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| Shortstop Emmanuel Burriss was 2-4 in the season opening loss to the RailRiders. |
By Michael Castellano
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders(1-0) used 5 1/3 innings of 1-run ball by their bullpen and the first cycle for the franchise since 2006 by Ramon Flores to get the opening night win over the Syracuse Chiefs(0-1) on a brisk evening at PNC Field.
It was supposed to be the Syracuse bullpen that manager Billy Gardner could lean on early in the season with starters pitch counts being limited coming off of spring training, but that wasn't the case tonight.
A.J. Cole, the #2 ranked prospect in the Nationals system, struggled early allowing six hits thru the first two innings, but settled in after that. The Florida native didn't let the unfamiliar 39 degree weather effect him giving up only two hits his last three innings pitched.
After giving up a leadoff triple to Flores to start the fifth, Cole got Rob Refsnyder and Kyle Roller, the three and four hitters in the RailRiders lineup, to strike out before a Tyler Austin line out to right ended the inning and the night for the Chiefs starter.
Syracuse reliever Felipe Rivero, who was in rookie ball just last season, came into relieve Cole in the sixth and looked promising retiring the RailRiders order 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
But that was as bright as the Chiefs bullpen would look the rest of the night.
Syracuse regained the lead in the top of the sixth off an Emmanuel Burriss RBI single to score Derrick Robinson to make the score 3-2. Burriss finished 2-4 on the night.
Then with Eddy Rodriguez on 2nd and 1-out in the bottom of the eight Flores came up to the plate against 2007 World Series champion Manny Delcarmen. He pulled an inside fastball right down the 1st base line into the right field corner for a double and doing so completed only the third cycle in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre history.
"I'm very happy," Flores said through a translator. "Obviously I didn't expect to hit for the cycle on opening night and get on base five times."
Jose Ramirez retired the side in order in the top of the ninth to notch the first victory of the season for the RailRiders.
The Syracuse bullpen gave up six runs over three innings of work to finish the game. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre got eight of its 16 hits in the seventh and eighth frames. Rivero, who allowed the RailRiders to get the lead back in the bottom of the sixth, suffered the loss for the Chiefs.
Flores' cycle did not come without controversy. His single in the bottom of the 2nd was initially ruled an error. With runners on first and second Flores hit a sharp grounder to the glove hand side of shortstop Emmanuel Burriss. Burriss fielded it cleanly and over-flipped the ball to second baseman Refsnyder while looking to complete the fielder's choice to end the inning. The call was later changed and Flores was credited with the single.
"Speaking off the top of my head, I know for a fact I've never seen it or even heard of it on opening day," RailRiders manager Dave Miley said. "It was remarkable. That was something special to watch, to be honest with you."
Flores finished the night 4-4 with a walk.
"Speaking off the top of my head, I know for a fact I've never seen it or even heard of it on opening day," RailRiders manager Dave Miley said. "It was remarkable. That was something special to watch, to be honest with you."
Flores finished the night 4-4 with a walk.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre used six pitchers in the win and its five relievers allowed just one hit over the last 5 1/3 innings.
The RailRiders home opener marked the first time the pitch clock was used at PNC Field in an attempt by Major League Baseball to cut down on the length of games. Even with the new rules in effect the game still took more than three hours to complete.
These two teams will play game two of the four-game series Friday night at 7:05. Right hander Taylor Jordan is scheduled to start for the Chiefs while former Yanks hitting coach Kevin Long's son Jaron is set to pitch for the RailRiders.
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