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Buffalo Bisons 7-1 Sunday at PNC Field. The RailRiders unloaded for six runs in the fourth and were led by two home runs, including a grand slam, from Yankees No. 6 prospect Spencer Jones.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre used six combined pitchers to hold Buffalo to one run to secure the series win.
Jones took MLB rehabber José Berríos deep in the bottom of the first to open the scoring, attacking the first pitch he saw and sending it 117 mph off the bat and 422 feet over the right field fence to give the RailRiders a 1-0 edge.
Buffalo responded in the top of the second off Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Danny Watson. Je’Von Ward singled home Charles McAdoo to even the game at 1-1.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre blasted two home runs and sent all nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth to put the RailRiders ahead by six runs. Oswaldo Cabrera singled before Seth Brown hit his fourth homer of the year, a two-run shot, putting the RailRiders ahead 3-1.
After Payton Henry singled, Jonathan Ornelas walked and a pitch hit Yankees No. 1 prospect George Lombard Jr., Jones rocked his second homer of the game, a bases-loaded slam to dead center, giving the RailRiders a 7-1 cushion.
Jones was 2-for-4, crushing his ninth and tenth homers of the season, adding five RBIs to his league-leading 37 on the year.
Watson tossed 2.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits, striking out four. Zach Messinger (3-0) earned the victory, allowing no hits through 2.1 scoreless frames. Berríos (0-1) threw 3.2 frames, surrendering seven runs on six hits in the loss.
RailRiders pitchers held Buffalo to five hits, and the Bisons bats went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving six runners on base.
The RailRiders now travel to Worcester to take on the Red Sox for a six-game road trip that starts Tuesday. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre returns to PNC Field on May 12 against the Syracuse Mets.