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MOOSIC — Ruben Tejada has been the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders’ most-consistent hitter to start the season.
So when the 27-year-old went 0 for 5 with a pair of strikeouts in Friday’s 10-2 win over the Syracuse Chiefs (9-16), he wasn’t that worried. And it didn’t take Tejada long to turn the jets back on Saturday.
Tejada erupted for a pair of two-run home runs as the RailRiders (15-12) routed the Chiefs 9-3.
“I hit a couple balls hard yesterday with no luck, but today was another day and another opportunity to play,” Tejada said after the win. “I tried to do my best and stay focused in all of my at-bats.”
The former big-league infielder had been batting in the bottom third of the order for much of the season, but RailRiders manager Al Pedrique decided to move Tejada up to the five hole recently. While the results didn’t show immediately, they came in the second game of the weekend series.
Tejada was 2 for 4 with two home runs, a walk, two runs scored and four RBI. He also broke out of the 2 for 13 slump he owned entering the game.
“For me, he’s been one of the guys who’s been swinging the bat well except for those two games,” Pedrique said. “Once he realized his swing was back, he relaxed a little bit. We don’t have (Rob) Refsnyder, so it was a great spot for Tejada to hit fifth and I’m glad he came through today with two home runs.”
Tejada was just one of five RailRiders to collect at two hits Saturday.
Scoring nine runs on 11 hits, Dustin Fowler collected a pair, including a first-inning triple. Clint Frazier’s two-hit day was highlighted by a pair of doubles, and Mark Payton reached on a single and double, as did Ji-Man Choi. Saturday’s outburst comes just one day after Scranton/Wilkes-Barre score 10 runs on 13 hits in Friday’s eight-run victory.
Not only did Frazier register a pair of hits in the win, but he reached base in four of his five plate appearances. He drove in the first run of the game with a first-inning sacrifice fly to center field, but walked in the sixth inning and reached base on the eighth with a hard-hit ground ball to third base, causing Brandon Snyder to airmail his throw to first base.
Frazier boasts a seven-game hitting streak after Saturday, going 10 for 24 during the stretch, and has walked an impressive eight times in his last six games.
“This early in the season it’s good to see young players at this level be able to make the adjustment as the game progresses,” Pedrique said. “I like the fact that we’re not giving at-bats away, especially with guys on bases. We’re doing the best we can to put pressure on the defense.”
Even though he had to endure a rain delay that lasted just over an hour, Saturday’s outing was much less stressful for Bryan Mitchell than his last time out.
Getting the starting nod, Mitchell didn’t have to worry about anything other than going out and giving his teammates and coaches quality innings. Unlike the last time he pitched — a relief appearance for the New York Yankees in April 30. Mitchell played first base after pitching the ninth inning, only to return to the mound in the 11th. The move allowed Yankees manager Joe Girardi to use closer Aroldis Chapman.
Mitchell was dominant in three innings Saturday, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out five.
“Mitchell did a great job,” Pedrique said. “He went out and stretched, stopped and went back out. When he got on the mound you could tell that he was ready. Threw some good, (lively) fastballs down the zone, mixed it up with some breaking balls. It was nice to see the way he pitched today.”
While he’s down with the RailRiders, the Yankees want to stretch Mitchell out. After pitching three innings in 43 pitches, Pedrique said the plan for Mitchell is to have him go four innings or throw 50-55 pitches in his next appearance Wednesday in Pawtucket.
Mitchell said he’s also working on his slider while he’s here, a the pitch he used when Chiefs left fielder Brian Goodwin hit a third-inning solo shot to left field to make it a 3-1 game.
“It honestly wasn’t great, but the fastball and curve were really great today,” Mitchell said of his slider. “The home run was an 0-0, back-door slider. Not something I would throw typically, but something I’m working on. That’s just kind of one of my objectives right now.”
Up next
The RailRiders look to sweep the Chiefs Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
RailRiders 10, Syracuse 2
Syracuse`AB`R`H`BI
Stevensn cf`4`0`0`0
Goodwin lf`4`1`2`1
Skole 1b`3`1`1`0
Snyder 3b`4`1`1`2
Robinsn dh`2`0`1`0
Severino c`4`0`0`0
Joseph 2b`4`0`1`0
Ramsey rf`4`0`1`0
Sanchez ss`4`0`1`0
Totals`33`3`8`3
RailRiders`AB`R`H`BI
Wade 3b`4`1`1`1
Fowler dh`5`1`2`1
Frazier lf`3`2`2`1
Choi 1b`4`2`2`1
Tejada ss`4`2`2`4
Williams cf`4`1`0`0
Payton rf`4`0`2`0
Avelino 2b`3`0`0`0
Rodrigz c`4`0`0`0
Totals`35`9`11`8
Syracuse`001`002`000`—`3
RailRiders`301`031`10X`—`9
E: Severino (1), Ramsey (2), Snyder (2). 2B: Joseph (6), Choi (2), Frazier 2 (11), Payton (7). 3B: Fowler (5), Wade (2). HR: Goodwin (2), Snyder (5), Tejada 2 (4). SF: Fazier. SB: Payton (2).
Syracuse`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Ross (L, 0-2)`5.0`8`7`7`2`4
Broadwy`1.0`2`1`1`1`1
Adams`0.2`1`1`1`2`1
Sttrwhte`1.1`0`0`0`1`1
RailRiders`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Mitchell`3.0`3`1`1`0`5
Cessa (W, 2-2)`6.0`5`2`2`3`4
WP: Ross 2.
IBB: Choi (Ross).
Umpires: Ryan Additon, HP;Roberto Ortiz, 1B; Jeremie Rehak, 2B; Adam Beck, 3B.
T: 2:24 (1:07 delay). Att: 4,622.
