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MOOSIC — It started with a home run and finished with a home run.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders batted around in the second inning and finished with seven runs. They built a seven-run lead that the Pawtucket Red Sox, who are in the bottom half of the International League in runs scored, wouldn’t be able to come back from, and especially with RailRiders ace Chance Adams on the mound.

Adams wouldn’t need anywhere near the seven runs of support he got in the second inning, as he took a no-hitter into the sixth. The Red Sox (34-36) were no match as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (44-28) rolled to a 11-1 victory.

“One through nine, we have guys that are capable of contributing and getting the job done,” RailRiders manager Al Pedrique said. “If the top of the order doesn’t get on base, we still have the middle of the order with (Tyler) Austin, (Ji-Man) Choi — they’re looking better swinging the bat — and then we have guys like Cito (Culver), (Mark) Payton, (Jake) Cave — they can also help us — and I think that’s what helped us tonight.”

The RailRiders quickly jumped on Pawtucket starter Kyle Kendrick in the second.

Cave homered for the third time in four days with his one-out solo shot and was followed by a Payton single and Culver double. With men on the corners, Eddy Rodriguez broke his 0-for-30 slump with an RBI single to third.

Tyler Wade was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Austin, who then drilled a stand-up double into the left-field corner to clear the bases, giving the RailRiders a 5-0 lead. Choi’s two-run bomb to the walkway behind the hill in right field in the next at-bat capped off the seven-run inning.

“It’s big,” Austin said of the inning. “You come in and bat around and put up seven runs, that sets the tone for the rest of the game.”

Austin wasn’t done after his second-inning double. He homered in his very next at-bat, sending a solo shot to right in the fourth inning for his third home run in as many days.

RailRiders second baseman Cito Culver followed Austin’s lead in the bottom of the fifth, sending a two-run shot to straight-away center field. And Payton quietlyy went 3 for 4 with an RBI double and two runs scored.

“I felt like I put some swings on the ball,” Austin said. “It was a good night. Everybody was feeling good at the plate and putting their ‘A’ swing on the ball and when you consistently do that throughout the game, that’s usually what happens.”

While the RailRiders offense was impressive Thursday, scoring 10 or more runs for the 10th time this season, Adams did more than hold his own.

The 22-year-old right hander pitched six innings of shutout baseball, giving up just one hit on 100 pitches. Adams struck out eight PawSox while walking just a pair.

“Just mainly working on changeup — throwing that a lot — fastball command,” Adams said. “Happy with some of the results and (I) have to continue to work on it. Slider was fine, more downward depth. Didn’t throw as much curveball because I was working on my changeup.”

Higgy to the DL

RailRiders catcher Kyle Higashioka left Wednesday’s game after his fly out in the seventh inning with lingering back stiffness that acted up before Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took the field in the top of the eighth inning.

Higashioka went to the doctor’s Thursday to try to take the right steps toward a resolution, but still isn’t sure when and where the injury stems from or why. He was then placed on the seven-day disabled list before the game.

“They’re pretty inconclusive, but most likely just muscle spasms,” Higashioka said of his doctor’s visit. “It’s something I’ve been dealing with for the past couple of weeks and it had just gotten to the point where I wasn’t helping out the team at all. My play was just not even close to 100 percent.”

For other RailRiders stories, click here.

RailRiders 11, Pawtucket 1

Pawtucket`AB`R`H`BI

Miller ss`4`0`1`0

Court 3b`4`0`0`0

Selsky rf`3`0`0`0

Brentz lf`4`0`0`0

Bogusevic cf`3`1`1`1

Craig dh`4`0`0`0

Witte 1b`4`0`1`0

Meneses 2b`3`0`0`0

Bulter c`2`0`1`0

Totals`31`1`4`1

RailRiders`AB`R`H`BI

Wade ss`3`1`0`0

Fowler cf`5`0`1`0

Austin dh`5`2`2`4

Choi 1b`4`1`1`2

Andujar 3b`4`0`1`0

Cave rf`4`2`2`1

Payton lf`4`2`3`1

Culver 2b`3`2`2`2

Rodriguez`4`1`1`1

Totals`36`11`13`11

Pawtucket`000`000`100`—`1

RailRiders`070`120`10X`—`11

DP: Red Sox 1, RailRiders 0; LOB: Red Sox 6, RailRiders 4; 2B: Butler (7), Fowler (19), Culver (10), Austin (11), Payton (10); HR: Bogusevic (4), Cave (3), Choi (3), Austin (4), Culver (7); SB: Fowler (13).

Pawtuket`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Hendrick (L, 2-4)`5.0`11`10`10`0`3

Martin`3.0`2`1`1`2`2

RailRiders`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Adams (W, 5-2)`6.0`1`0`0`2`8

Heller`1.0`3`1`1`1`3

Graham`1.2`0`0`0`0`3

HBP: Wade (by Kendrick).

Umpires: Ryan Additon, HP; Roberto Ortiz, 1B; Adam Beck, 2B; Jeremie Rehak, 3B.

Time: 2:43; Att.: 5,549.

Ji-Man Choi rounds second base after hitting a home run in the second inning against Pawtucket on Thursday at PNC Field.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_rr_sox2_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgJi-Man Choi rounds second base after hitting a home run in the second inning against Pawtucket on Thursday at PNC Field. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre center fielder Dustin Fowler makes the grab on a fly ball off the bat of Pawtucket’s Dan Butler on Thursday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_rr_sox3_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgScranton/Wilkes-Barre center fielder Dustin Fowler makes the grab on a fly ball off the bat of Pawtucket’s Dan Butler on Thursday. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Mark Payton races to third base during the RailRiders’ seven-run second inning against Pawtucket on Thursday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_rr_sox4_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgMark Payton races to third base during the RailRiders’ seven-run second inning against Pawtucket on Thursday. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Jake Cave continued his slugging streak, hitting a home run for the third time in four days to start a huge second inning for the RailRiders on Thursday against Pawtucket.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_rr_sox1_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgJake Cave continued his slugging streak, hitting a home run for the third time in four days to start a huge second inning for the RailRiders on Thursday against Pawtucket. Fred Adams | For Times Leader
SWB scores 7 in 2nd inning

By DJ Eberle

[email protected]

INSIDE

Top prospect Gleyber Torres talks the day after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Page 3B.

Reach DJ Eberle at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @ByDJEberle