Call it the Triple-A version of the Subway Series.
First-place in the International League second-half standings is on the line when the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and Syracuse Mets begin a crucial six-game series Tuesday at PNC Field in northeastern Pennsylvania. The outcome could go a long way in helping decide who will advance to the best-of-3 league final that begins Sept. 23rd against first-half winner, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
Last week, while Syracuse was losing four of six games
to the Indianapolis Indians, the RailRiders were taking four of six from the Buffalo Bisons to give them a 36-15 record in the second half and a three-game lead over the Mets (33-18) for first place.
After dropping the series opener to Buffalo, the RailRiders split a doubleheader, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh to win Game 1, 5-3. They then won the final three games of the series. On Aug. 22nd, they scored seven runs in the top of the third inning — highlighted by Jeimer Candelario’s grand slam — for a 7-4 victory. It was the sixth grand slam of the season for the RailRiders, two shy of the single-season team record set in 2019.
On Aug. 23rd, five home runs fueled a 10-3 win. Brennen Davis hit two, Candelario and Spencer Jones one each and Omar Martinez his first in Triple-A. In the series finale, the RailRiders rallied from a three-run deficit by scoring three times in seventh inning and two runs in the eighth on Braden Shewmake’s single for a 5-3 triumph.
Shewmake led the RailRiders in the series with a .417 batting average (5-for-12) in five games with one double, one triple and four RBI.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has dominated Syracuse, holding a 14-4 edge in the season series. They won four of six games twice in Syracuse on April 1st-6th and April 30th-May 4th, then swept a six-game series at PNC Field on June 10th-15th.
Much had changed, however, for both teams since their last meeting. For example, Jesus Rodriguez, Everson Pereira, and C.J. Alexander were in the RailRiders lineup that day, but are no longer with the team.
Jones, the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was still with Double-A Somerset; he was promoted to Triple-A on June 27th. He has hit 16 home runs for the RailRiders and 32 overall, which is tied for the minor-league lead with Seattle Mariners prospect Lazaro Montes, who hit 18 with the High-A Everett AquaSox and 14 with the Double-A Arkansas Travelers.
T.J. Rumfield and Jose Rojas continue to lead the RailRiders. Rumfield ranks 10th in the International League in batting at .301 (127-for-422). He is fourth in hits, fourth in RBI with 82, third in runs for 77 and third in doubles with 30.
Rojas is tied for second in the league with 84 RBI, second in doubles with 31 and tied for third with 23 home runs. He is batting .286 (108-for-377). His three-homer, eight-RBI game came against Syracuse on May 1st.
Only six pitchers who have recorded decisions against Syracuse this season remain on the RailRiders roster. Sean Boyle is 2-1 against the Mets, reliever Kervin Castro is 2-0 and Allan Winans is 1-0. Winans (10-0) still is tied for the league-lead in victories and the RailRiders are 17-0 in games in which he has appeared.
With Indianapolis’ Bubba Chandler promoted to the major leagues by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Erick Leal moved into the International League lead in strikeouts with 122 — Chandler has 121. Leal is 0-2 against Syracuse this season, but the right-hander has pitched much better in the second half, going 7-2 in 11 starts to improve his record to 8-9.
Syracuse, meanwhile, received a boost when the New York Mets promoted four of their top-eight prospects according to MLB Pipeline from Double-A Binghamton: outfielder Carson Benge (No. 1), shortstop Jett Williams (No. 2), righthander pitcher Jonah Tong (No. 4), and first baseman/outfielder Ryan Clifford (No. 8). Benge was placed on the seven-day injured list Aug. 16th, one day after being hit by a pitch on the hand, and Clifford was put on the temporarily inactive list Aug. 23rd.
Tong, in two starts with Syracuse, is 2-0 and has not allowed a run in 11.2 innings with eight hits, three walks and 17 strikeouts. In the Eastern League, he was 8-5 with a 1.59 ERA in 20 starts and a league-high 162 strikeouts in 102 innings. The 22-year-old right-hander, who leads all of minor league baseball with 179 strikeouts, is scheduled to pitch Friday against the RailRiders.
Joey Meneses leads Syracuse with 53 RBI while batting .270 (100-for-371) with 10 home runs and a league-high 35 doubles. Gilberto Celestino is batting .281 (92 for 327) with nine home runs and 34 RBI, while Jared Young is batting .300 (66-for-220) with 15 home runs and 41 RBI. Young also has played 19 games with the New York Mets.
Not only are the RailRiders battling for first place in the second half, but for the best record in the International League as well. They were 23-28 on May 29th, but have gone 51-21 since for an overall mark of 74-49. That leads the league by .002 percentage points over Jacksonville (75-60). Four weeks remain in the regular season.
