MOOSIC, PA (May 14, 2026) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Syracuse Mets 11-3 Thursday night at PNC Field. The RailRiders racked up five homers, pounding the Mets with 14 hits to take the third game of the set.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre jumped out to an early advantage in the bottom of the first against Mets #2 Prospect Jonah Tong. Yankees #1 Prospect George Lombard Jr. reached on an error, and Yanquiel Fernández singled before Oswaldo Cabrera roped an RBI base hit to right for a 1-0 edge. Fernández crossed on a wild pitch to take a two-run lead.
Syracuse loaded the bases in the top of the second against RailRiders starter Adam Kloffenstein, cutting the lead in half 2-1 on a Ben Rortvedt sacrifice fly.
The RailRiders answered by plating five runs in the home half of the frame, highlighted by a pair of two-run homers. Jonathan Ornelas tripled to lead things off, Duke Ellis walked, and Lombard Jr. recorded his first RBI in Triple-A on a forceout to pull ahead 3-1. With two outs, Marco Luciano launched his first homer with the team, giving SWB a four-run cushion. After Cabrera walked, Seth Brown unloaded the second two-run homer of the inning, 394 feet to right, to pull ahead 7-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre crushed three homers to go up ten runs. Luciano walked to lead off, and Cabrera lifted a slider over the right field wall for the third two-run homer of the game. Ernesto Martínez Jr. and Payton Henry bombed back-to-back blasts, giving the RailRiders an 11-1 advantage.
The Mets plated a run in the top of the fifth when their #3 Prospect Ryan Clifford scored Jackson Cluff on a forceout, and Rortvedt recorded his second RBI of the contest on another forceout in the sixth to pull within eight to cap the scoring.
Ornelas was a homerun away from the cycle, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and Cabrera was 2-for-2 with three walks, two runs, and three RBIs while every RailRider in the starting nine recorded at least one hit.
Kloffenstein tossed 4.2 frames, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out five. Yovanny Cruz (5-1) worked 1.1 frames, allowing one run on one hit to earn the win. Tong (1-3) threw 1.2 innings, surrendering seven runs on five hits, striking out three in defeat.
The RailRiders continue their series with Syracuse on “First Responder Friday” at PNC Field presented by Kost Tire & Auto & 98.5 KRZ. The RailRiders' Dom Hamel (1-5) will face the Mets' #13 Prospect, left-hander Zach Thornton (0-1). First pitch is slated for 6:35 PM. Tickets and promotional details are available at www.swbrailriders.com.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Record: 22-18