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MOOSIC — On a day when the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders needed depth out of their young pitching prospect Chance Adams delivered.
Pitching the first of a pair of seven-inning games, the 22-year-old kept the Columbus Clippers bats guessing all morning long, registering a career-high 12 strikeouts. He only saw a Clipper (23-29) get in scoring position once, when Eric Kratz led off the third with a double to left, but then went on to strike out the next two batters and forced Clippers center fielder Ronny Rodriguez to pop out to first to end the inning.
Pitching at least six innings for the fourth time this season, and second with the RailRiders (30-20), Adams was the catalyst as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre bounced back for two straight shutouts to down the Clippers 6-0 on Wednesday.
“My goal coming in here was to throw a complete game regardless,” Adams said. “I was trying to keep my pitch counts down, but with a lot of strikeouts your pitches go up. I really did want to go seven, but I didn’t really have a mindset. I just came in here like, ‘All right, locate your pitches and have a quality start.”
With lefty reliever Joe Mantiply set to start the nightcap, Adams’ six-inning performance was just what RailRiders manager Al Pedrique needed from his young ace.
Mantiply’s season max was 49 pitches and 3.1 innings entering the double header. The 26-year-old was able to eat a few innings for the RailRiders, throwing a career-high 54 pitches in 3.1 innings en route to a 4-3 win over Columbus.
Mantiply struck out four and only allowed one run on three hits.
“Any time you play a doubleheader and either the first or second game you have a reliever going, you’re always hoping for two to three innings,” Pedrique said. “Mantiply did a great job by going that long.We did the best we could to stretch him out for that reason because the bullpen needed a break and he did an outstanding job.”
Adams did a nice job mixing pitches in the win, utilizing his entire arsenal — a mid-90s fastball, a hard slider, a good changeup and an improve curve.
With the Columbus bats constantly off balance, Adams was able to rack up a career-high in strikeouts, finishing just three off the franchise single-game record of 15. He also avoided mistakes, walking just a pair. Kratz’s third-inning double was the lone hit Adams’ surrendered.
Making his fourth start for the RailRiders, Adams has yet to really labor. The New York Yankees No. 8 prospect, according to Baseball America, hasn’t seen more than two runs cross home plate and hasn’t given up more than four hits in any of his appearances.
“It’s been a little bit of a difference (from Double-A), but my catchers have really been helping me. Players as well,” Adams said. “They’ve made nice plays behind me. I’m just going out there and trying to get wins for the team.”
Tyler Wade bounced back in the first game Wednesday.
The 22-year-old utility man had one hit in his last four games entering the doubleheader and turned things around, going 2 for 4 with a home run, two runs scored and 2 RBI in the first game before sitting the second.
Dustin Fowler also homered for the RailRiders, plating the final two runs in a three-run third inning in the opener. The right fielder was 2 for 4 before — like Wade — sitting the second game.
“He just needed to relax a little bit,” Pedrique said of Wade. “It was big for him to have that kind of game so he can relax a little bit and not try to do too much. Not try to take too long swings when he’s ahead in the count, and that’s what he was doing the last four, five games. I’m glad he had a great game today.”
RailRiders third baseman Gleyber Torres got his first PNC Field hit in the nightcap, a seventh-inning single to center field.
With the single, Torres was able to break an 0 for 10 slump. The Yankees’ top prospect was 1 for 3 with a walk and stolen base after going 0 for 2 with a walk and run scored in the first game of the doubleheader.
“The last two games he’s been trying to do too much, hit a ball out of the park, and he doesn’t have to do that. He just has to do the little things, stay focused, be consistent,” Pedrique said. “Definitely everybody in the dugout was giving him a hard time because he finally got a hit at home. They were pretending to ask for the baseball.”
Tunkhannock grad Mike Papi got things going for the Clippers in the seventh. Down 4-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, his one-out single to center started a two-run inning, but Columbus’ comeback fell just short.
Papi was 2 for 3 with a run scored in the nightcap after going 0 for 2 with a walk in the opener.
Up next
The RailRiders and Columbus will finish up their four-game series Thursday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
For other RailRiders stories, click here.
GAME 1
RailRiders 6, Columbus 0
Columbus`AB`R`H`BI
R. Rodriguez cf`3`0`0`0
Diaz dh`3`0`0`0
Ursehela ss`3`0`0`0
Shaffer 3b`2`0`0`0
Colabello lf`2`0`0`0
Papi rf`2`0`0`0
Kratz c`2`0`1`0
N. Rodriguez 1b`2`0`0`0
Hankins 2b`2`0`0`0
Totals`21`0`1`0
RailRiders`AB`R`H`BI
Wade ss`4`2`2`2
Fowler rf`4`1`2`2
Torres 2b`2`1`0`0
Choi dh`2`0`1`1
Frazier lf`2`0`0`0
Williams cf`3`1`1`0
Solano 3b`3`0`0`0
Culver 1b`3`0`1`0
Castillo c`3`1`3`1
Totals`26`6`10`6
Columbus`000`000`0`—`0
RailRiders`111`300`0`—`6
DP: Clippers 1, RailRiders 1; PO: Clippers 1, RailRiders 0; LOB: Clippers 3, RailRiders 5; 2B:Kratz (6), Choi (10), Castillo (2); HR: Wade (4), Fowler (9); SAC: Hankins.
Columbus`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Peoples (L, 1-3)`6.0`10`6`6`3`1
RailRiders`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Adams (W, 3-1)`6.0`1`0`0`2`12
Heller`1.0`0`0`0`1`1
Balk: Peoples.
Umpires: Robert Moreno, HP; Chris Graham, 1B; Dan Merzel, 3B.
Time: 1:49.
GAME 2
RailRiders 4, Columbus 3
RailRiders`AB`R`H`BI
Williams cf`3`1`1`0
Torres 3b`3`0`1`0
Austin dh`4`0`0`0
Choi 1b`4`0`1`0
Frazier rf`2`1`1`0
Solano 2b`2`1`0`1
Tejada ss`3`1`1`0
Culver lf`3`0`1`1
Rodriguez c`3`0`1`2
Totals`27`4`7`4
Columbus`AB`R`H`BI
R. Rodriguez cf`2`0`0`0
Lucas 3b`2`0`0`0
Diaz 3b-2b`3`0`0`0
Urshela ss`3`1`2`0
Shaffer lf`3`0`0`0
Colabello dh`2`0`0`0
Papi rf`3`1`2`0
Moore c`3`1`2`3
N. Rodriguez 1b`3`0`0`0
Hankins 2b-cf`2`0`0`0
Totals`26`3`6`3
RailRiders`030`000`1`—`4
Columbus`000`100`2`—`0
E: Tejada (6), Lucas (1); DP: Clippers 0, RailRiders 1; PO: Clippers 1, RailRiders 0; OA: Culver; LOB: RailRiders 9, Clippers 4; 2B: E. Rodriguez (6); HR: Moore (3); CS: Williams; SB: Torres (2).
RailRiders`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Mantiply`3.1`3`1`1`0`4
Jones (W, 3-1)`2.2`1`0`0`1`5
Frieri (S, 7)`1.0`2`2`1`1
Columbus`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Narveson` (L, 0-3)`1.2`4`3`3`2`2
Johnson`2.0`0`0`0`0`3
Olson`1.1`2`0`0`0`2
Head`0.1`0`0`0`2`0
WP: Jones, Johnson, Olson.
Umpires: Chris Graham, HP; Dan Merzel,1B; Robert Moreno, 3B.
Time: 2:30; Att.: 10,000.