It has been an eventful start to the series in Rochester for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate and the Red Wings, top affiliate of the Washington Nationals, split the first four games of the six-game set at Innovative Field in New York.
In the opener, the RailRiders’ franchise record-tying 11-game winning streak ended with a loud thud, 7-1. The lone bright spot came in the top of the eighth inning when catcher Rafael Flores, the No. 9 prospect in the Yankees organization
according to a recently updated MLB Pipeline list, hit his first career Triple-A home run.
It's 413-feet and 106.8 mph off the bat for No. 15 #Yankees prospect Rafael Flores' FIRST homer in Triple-A! #WhereLegendsRise #RepBX pic.twitter.com/2Yi18wlrB9
— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) July 23, 2025
Game 2 was a 12-inning marathon that took just over four hours and saw the RailRiders prevail, 8-6. Eight Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitchers combined to strike out a franchise record-tying 22 Red Wings.
Luis Gil, last year’s American League Rookie of the Year with the Yankees, made his third rehab start — and his first with the RailRiders — as he recovers from a right lat strain that has sidelined him all season. Gil struck out four in 3.1 innings.
Kervin Castro also fanned four and Clayton Beeter—now heading to DC in the Amed Rosario trade—whiffed three. Then, Baron Stuart (1), Brent Headrick (2), Eric Reyzelman (4), Leonardo Pestana (3) and position player Edinson Duran (1) combined to hold the Red Wings scoreless for the final 5.1 innings with 11 strikeouts.
The 22 strikeouts ties the franchise record for a game set Aug. 19, 2016 against Pawtucket as well as for an extra-inning game set Aug. 28, 2016 at Rochester.
OMG. WHAT DID WE JUST WITNESS?!
— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) July 24, 2025
Catcher Edinson Duran earned the save and picked up the final out in Bottom 12 with a strikeout — the 22nd of the night. The tally matches the franchise record for strikeouts in a single game. pic.twitter.com/5Z8kNA6fwi
Offensively, Everson Pereira opened the scoring with a two-run home run during a four-run top of the first, then capped it with a RBI single in the top of the 12th after speed-up runner Nicky Lopez stole third base and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
A home run derby broke out in the third game of the series as the teams combined to hit nine. Spencer Jones, the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect, hit three home runs in his first three at-bats, but the RailRiders still lost, 10-8.
All three of Jones’ blasts came off Red Wings starter Bryce Conley. He hit a solo shot that traveled 401 feet to left-center field in the top of the first inning. He had another solo homer in the top of the third that traveled 425 feet to left-center field. Lastly, he cracked a two-run homer off the batters’ eye in straightaway center field 433 feet away.
Spencer Jones is making his case with a THREE-HOMER GAME! #WhereLegendsRise #RepBX pic.twitter.com/cOpyYO4DWj
— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) July 24, 2025
Jones is the seventh player in franchise history with three home runs in a game and second this season — Jose Rojas has accomplished the feat twice. The others are Gary Bennett of the SWB Red Barons on Aug. 16, 1998, at Buffalo, Zoilo Almonte on July 23, 2014, at Gwinnett, Tyler Austin on June 24, 2016, at Pawtucket, Mike Ford on April 7, 2019, at Buffalo, and Jake Bauers on April 16, 2023, in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Syracuse.
Now with an incredible .400/.457/.950 triple slash in 19 games since being promoted from Double-A, Jones would have made for an excellent candidate to be promoted with Yankees captain Aaron Judge set to go on the IL. But back spasms held him out of play on Friday and Saturday, so Jones’ MLB debut will have to wait.
Back in the week’s action, Rochester hit five homers to beat the RailRiders despite Jones’ hat trick of homers, but Scranton got its revenge in the fourth game of the series. Duke Ellis went 4-for-4 with three doubles to spark a 7-5 RailRiders victory. Ellis is the first RailRider with three doubles in a game since Estevan Florial on July 1, 2022, against Buffalo.
Duke Doubles.
— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) July 26, 2025
Duke Ellis becomes the first RailRider to double three times in one game since Estevan Florial in 2022!#WhereLegendsRise #RepBX pic.twitter.com/1j3IZErfQ5
Jesus Rodriguez added three hits and pitcher Erick Leal threw five scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking two and striking out six to improve his record to 6-7. It has been a tale of two halves for Leal. He was 1-7 with a 7.35 ERA in the first half. But in the second half, the veteran righthander has won five of his six starts with a 2.65 ERA. In 34 innings he has allowed 12 runs (10 earned) and 20 hits with 11 walks and 30 strikeouts.
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