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<p>ALLENTOWN &#8212; Gary Sanchez&#8217;s three-game rehab stint with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders couldn&#8217;t have started any better Tuesday night.</p><p>Stepping up to the plate with one out and nobody on in the top of the first inning, the New York Yankees catcher was looking for something to hit. He&#8217;s been waiting for almost a month to step in the batter&#8217;s box after all.</p><p>Lehigh Valley IronPigs starter Mark Appel made a mistake and left his first pitch to Sanchez over the plate, and the big-league hitter made him pay. Sanchez took him deep for the first of three RailRiders home runs in an 11-7 loss to the division rivals.</p><p>&#8220;(I) just felt they were going to throw (me) a fastball, so (I) just wanted to kind of see where (my) swing was and put a good swing on a fastball,&#8221; Sanchez said of his home run, through a translator. &#8220;(I) was just coming out to do my job, which was to put a good swing on a ball and it ended up being what it ended up, but that was (my) goal &#8212; just to see the ball and be able to put a good swing on it.&#8221;</p><p>Sanchez, who&#8217;s currently on the 10-day disabled list with a right biceps strain, came to the RailRiders with one goal in mind. While getting accustomed to playing in games once again, Sanchez wanted to remain healthy.</p><p>The 25-year-old played in his first game in 25 days on Tuesday, going seven innings.</p><p>&#8220;(I) know that both (hitting and catching well) are important, but the key is for (me) to be healthy, (I) play through the program they have for (me) the next three games,&#8221; Sanchez said. &#8220;Obviously (I know) defense is a big part of (my) game, but (I&#8217;m) going to go out, have fun, play hard &#8212; that&#8217;s the way (I know) how to play the game &#8212; and wait for the results.&#8221;</p><p>A three-plus week absence can be tough on any player, but it&#8217;s even more difficult on a catcher. Not only does Sanchez have to get accustomed to live hitting during his rehab stint, but he also has to get back to calling games as well. Catching for Chad Green, who Sanchez had played with last year made things a bit easier. Even if the results weren&#8217;t there.</p><p>Green went five innings Tuesday, allowing five runs on seven hits and five walks with six strikeouts.</p><p>&#8220;Definitely that&#8217;s going to help,&#8221; Sanchez said of catching Green before the game. &#8220;(We) played together last year. (I know) what Greeney&#8217;s all about and (I&#8217;m) going to be comfortable behind the plate.&#8221;</p><p>While it took time for Sanchez and Green to get going, the rust wasn&#8217;t there at the plate. Sanchez went 2 for 4 with a home run, double, two runs scored and 2 RBI.</p><p>&#8220;I thought he looked great,&#8221; RailRiders manager Al Pedrique said. &#8220;Overall, nothing bothered him. I kept asking after every at-bat and he told me he felt great.&#8221;</p><p>Impressive nights at the plate by Sanchez and RailRiders shortstop Tyler Wade, who went 3 for 5 with a run scored, weren&#8217;t enough for the RailRiders.</p><p>Leading 6-2 heading into the bottom of sixth inning the wheels fell off for the RailRiders. Lehigh Valley used a three-run fifth and four-run sixth to put Scranton/Wilkes-Barre away for good.</p><p>IronPigs first baseman Ryhs Hoskins had a three-run home run in the sixth to make it a 6-5 ball game before Billy Fleming&#8217;s solo shot in the seventh gave the RailRiders a 7-5 lead. But it wouldn&#8217;t hold as as IronPigs center fielder Cam Perkins hit a lead-off home run before left fielder Dylan Cozens&#8217; RBI triple and second baseman Taylor Featherston&#8217;s two-run single.</p><p>However, with Yankees catcher Austin Romine exiting Tuesday&#8217;s game in the seventh inning with a pulled groin, Sanchez said he would be ready if the Yankees decided to cut his rehab short.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s their decision if they feel that they want to call me back up,&#8221; he said.</p><p><strong>Choi a late scratch</strong></p><p>RailRiders first baseman Ji-Man Choi was scratched less than two hours before Tuesday&#8217;s game after cutting batting practice short.</p><p>Choi left the batting cage holding his left wrist. After talking with a trainer, the 25-year-old first walked off the field squeezing his left hand, grimacing in pain.</p><p>&#8220;He felt some kind of discomfort swinging the bat early in the cage and then he wanted to go out and take a couple rounds in (batting practice) and felt it again,&#8221; Pedrique said. &#8220;He&#8217;s going to be reevaluated tomorrow and then we&#8217;re going to make a decision then if he&#8217;s going to be in the lineup tomorrow.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Up next</strong></p><p>The RailRiders and IronPigs are back at it Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Sanchez is expected to catch seven innings again.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Gary Sanchez </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_sanchez-HRs.jpg</photo0><caption0>Gary Sanchez </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By DJ Eberle</p><p>djeberle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>VIDEO</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;">To see Gary Sanchez highlights from Tuesday&#8217;s loss, read the online version of this story at timesleader.com.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach DJ Eberle at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @ByDJEberle</p></shirttailMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><videoMeta><p><table class="mceItemTable" style="border:none;width:98%;"><tbody><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoID:</td><td id="videoid" style="width:50em;font-size:90%;">Ld2bYeWXSQ8</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoType:</td><td id="videotype" style="font-size:90%;">YOUTUBE</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">URL:</td><td id="url" style="font-size:90%;">https://youtu.be/Ld2bYeWXSQ8</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Embed String:</td><td id="videoembedstring" style="font-size:90%;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Caption:</td><td id="videocaption" style="font-size:90%;">New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez hits a home run and RBI double for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Tuesday.</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Credit:</td><td id="videocredit" style="font-size:90%;">Lehigh Valley IronPigs</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Position:</td><td id="videoposition" style="font-size:90%;"> </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="margin-top:10px;font-size:70%;color:#555;">(use the &#8220;for files&#8230;&#8221; link above to associate attached files with this source)</p></videoMeta></div>

Gary Sanchez’s efforts not enough as SWB RailRiders fall to Lehigh Valley IronPigs