web1_TTL080417jack-Race1.jpg

With late surge, Toczko chases down his first Jack Daniels Mile title

web1_Brooks_Tony_mug-cmyk.jpg

City leaders hope for large turnout for Multicultural Festival

<p>MOOSIC &#8211; Diamond Dallas Page, a hall of famer in professional wrestling, was on hand Thursday night at PNC Field for the RailRiders Legends Series.</p><p>The appearance was the first of several wrestling themes throughout the night at the ballpark.</p><p>Pictures of current and legendary wrestlers were all over the video board, while their theme songs were also played.</p><p>DDP also nailed the Billy Martin mascot in the head with a chair during the between-inning Legends Race.</p><p>Like that devastating shot delivered by the iconic Page, Buffalo knocked down the RailRiders for the second straight game, 4-2, as veteran righthander Nick Tepesch and four relievers held the RailRiders to six hits.</p><p>&#8220;He did a great job tonight,&#8221; SWB right fielder Billy McKinney said about Tepesch, who threw five innings. &#8220;He did what he wanted to do with all his pitches and threw to where he wanted to. I thought some guys put together some nice at bats against him but he threw real well.&#8221;</p><p>Tepesch kept RailRiders bats off-balance, retiring 10 in a row after allowing a first-inning home run to Jake Cave and set down 13 of the last 15 batters he faced. McKinney (2 for 4) was the lone batter in the SWB lineup to collect a multi-hit game.</p><p>The Buffalo win also ruined rehab assignments for the Yankees&#8217; Aaron Hicks and Tyler Austin. Hicks was the DH and doubled in the first inning and scored, and walked and stole a base in the sixth inning. Austin played four innings at first base before being replaced by Ji-Man Choi and ended the game 0 for 2.</p><p>Hicks is expected to play in the outfield on Friday night and Austin will be the designated hitter.</p><p>Cave&#8217;s 18th home run this season in the minors, and No. 13 with the RailRiders, came in the top of the first, scoring Hicks and tying the score at 2-2.</p><p>But that was the only real threat SWB had all night except when it left two runners on in the sixth and ninth innings.</p><p>&#8220;He (Tepesch) changed speeds, moved the ball around the plate and he kept the ball down,&#8221; RailRiders manager Al Pedrique said.</p><p>Caleb Smith, making his first start for the RailRiders since July 4 after spending time in New York, struggled a bit. Even though he had issues, he still managed to pitch five innings.</p><p>The lefty Smith gave up a pair of runs in the first inning on three singles. He walked two in the third inning with one of them coming around to score as Buffalo went ahead 3-2. Jon Berti added an RBI-single off Smith in the fourth inning as the Bisons extended the lead to 4-2.</p><p>Smith allowed just six hits and four runs, but had command issues &#8212; walking three and throwing a pair of wild pitches. But he pitched out of jams and has positives to take away from the outing.</p><p>&#8220;It could have got away from me a couple times with the bases loaded, but I was able to minimize,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And my defense made good plays around me.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>RailRiders 7, Bisons 2</strong></p><p><strong>Buffalo`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>Lopes 3b`4`2`1`0</p><p>Berti 2b`5`1`3`1</p><p>Hernandez cf`4`0`0`0</p><p>Tellez 1b`3`0`1`1</p><p>Elmore lf`3`0`1`2</p><p>Petit ss`4`0`0`0</p><p>Ohlman c` 4`1`1`0</p><p>Leblebijan dh`3`0`0`0</p><p>Fields rf`3`0`1`0</p><p><strong>Totals`33`4`8`4</strong></p><p><strong>RailRiders`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>Williams cf`4`0`0`0</p><p>Hicks dh`3`1`1`0</p><p>Cave lf` 4`1`1`2</p><p>Austin 1b`2`0`0`0</p><p>Choi 1b`1`0`0`0</p><p>McKinney rf`4`0`2`0</p><p>Solano 3b`4`0`1`0</p><p>Culver ss`4`0`1`0</p><p>Diaz 2b`3`0`0`0</p><p>Payton ph`1`0`0`0</p><p>Rodriguez c`3`0`0`0</p><p><strong>Totals`33`2`6`2</strong></p><p><strong>DP:</strong> Bisons 0, RailRiders 1. <strong>LOB:</strong> Bisons 8 RailRiders 6. <strong>2B:</strong> Ohlman (15), Hicks (1). <strong>HR:</strong> Cave (13). <strong>SB:</strong> Hicks (1), Choi (3), Berti (16), Fields (32). <strong>SF:</strong> Elmore.</p><p><strong>Buffalo`201`100`000` &#8212;`4</strong></p><p><strong>RailRiders`200`000`000`&#8212;`2</strong></p><p><strong>Buffalo`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Tepesch (W, 2-3) `5.0`4`2`2`2`1</p><p>Mayza (H, 1) `1.0`0`0`0`1`1</p><p>Smith (H, 3) `1.0`0`0`0`0`2</p><p>Beliveau (H, 6)`1.1`0`0`0`0`1</p><p>Campos (S, 6) `0.2`1`0`0`0`1</p><p><strong>RailRiders`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Smith (L, 8-1)`5.0`6`4`4`3`2</p><p>Lail `1.0`1`0`0`0`1</p><p>Rumbelow `2.0`1`0`0`1`1</p><p>Gallegos `1.0`0`0`0`0`1</p><p>Tepesch pitched to 1 batter in the 6th</p><p><strong>WP:</strong> Smith 2</p><p><strong>HBP:</strong> Fields (by Gallegos)</p><p><strong>Umpires:</strong> HP: Scott Costello. 1B: Shane Livensparger. 3B: Ryan Clark</p><p><strong>Time:</strong> 2:55; <strong>Att:</strong> 6,897</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Railer-Bison-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Designated hitter Aaron Hicks, on a rehab assignment from the Yankees, drives a ball to right field for the RailRiders&#8217; first hit on Thursday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Railer-Bison-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Designated hitter Aaron Hicks, on a rehab assignment from the Yankees, drives a ball to right field for the RailRiders&#8217; first hit on Thursday night. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Railer-Bison-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Aaron Hicks greets Jake Cave (left) at the plate after Cave slammed an opposite field home run in the first inning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Railer-Bison-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Aaron Hicks greets Jake Cave (left) at the plate after Cave slammed an opposite field home run in the first inning. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Railer-Bison-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Billy McKinney picks up a base hit against Buffalo on Thursday night at PNC Field. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Railer-Bison-3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Billy McKinney picks up a base hit against Buffalo on Thursday night at PNC Field. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Railer-Bison-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Tyler Austin stretches at first bag, narrowly getting the out as Buffalo&#8217;s Jason Leblebijian reaches the bag. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Railer-Bison-4.jpg</photo3><caption3>Tyler Austin stretches at first bag, narrowly getting the out as Buffalo&#8217;s Jason Leblebijian reaches the bag. </caption3><photoCredit3>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Railer-Bison-5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">RailRiders shortstop Cito Culver fields a ball in the hole before tossing to first base for an out. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Railer-Bison-5.jpg</photo4><caption4>RailRiders shortstop Cito Culver fields a ball in the hole before tossing to first base for an out. </caption4><photoCredit4>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dave Rosengrant</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLsports</p></shirttailMeta></div>

With Hall of Fame wrestler in the house, Buffalo knocks down RailRiders