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Lehigh Valley was going to try to make the race interesting in the final month. The RailRiders wouldn’t let them do it.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre went 19-11 in August and then opened September with a convincing 6-1 win in Buffalo to clinch the International League North Division championship on Thursday. The RailRiders won the title outright thanks to Lehigh Valley’s loss to Rochester.
It’s the second straight division crown for the RailRiders and the 11th in the history of the franchise. They will have home field advantage when the Governors’ Cup playoffs begin next week.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will host Game 3 of the best-of-five semifinals on Sept. 9 at 6:35 p.m. and would also host Game 4 (Sept. 10) and Game 5 (Sept. 11), if necessary.
At 87-52, the RailRiders are just one win shy of matching their best win total since becoming a Yankees affiliate. The 2002 Red Barons were the last squad to win 90 games.
Pitching has been a strength for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre all season and Thursday night was no exception. Phil Coke went six innings, allowing one run on seven hits to record a quality start and pick up the win.
Tyler Webb and Johnny Barbato closed out the final three frames, running the bullpen’s scoreless streak to 20 innings and wrap up the division.
At the plate, the RailRiders broke out for four runs in the top of second to take control. Chris Parmelee hit a solo home run and then brought home three on five straight hits — Cito Culver, Mason Williams (3 for 5) and Cesar Puello each picked up an RBI single.
Rob Refsnyder and Donovan Solano each drove in a run in the eighth to secure the RailRiders’ ninth straight win in Buffalo.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre alum Jesus Montero drove in the lone run for the Bisons.
The RailRiders return home to close out the regular season with four straight home games — two against Buffalo on Friday and Saturday and two against Syracuse on Sunday and Monday.
RailRiders 6, Buffalo 1
RailRiders`AB`R`H`BI
Williams cf`5`1`3`1
Puello rf`3`1`1`1
Refsnyder 3b`5`0`1`1
Parmelee 1b`4`1`1`1
Solano 2b`4`0`1`1
Higashioka dh`5`0`1`0
Cave lf`4`1`1`0
Culver ss`4`1`2`1
Rodriguez c`4`1`1`0
Totals`38`6`12`6
Buffalo`AB`R`H`BI
Berry cf`4`1`0`0
Ceciliani rf`5`0`0`0
Dominguez 3b`4`0`2`0
Montero dh`4`0`3`1
Colabello 1b`4`0`0`0
Brown lf`4`0`1`0
Burns 2b`4`0`0`0
Kratz c`3`0`0`0
Mier ss`3`0`1`0
Totals`35`1`7`1
RailRiders`040`000`020`—`6
Buffalo`001`000`000`—`1
2B — Cave (18), Rodriguez (7), Williams (8). HR — Parmelee (10).
RailRiders`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Coke, W (5-3)`6`7`1`1`2`6
Webb, H (6)`2`0`0`0`0`1
Barbato`1`0`0`0`1`2
Buffalo`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Berken, L (0-2)`5.1`8`4`4`3`4
Schultz`2.1`2`2`2`2`0
Antolin`1.1`2`0`0`2`2