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Chris McCabe, Jenny Swiderski-Yonick finish on top in Tomato Festival 5K

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Outdoors with Tom Venesky: A tragic end for a fawn

MOOSIC &#8212; Greg Bird hadn&#8217;t homered since April 16.He was more than due.So when Bird saw two of his swings result in balls going over the right field wall at PNC Field, he couldn&#8217;t help but smile. The 24-year-old first baseman knew they were home runs from contact.However, Bird&#8217;s dingers were two of few highlights for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Friday night.The Durham Bulls outslugged the RailRiders (78-46) in the first game of a crucial three-game series between the two best teams in the International Leagues. Durham (76-48) used a pair of four-run innings to edge Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 10-6.&#8220;I feel good, I&#8217;m enjoying playing. It&#8217;s just nice to be back,&#8221; Bird said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a good group here. They&#8217;re a good team. Obviously that was a tough one, but it&#8217;s just good group to be a part of.&#8221;Bird continued to impress on his Major League rehab assignment.After collecting a pair hits and an RBI in Thursday&#8217;s win, Bird went 2 for 4 for the second straight night. But instead of singles it was a pair of home runs, totalling four RBI and scoring twice.He will play nine innings as the designated hitter on Saturday.&#8220;I&#8217;m just glad I put good swings on it. Just trying to see pitches like I said last night,&#8221; Bird said. &#8220;Just trying to take good swings really. It&#8217;s nice to be out there to keep getting more at-bats.&#8221;RailRiders starting pitcher Nestor Cortes kept the Bulls&#8217; bats off balance for most of his outing.The southpaw throws sidearm and topped out at 91 mph and bottomed out at 62 mph. With his ability to throw an 88 mph fastball one pitch and a 62 mph breaking ball the next, Cortes had the Bulls guessing. He struck out five in 3.2 innings.Giving up two runs on just three hits, Cortes kept the RailRiders in the game.He left with two outs in the top of the fourth inning, but both would come in to score in what would be a four-run inning against Colten Brewer. Eight of Durham&#8217;s 10 runs came against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre relievers.&#8220;It&#8217;s tough. Cortes threw the ball well. We were one out away from keeping the game close, but it&#8217;s going to happen,&#8221; RailRiders manager Al Pedrique said.<ins>For other RailRiders stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/category/sports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins> Durham 10, RailRiders 6Durham`AB`R`H`BIFeatherston`5`2`2`0Adames ss`4`0`3`5Bauers 1b`5`0`1`0Field cf`5`1`1`0Leonard 3b`5`2`3`0Casali c`3`1`1`0Peterson lf`5`1`1`0McKenry dh`4`1`1`2Wong 2b`5`2`2`2Totals`41`10`15`9RailRiders`AB`R`H`BICave cf`5`1`1`0Castro dh`4`0`0`0Bird 1b`4`2`2`3Choi 1b`1`0`1`0Andujar 3b`5`2`2`0McKinney rf`4`1`1`0Higashioka c`4`0`0`0Solano 2b`4`0`1`1Williams lf`3`0`1`1Culver ss`3`0`1`0Totals`37`6`10`5Durham`000`440`101`&#8212;`10RailRiders`100`140`000`&#8212;`6E: Adames 2 (24), Culver (12); DP: Bulls 1, RailRiders 1; LOB: Bulls 11, RailRiders 8; 2B: Peterson (16), McKenry (12), Adams (26), Wong (19), Culver (19); HR: Bird 2 (2); SB: Featherston (7).Durham`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SORoth`4.2`9`6`5`2`3Ames (W, 1-1)`1.1`0`0`0`2`0Roe (H, 4)`1.0`0`0`0`0`1Schultz (H, 3)`1.0`0`0`0`0`2Stanek`1.0`1`0`0`0`2RailRiders`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SOCortes (L, 1-3)`3.2`3`2`2`2`3`5Brewer`0.2`5`6`3`1`0Coshow`2.1`4`1`1`1`2Jones`1.1`2`0`0`1`1Feyereisen`1.0`1`1`1`0`0WP: Roth, Brewer, Coshow, Jones, Feyereisen.Umpires: Brennan Miller, HP; John Bacon, 1B; Ryan Wills, 3B.Time: 3:31; Att.: 8,395.<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders shortstop Cito Culver catches a popup in the third inning as second baseman Donovan Solano backs him up. Durham&#8217;s Mike McKenry was out on the play Friday at PNC Field. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rid-3-not-toned.jpg</photo0><caption0>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders shortstop Cito Culver catches a popup in the third inning as second baseman Donovan Solano backs him up. Durham&#8217;s Mike McKenry was out on the play Friday 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_rid-4-not-toned.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders right fielder Billy McKinney sets to catches a ball hit by Durham batter Mike McKenry on Friday at PNC Field in Moosic. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rid-4-not-toned.jpg</photo1><caption1>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders right fielder Billy McKinney sets to catches a ball hit by Durham batter Mike McKenry on Friday at PNC Field in Moosic. </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_rid-5-not-toned.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders catcher Kyle Higashioka snags a pitch during a game with Durham on Friday at PNC Field in Moosic. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rid-5-not-toned.jpg</photo2><caption2>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders catcher Kyle Higashioka snags a pitch during a game with Durham on Friday at PNC Field in Moosic. </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_rid-2-not-toned.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders first baseman Greg Bird heads toward home plate to complete his run around the bases in the first inning against Durham on,Friday at PNC Field. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_rid-2-not-toned.jpg</photo3><caption3>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders first baseman Greg Bird heads toward home plate to complete his run around the bases in the first inning against Durham on,Friday at PNC Field. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Yankees first baseman goes 2 for 4 for RailRiders</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By DJ Eberledjeberle@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>T.L. EXPRESSToday&#8217;s Games: The RailRiders continue their three-game set with the Durham Bulls. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.Probable Pitchers: SWB LHP Joe Mantiply (5-5, 3.16 ERA) vs TBAToday at PNC Field: First 2,500 female fans receive a breast cancer wristlet; Kids Run the Bases; Legends Series, Goose Gossage will be in attendance; Breast Cancer Awareness Night; Cheerleader Night.Riding the Rails: 2B Starlin Castro begins MLB rehab assignment with SWB. C Kyle Higashioka returns from MiLB rehab assignment, reinstated from disabled list. RHP Jose Pena transferred from Double-A Trenton to SWB. C Wilkin Castillo transferred from SWB to Double-A Trenton. RHP Ronald Herrera begins MiLB rehab assignment with GCL Yankees East.On Radio: All RailRiders games can be heard live on NEPA Sports Radio - The Game.HOW THEY SCOREDRAILRIDERS FIRST: Greg Bird homers to deep left. RAILRIDERS 1-0DURHAM FOURTH: Patrick Leonard singles to center. Shane Peterson doubles to center, Leonard to third. Kean Wong singles to center, Peterson and Leonard score. With Willy Adames batting, wild pitch by Colten Brewer, Featherston to second. Adames singles to center, Wong and Featherston score. DURHAM 4-1DURHAM FIFTH: Johnny Field singles to right. Patrick Leonard reaches first on a throwing error by SWB SS Cito Culver, Field to third. Curt Casali works a walk, Leonard to second. Michael McKenry doubles to right, Field and Leonard score, Casali to third. With batting, wild pitch by Cale Coshow, Casali scores, Featherston to second. DURHAM 8-2RAILRIDERS FIFTH: Jake Cave reaches first on an infield single. Starlin Castro grounds out to short, Cave to second. Greg Bird homers to deep right, Cave scores. Miguel Andujar reaches on an infield single. Billy McKinney works a walk, Andujar to second. Kyle Higashioka flies out to deep left, Andujar scores and McKinney to third on a throwing error by DUR SS Willy Adames. Donovan Solano singles to left, McKinney scores. RAILRIDERS 8-6DURHAM SEVENTH: Taylor Featherston singles to center. Willy Adames doubles to center, Featherston scores. DURHAM 9-6DURHAM NINTH: Kean Wong doubled to deep left. With Willy Adames batting, J.P. Feyereisen throws a wild pitch, Wong to third. Adames hits a sacrifice fly to center, Wong scores. DURHAM 10-6</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach DJ Eberle at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @ByDJEberle</shirttailMeta></div>

Yankees’ Greg Bird homers twice for RailRiders in loss to Durham Bulls