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Friends remember losing Elvis Presley 40 years after his untimely death

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Hazleton council rejects mayor’s transfer plan to make payroll

<p>MOOSIC &#8212; There was a 15-percent chance of rain in Moosic on Tuesday night.</p><p>A storm came anyway.</p><p>With rain pouring down on Domingo German and the rest of his teammates during the top of the fifth inning, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders second baseman Donovan Solano bailed out the right-hander, who had loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batter.</p><p>Solano turned an impressive doubleplay with RailRiders shortstop Cito Culver, on a hard-hit Gwinnett Braves first baseman Carlos Franco grounder, to keep the deficit at three runs before the game was suspended by rain &#8212; after a 52-minute rain delay &#8212; before the bottom of the fifth. The 5-2 game between the RailRiders (77-43) and Gwinnett (59-60) will resume at 6:05 p.m. on Wednesday.</p><p>A seven-inning game will start 30 minutes after the completion of the suspended game.</p><p>&#8220;It was a tough play for Solano because the field was a little wet and the ball took a funny hop, but he stayed with it and we turned a nice doubleplay,&#8221; RailRiders manager Al Pedrique said. &#8220;We had the feeling in the dugout that the momentum was going to be on our side. Once we came out of the inning that way the dugout became excited, but there&#8217;s nothing you can do against Mother Nature.&#8221;</p><p>German said the rain affected him in the fifth inning, and it showed with the walks and hit batter, but he knew he had to battle through it. The 22-year-old was already making adjustments after giving up four runs in the third inning, so the rain made it that much tougher.</p><p>He went to his breaking ball more frequently. Especially in the Franco at-bat, when his use of the breaking ball induced a doubleplay.</p><p>&#8220;Earlier in the game (I) left those pitches &#8212; had those mistake pitches &#8212; and when the rain came obviously (I) had to deal with the rain, but (I) was trying to make the adjustments that would get (me) out of that inning, which (I) was able to do,&#8221; German said through a translator.</p><p>However, Pedrique was pleased to see his starting pitcher overcome the weather and rebound with a strong fifth inning. The manager called the fifth German&#8217;s best inning.</p><p>German allowed five runs &#8212; four earned &#8212; on eight hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out three.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s why we&#8217;re looking for guys when they struggle, they have to figure it out, stay with themselves and be able to go one pitch at a time,&#8221; Pedrique said. &#8220;He didn&#8217;t have command of his pitches, so that&#8217;s why he struggled. But that&#8217;s going to happen and that&#8217;s the one thing I talked to him about in the rain delay.</p><p>&#8220;As a pitcher you have to figure out how to be able to come through when you don&#8217;t have your best stuff.&#8221;</p><p>Joe Mantiply (5-5, 3.27 ERA) will pitch for the RailRiders when the game resumes on Wednesday. Chance Adams (9-3, 2.31) will pitch the nightcap.</p><p><strong>Bird to SWB</strong></p><p>New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird told reporters that he would be starting his rehab with the RailRiders on Wednesday.</p><p>Pedrique confirmed the news after the game on Tuesday.</p><p>&#8220;Now I have to talk to the Yankees front office about what the plan&#8217;s going to be. If he&#8217;s going to DH, play first base, but he&#8217;s going to be here tomorrow,&#8221; Pedrique said.</p><p>Bird, who has been out with an ankle injury since May 1 when he was rehabbing with the RailRiders in Lehigh Valley, will play five innings at first base on Wednesday and alternate between DH and first base after that, according to the New York Daily News.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m really excited to just get back, and it&#8217;ll be nice to play,&#8221; Bird said, via the Daily News.</p><p><ins>For other RailRiders stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/category/sports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders right fielder Jake Cave grabs a double off the wall by Gwinnett&#8217;s Xavier Avery in the third inning Tuesday at PNC Field. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rr-gwin-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders right fielder Jake Cave grabs a double off the wall by Gwinnett&#8217;s Xavier Avery in the third inning Tuesday at PNC Field. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rr-gwin-5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders designated hitter Ji-Man Choi pats Gwinnett first baseman Carlos Franco on the shoulder after he hit a single that brought home a run in the second inning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rr-gwin-5.jpg</photo1><caption1>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders designated hitter Ji-Man Choi pats Gwinnett first baseman Carlos Franco on the shoulder after he hit a single that brought home a run in the second inning. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rr-gwin-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders shortstop Cito Culver grabs a line drive to end the third inning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rr-gwin-4.jpg</photo2><caption2>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders shortstop Cito Culver grabs a line drive to end the third inning. </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rr-gwin-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders center fielder Mason Williams catches a ball hit by Gwinnett &#8216;s Carlos Franco in the second inning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rr-gwin-3.jpg</photo3><caption3>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders center fielder Mason Williams catches a ball hit by Gwinnett &#8216;s Carlos Franco in the second inning. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rr-gwin-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders shortstop Cito Culver makes the throw to first base after he forced out Gwinnett&#8217;s Kyle Kubitza in the second inning Tuesday at PNC Field. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rr-gwin-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders shortstop Cito Culver makes the throw to first base after he forced out Gwinnett&#8217;s Kyle Kubitza in the second inning Tuesday at PNC Field. </caption4><photoCredit4>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>RailRiders &amp; Braves suspended,will play twice on Wednesday</subheadMeta></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>T.L. EXPRESS</strong></p><p><strong>Today&#8217;s Games:</strong> The RailRiders will play a pair of games. The two teams will complete the suspended game at 6:05 p.m. and will play a seven-inning game 30 minutes after the completion of the first tilt.</p><p><strong>Probable Pitchers: </strong>SWB LHP Joe Mantiply (5-5, 3.27 ERA) vs. TBA; SWB RHP Chance Adams (9-3, 2.31) vs. TBA</p><p><strong>Today at PNC Field:</strong> Wine and Dine Wednesday, one-hour pregame wine tasting and wine specials throughout the night for guests 21 years and older; Pay it Forward Wednesday.</p><p><strong>Riding the Rails: </strong>C Kyle Higashioka MiLB rehab assignment transferred to Short-Season Pulaski. LHP Caleb Smith, who was optioned on Monday, recalled from SWB to New York Yankees.</p><p><strong>On Radio:</strong> All RailRiders games can be heard live on NEPA Sports Radio - The Game.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>HOW THEY SCORED</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>GWINNETT FIRST: </strong>Sean Kazmar Jr. reaches first base on a throwing error by SWB 3B Miguel Andujar. Kazmar moves to second on the play. Rio Ruiz singles to center, Kazmar scores. <strong>GWINNETT 1-0</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>RAILRIDERS SECOND: </strong>Tyler Austin singles to center. Jake Cave singles to right field, Austin to third. Ji-Man Choi singles to right field, Cave scores. Cito Culver singles to center, Ji-Man Choi to second. <strong>RAILRIDERS 2-1</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>GWINNETT THIRD: </strong>Ronald Acuna homers to left. Xavier Avery doubles to the right field corner. Sean Kazmar Jr. singles to right, Avery to third. Rio Ruiz singles to center, Avery scores, Kazmar to second. Micah Johnson singles to center, Kazmar scores, Ruiz to second. Carlos Franco doubles to left, Ruiz scores, Johnson to third. <strong>GWINNETT 5-2</strong></p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach DJ Eberle at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @ByDJEberle</p></shirttailMeta></div>

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SWB RailRiders, Gwinnett Braves suspended in the fifth inning, will finish Wednesday