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MOOSIC — The best-case scenario for the RailRiders entering the weekend is that they would open up a huge lead in the International League North Division with a little more than two weeks left in the regular season.
And that’s exactly what happened.
First-place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre finished off a three-game sweep of second-place Rochester on Sunday afternoon at PNC Field as Austin Romine drove in three runs, Gary Sanchez went 4 for 4 and Kyle Haynes pitched seven innings leading the RailRiders to a 4-2 win.
The RailRiders now lead by 7.5 games over Rochester with 16 to go and their magic number to clinch the division stands at nine.
“It feels good, especially against a team like that it feels good to sweep them,” Romine said. “We always play real close games against them, there’s history there and it feels good to beat them.
“It’s exactly what we needed to do and we beat them every game.”
Haynes tied a career-high with seven innings pitched, the first time he’s gone that long in more than two years. The righty also tossed a season-high 99 pitches, while allowing just three hits and two walks. The only run he gave up was in the top of the first. After getting the first two outs of the game, Haynes walked Reynaldo Rodriguez, when stole second before Kennys Vargas singled him in for a 1-0 lead.
If not for spectacular plays by rightfielder Aaron Judge, who made a diving catch and second baseman Rob Refsnyder, who contributed a diving stop to save a hit and get an out, the outing could have been a lot worse for Haynes.
“It was huge to get the sweep of the team that’s right on our heels and who them there’s a reason this team’s in first place,” Haynes said. “Just build off that going into these last few weeks is big.”
After that, the 24-year-old Haynes was in a rhythm. He allowed just one baserunner in the third, fifth and seventh innings. Using his moving sinker, Haynes got seven outs on the ground, while two outs in the air didn’t reach the outfield.
“To go seven and go deep into the game and we didn’t have to use too much of the bullpen that was big,” Haynes said.
Romine, who drove in the game-ending run on Friday night and went 3 for 4 with a pair of RBI in Saturday night’s win, got the RailRiders’ offense going again on Sunday afternoon.
In the bottom of the second, with runners on second and third, Romine lined a single to left to Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge for a 2-1 lead.
Romine’s next time up also resulted in a run and driving in Sanchez. This time, all Romine had to do was hit a groundball to get Sanchez home, and that’s what he did with an RBI groundout.
“I’m just trying to do my job when the job is there,” Romine said. “
Rochester’s starter Taylor Rogers got stronger as the game went on as eight of the left-hander’s nine strikeouts were the last eight outs he recorded before getting pulled with two outs in the seventh.
Rogers entered the game outstanding against left-handed hitters only allowing just one extra-base hit all season in 23 starts, but the RailRiders’ MVP candidate Ben Gamel didn’t get that memo.
Gamel went 2 for 4 against Rogers with a pair of doubles, the second one scored Rico Noel to extend the RailRiders lead to 4-1 in the seventh inning.
“Ben added some insurance there like he always does all year, which was huge” Romine added.
Rochester’s second run came in the ninth when Vargas led off with a monstrous home run to rightfield that sailed over the Railhouse and out of the stadium.
Playoff tickets on sale
The team announced on Sunday that playoff tickets are now on sale at the box office, and will be available online starting Tuesday morning at 10.
Should the RailRiders claim the IL North, they would open their best-of-five First Round Governors’ Cup Series at the wild-card winner’s ballpark for two games on Sept. 9-10. The RailRiders’ first playoff home game would be on Friday, Sept. 11 with the if-necessary games 4 and 5 being on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13.
Should the RailRiders advance to the best-of-five Governors’ Cup Finals, they would play the first two games on the road on Sept. 15 and 16 with Game 3 at PNC Field on Sept. 17. If necessary, Games 4 and 5 would follow on Sept. 18 and 19. Ticket prices for playoff games include are: Club & 4Topp – $15; Infield Box – $10; Field Reserve/RailHouse – $8; Bleachers – $5; Lawn – $5.
RailRiders 4, Red Wings 2
Rochester`AB`R`H`BI
Santana ss`4`0`0`0
Beresford 2b`4`0`1`0
Rodriguez lf`3`1`0`0
Vargas 1b`4`1`2`2
Avery rf`4`0`0`0
Pinto dh`3`0`0`0
Ortiz cf`3`0`1`0
Diaz 3b`4`0`0`0
Paulino c`3`0`1`0
Totals`32`2`5`2
RailRiders`AB`R`H`BI
Gamel cf`4`0`2`1
Refsnyder 2b`4`0`0`0
Pirela lf`4`0`0`0
Sanchez c`4`2`4`0
Judge rf`3`1`0`0
Figueroa 3b`4`0`1`0
Romine 1b`3`0`1`3
Roller dh`3`0`1`0
Noel pr/dh`0`1`0`0
Petit ss`3`0`0`0
Totals`32`4`9`4
Rochester`100`0o0`o01`—`2
RailRiders`020`100`10x` —`4
E: Rogers (1), Figueroa (13). DP: Red Wings 1, RailRiders 0. LOB: Red Wings 6, RailRiders 5. 2B: Paulino (4), Gamel 2 (22), Sanchez 2 (9). HR: Vargas (4). SB: Rodriguez (10), Noel (5).
Rochester`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Rogers (L, 9-11)`6.2`8`4`4`1`9
Achter `1.1`1`0`0`0`0
RailRiders`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Haynes (W, 2-1) `7.0`3`1`1`2`4
Acevedo (S, 1)`2.0`2`1`1`1`2
Umpires: 1B: Seth Buckminster. 3B: Nic Lentz. HP: Max Guyll
T: 2:15. Att: 6,332.