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Pittston Tomato Festival begins 34th year of food, fun

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<p>MOOSIC &#8212; There was a special energy in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders clubhouse Thursday afternoon.</p><p>Music was blasting. Players and coaches could be seen joking with each other throughout the clubhouse. The team was as relaxed as it could have been in the midst of a three-game losing streak.</p><p>Wednesday&#8217;s pair of losses to the Gwinnett Braves were clearly behind them, and the new page was finally turned when the RailRiders broke out for four runs in the fifth inning later that evening. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took hold of its first lead of the series and never let go, going on to win 5-4.</p><p>With the win, the RailRiders (78-45) avoided what would have been their first-ever sweep at the hands of the Braves (61-61).</p><p>&#8220;In baseball you have to have a short memory,&#8221; RailRiders manager Al Pedrique said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a long season and I think the guys, as long as they go out and play hard, I&#8217;m happy with that. The results, if we do the little things right and we start playing as a team, we&#8217;re going to start winning more games, and tonight that&#8217;s what we saw. We got great pitching from (Brady) Lail, great job by the bullpen, timely hitting. We played well.&#8221;</p><p>Facing a 3-1 deficit &#8212; on a trio of solo shots &#8212; heading into the bottom of the fifth, the RailRiders had some work to do. But it wouldn&#8217;t take long to complete it.</p><p>Mark Payton worked a lead-off walk and then Eddy Rodriguez and Donovan Solano singled to load the bases. Still looking for his first hit of his Major League rehab assignment with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Greg Bird drove a Aaron Blair pitch to center field to bring home Payton and move Solano and Rodriguez each over a base. Ji-Man Choi gave the RailRiders their first lead of the game with a two-run double to the left-field wall two at-bats later.</p><p>Mason Williams finished off the scoring with a bunt single against an out of position Gwinnett defense to bring home Bird and provide the RailRiders a 5-3 lead.</p><p>&#8220;I always say that hitting is contagious,&#8221; Pedrique said. &#8220;If there are two to three guys and we keep the line moving &#8212; that&#8217;s what we saw tonight. We saw much better at-bats, we took walks, we took the pitcher to deep counts and finally we got better pitches to hit and we took advantage.&#8221;</p><p>Bird&#8217;s second hit of the game &#8212; a lead-off single in the seventh &#8212; was on a rope into right field. It was his best swing of the night. Bird said after the game that the plan is to play seven innings at first base on Friday.</p><p>&#8220;It was nice playing the whole game tonight and getting more than two at-bats. That was nice,&#8221; Bird said. &#8220;I&#8217;m just playing and keeping it simple, and really that&#8217;s just my game plan in general. I put my work in early in (batting practice) to hopefully go out and just play.</p><p>&#8220;If it was up to me I&#8217;d play nine tomorrow, but I&#8217;m playing seven, so we&#8217;ll start with that. But I&#8217;ll know (when I&#8217;m at 100 percent) and I&#8217;ll be ready.&#8221;</p><p>Aside from giving up the three solo home runs, Lail felt good about his night.</p><p>The off-and-on reliever pitched 6.1 innings of four-run baseball to pick up the win. He struck out six while also giving up six hits.</p><p>&#8220;The three homers &#8212; three mistakes,&#8221; Lail said. &#8220;The first one, I guess, was just me trying to get into a groove so I don&#8217;t know if I count that really as a mistake. The other ones were a hanging curveball and a fastball, 3-2, down the middle to a good hitter. I really think those were my only mistakes, so I feel like there were a lot of positives out of this outing.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Castro joining Bird</strong></p><p>New York Yankees second baseman Starlin Castro is expected to start his Major League rehab assignment with the RailRiders on Friday, according to MLB.com&#8217;s Bryan Hoch.</p><p>Matt Holliday will begin his rehab in High-A Tampa.</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">RailRiders&#8217; Jake Cave watches his lead-off home run clear the left field fence against Gwinnett at PNC Field in Moosic on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_green-1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>RailRiders&#8217; Jake Cave watches his lead-off home run clear the left field fence against Gwinnett at PNC Field in Moosic on Thursday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_green-2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Designated hitter Greg Bird his into a fielder's choice against Gwinnett Thursday at PNC Field in Moosic.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_green-2-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Designated hitter Greg Bird his into a fielder's choice against Gwinnett Thursday at PNC Field in Moosic.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_green-3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">RailRiders left fielder Mason Williams looks to throw the ball into the stands after a catch. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_green-3-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>RailRiders left fielder Mason Williams looks to throw the ball into the stands after a catch. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_green-4-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">RailRiders&#8217; starter Brady Lail delivers a pitch against Gwinnett. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_green-4-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>RailRiders&#8217; starter Brady Lail delivers a pitch against Gwinnett. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_green-5-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">RailRiders&#8217; Mason Williams looks back at Gwinnett pitcher Aaron Blair after hitting a single. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_green-5-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>RailRiders&#8217; Mason Williams looks back at Gwinnett pitcher Aaron Blair after hitting a single. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_green-6-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">RailRiders right fielder Mark Payton throws to the infield after making a catch. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_green-6-1.jpg</photo5><caption5>RailRiders right fielder Mark Payton throws to the infield after making a catch. </caption5><photoCredit5>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit5></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>T.L. EXPRESS</strong></p><p><strong>Today&#8217;s Games:</strong> The RailRiders open up a three-game set with the Durham Bulls. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.</p><p><strong>Probable Pitchers: </strong>SWB LHP Nestor Cortes (1-2, 0.98 ERA) vs. TBA.</p><p><strong>Today at PNC Field:</strong> First 2,500 fans receive a Clint Frazier Human Torch Bobblehead; Glow in the Park Friday; Superhero Night, Food Truck Friday; Postgame fireworks.</p><p><strong>Riding the Rails: </strong>1B Tyler Austin recalled from SWB to New York Yankees. RHP Cale Coshow transferred from Double-A Trenton to SWB.</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>Ronald Acuna homers to deep left. Rio Ruiz homers to deep right.<strong> GWINNETT 2-0</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>RAILRIDERS FIRST: </strong>Jake Cave homers to deep left.<strong> GWINNETT 2-1</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>GWINNETT FOURTH: </strong>Rio Ruiz homered to deep left.<strong> GWINNETT 3-1</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>RAILRIDERS FIFTH: </strong>Mark Payton works a walk. Eddy Rodriguez singles back up the middle, Payton to second. Donovan Solano singles to right, Payton to third, Rodriguez to second. Greg Bird singles to center, Payton scores, Rodriguez to third, Solano to second. Ji-Man Choi doubles to deep left, Rodriguez and Solano score, Bird to third. Mason Williams reaches first base with a bunt single, Bird scores Choi to third.<strong> RAILRIDERS 5-3</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>GWINNETT SEVENTH: </strong>Matt Tuiasosopo singles up the middle. Carlos Franco grounds out to first, Tuiasosopo to third on a throwing error by SWB 1B Ji-Man Choi. WithKyleKubitz batting, wild pitch by Gio Gallegos, Tuasosopo scores. <strong>RAILRIDERS 5-4</strong></p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach DJ Eberle at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @ByDJEberle</p></shirttailMeta></div>

SWB RailRiders avoid sweep, bounce back against Gwinnett Braves