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Mele’s Musings: ‘In Search Of…’ answers about the new ‘The X-Files’

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Gordon leaves legacy at Pocono Raceway

<p>MOOSIC &#8212; Not even an early five-run deficit and a pitcher making his Triple-A debut was going to make the RailRiders stop fighting.</p><p>In what seemed like it was going to be a laugher, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre nearly pulled off its biggest comeback of the season, but fell one run short in a 5-4 loss to Columbus on Saturday night at PNC Field.</p><p>SWB starting pitcher Kyle Haynes didn&#8217;t envision that his Triple-A career would start the way it did.</p><p>The right-hander allowed five runs in five innings pitched as the RailRiders&#8217; four-game winning streak was snapped.</p><p>Haynes, who was acquired by the Yankees in the 2013 trade that sent Chris Stewart to Pittsburgh, got off to a rough start giving up five runs in the first two innings. He was struggling so much that even two of the outs he recorded in those frames were on Columbus baserunning mistakes.</p><p>Not pitching above Double-A in his brief career since being drafted by the Pirates in 2012, Haynes settled down after the shaky start. He appeared to get stronger, and shook off the nerves as the game went on.</p><p>He gave up just two hits in his last three innings retiring 11 of the last 13 batters he faced, and recorded all six of his strikeouts in that span.</p><p>Trailing 5-0 entering the bottom of the third, the RailRiders started to chip away at the big deficit with extra-base hits. Rob Refsnyder led off the third with a triple and scored on a wild pitch for the team&#8217;s first run.</p><p>The next inning, catcher Gary Sanchez hit a mammoth home run, perhaps one of the longest to left field in PNC Field history as the tape-measure, moonshot cleared the billboards in left by about 10 feet. The solo shot, his third of the season with SWB, trimmed the deficit to 5-2.</p><p>Not to be outdone, Aaron Judge crushed a mammoth homer of his own to left-center in the bottom of the sixth. A two-run shot by Judge on his third Triple-A longball of the season, pulled the RailRiders within one run at 5-4. Judge&#8217;s shot came after another extra-base hit as Slade Heathcott hit a triple to set up the massive homer.</p><p>Then ever-say-die RailRiders didn&#8217;t go down without a fight in the last two innings. In the eighth they got a runner to second as Ben Gamel singled and stole second with one out. But he was left there when Carlos Marmol recorded the last two outs.</p><p>In the ninth with the Nos. 4, 5, 6 hitters batting, Judge fouled out, Sanchez struck out and Cole Figueroa flied out.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">RailRiders rightfielder Ben Gamel sets for a catch to make the final out in the third inning putting out Columbus batter Erick Gonzalez during Saturday night&#8217;s game at PNC Field. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_rr_col1_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>RailRiders rightfielder Ben Gamel sets for a catch to make the final out in the third inning putting out Columbus batter Erick Gonzalez during Saturday night&#8217;s game at PNC Field. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_rr_col2_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Rob Refsnyder slides into third after hitting a triple in the third inning against Columbus during Saturday night&#8217;s game at PNC Field. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_rr_col2_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>Rob Refsnyder slides into third after hitting a triple in the third inning against Columbus during Saturday night&#8217;s game at PNC Field. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_rr_col3_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Aaron Judge of the RailRiders takes a knee for a moment of meditaton in centerfield before the start of Saturday&#8217;s game with Columbus. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_rr_col3_faa.jpg</photo2><caption2>Aaron Judge of the RailRiders takes a knee for a moment of meditaton in centerfield before the start of Saturday&#8217;s game with Columbus. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dave Rosengrant</p><p>drosengrant@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>The T.L. Express</strong></p><p><strong>Attendance: </strong>7,200</p><p><strong>Time of Game: </strong>2:25 (after a 52-minute delay)</p><p><strong>Riding the Rails: </strong>Saturday night&#8217;s starter Kyle Haynes was promoted to the RailRiders from Trenton, as was fellow righty Joel De La Cruz. In additional moves, right-hander Nick Rumbelow was promoted to New York, while Nick Goody was optioned back to the RailRiders. The official move for Luis Severino has not been made yet, but the Yankees announced that the 21-year-old will make his Major League debut on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium against Boston.</p><p><strong>Today&#8217;s Game: </strong>The final game of the three-game series at PNC Field against Columbus is this afternoon at 1:05.</p><p><strong>Today at PNC Field: </strong>Sunday means it&#8217;s Family FunDay with kids running the bases after the final out, select autographs available prior to the contest, in addition to many other family activities all over the concourse.</p><p><strong>Today&#8217;s Probables:</strong> RailRiders LHP Chris Capuano (1-1, 2.53) vs. Columbus TBA</p><p><strong>On Deck: </strong>After a day off on Monday,both teams head to Columbus to start a three-game set at Huntington Park on Tuesday.</p><p><strong>On the Radio:</strong> All games can be heard on NEPA Sports Radio WYCK 1340-AM, 1400-AM, 1440-AM, 100.7-FM, 106.7-FM</p><p><strong>On TV:</strong> The next live telecast by MyTV (WQMY) will be for today&#8217;s game versus Columbus at 1 p.m.</p><p><strong>HOW THEY SCORED</strong></p><p><strong>COLUMBUS FIRST</strong>: Jose Ramirez flied out. Michael Martinez singled. James Ramsey walked. Jesus Aguilar singled to load the bases. Zach Walters singled to score Martinez and Ramsey; Aguilar out at third; Walters to second on the throw. Erik Gonzalez flied out. <strong>CLIPPERS 2-0</strong></p><p><strong>COLUMBUS SECOND</strong>: Anthony Gallas doubled. Adam Moore singled to score Gallas. Audy Ciriaco doubled, Moore to third. Ramirez singled to drive in Moore, Ciriaco to third, Ramirez out trying to get to second. Martinez singled to score Ciriaco. Ramsey grounded out. Aguilar struck out. <strong>CLIPPERS 5-0</strong></p><p><strong>RAILRIDERS THIRD</strong>: Rob Refsnyder tripled and scored on a wild pitch. Kyle Roller struck out. Gregorio Petit grounded out. Ben Gamel walked and moved to second on a passed ball. Jose Pirela fouled out. <strong>CLIPPERS 5-1</strong></p><p><strong>RAILRIDERS FOURTH</strong>: Slade Heathcott grounded out. Aaron Judge flied out. Gary Sanchez homered. Cole Figueroa grounded out. <strong>CLIPPERS 5-2</strong></p><p><strong>RAILRIDERS SIXTH</strong>: Gamel singled. Pirela grounded into a doubleplay. Heathcott tripled. Judge hit a two-run homer. Sanchez flied out. <strong>CLIPPERS 5-4</strong></p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dave Rosengrant at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @tldrosengrant</p></shirttailMeta></div>

RailRiders rally falls short to Columbus