Although they managed only four hits, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders capitalized on eight walks and seven stolen bases to hold off the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, 6-5, in the opener of the final series of the regular season Tuesday night at PNC Field in Moosic.

The win, coupled with Rochester’s 9-8 loss in Buffalo, pulls the RailRiders (39-29) within one game of the Red Wings (41-29) and Indianapolis (41-29) in the International League second-half standings. The Indians also won Tuesday, 8-6 in 10 innings over Gwinnett, to move into a first-place tie. Syracuse (39-30) was victorious over Lehigh Valley and is 1.5 games back. Worcester (38-30) defeated Durham and is two games back. Five games remain in the regular season.

Elmer Rodriguez started for the RailRiders. Last time he faced Jacksonville was in the decisive Game 3 of last year’s International League championship series — his second Triple-A start — and he allowed five runs on four hits in 0.2 innings with two walks and two strikeouts. The Jumbo Shrimp won, 7-4, to take the series and the title.

On Tuesday, Rodriguez allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in 4.2 innings with five walks and three strikeouts. Zach Messinger (9-1) followed and tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless and hitless relief with one walk and three strikeouts to get the win.

Jacksonville took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Juan Matheus’ sacrifice fly scored Kemp Alderman.

But the RailRiders (76-66 overall) answered in the bottom of the second. With one out, Oswaldo Cabrera walked and Max Schuemann was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Cabrera and Schuemann executed a double steal. Duke Ellis followed with a two-run single to give the RailRiders a 2-1 lead. The hit extended Ellis’ hitting streak to 12 games.

Without the benefit of a hit in the bottom of the third, the RailRiders extended the lead. Jasson Dominguez led off with a walk. One out later, Marco Luciano walked. With Yanquiel Fernandez batting, Dominguez and Luciano pulled off a double steal. When the catcher’s throw to third went into left field for an error, Dominguez scored and Luciano advanced to third. He then scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1.

Ellis swiped three bases in the game, extending his franchise single-season mark to 55.

A wild pitch in the top of the fifth inning enabled Johnny Olmstead to score and pull the Jumbo Shrimp within 4-2. It stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh when Ellis reached on a fielder’s choice. He stole second and third and scored on a wild pitch for a 5-2 advantage.

Brandon Compton’s RBI groundout off Yerry De Los Santos in the top of the eighth cut the Jacksonville deficit to 5-3. Consecutive one-out doubles in the bottom of the eighth by Schuemann and Ernesto Martinez Jr. restored the RailRiders’ advantage back to three runs.

It was needed since, in the top of the ninth, Matheus reached on an error and Logan Driscoll hit a two-run home run to bring the Jumbo Shrimp within 6-5. But Chris Kean retired the next three batters to earn the save and secure the victory.

On Wednesday afternoon at 1:05, the series continues with Brendan Beck on the mound for the RailRiders against Jacksonville lefthander Luis Palacios.