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It wasn’t going to be the same as last summer’s magic for Michael King and the RailRiders.
The promising pitcher is trying to battle back from elbow issues that cost him most of the 2019 season. And Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is in the midst of its worst stretch of the season.
It’s going to take some more time for both the player and the team.
King’s first Triple-A start since last September’s Governors’ Cup Finals ended in a 5-2 loss to league-leading Gwinnett on the road Friday night.
The 24-year-old, who sparkled in eight starts for the RailRiders between the regular season and playoffs, went six innings and allowed five earned runs on six hits. He struck out four, walked just one and gave up two home runs.
Friday’s outing actually lowered his ERA on the season to 6.99. He previously made seven appearances between three other teams in the New York Yankees system, including three rough outings for Double-A Trenton.
Much more alarming for the RailRiders is their place in the standings after suffering their fifth straight loss — and ninth in a row away from PNC Field — to drop to 3-11 in August.
Buffalo won its second straight on Friday to move within just two games of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (65-58) for the IL North lead. Rochester, too, is still lurking at three games back. The RailRiders close out the regular season with a four-game set against the Bisons in Moosic, a series that is looming larger by the day.
This latest loss continued some all-too-familiar trends.
After Kyle Higashioka tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI single in the top of the fourth, the RailRiders immediately lost any momentum in the home half as a walk and a double against King was followed by a three-run homer by Jack Lopez.
Andres Blanco also took King deep in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-1.
Breyvic Valera drove in the team’s only other run of the game, a groundout in the seventh that scored Mandy Alvarez.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre strung together two hits in the eighth to put runners at the corners. But Ryan McBroom flied out to right field, and Cristian Pache gunned down Higashioka at the plate after he tagged up to end the inning.
Tyler Lyons debuted for the RailRiders out of the bullpen, getting five outs while allowing a walk and a hit and striking out three.
The RailRiders outhit the Stripers 11-7, with Trey Amburgey going 3-for-4. Clint Frazier (double) and Higashioka had two hits apiece.
Youngster Deivi Garcia is set to take the mound Saturday for the second game of the series, which starts at 6:05 p.m.
Riding the rails
• Another Yankees player looks to be in line to head to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as part of a rehab stint.
First baseman Luke Voit has been on the injured list since the start of the month, and MLB.com reported Friday that he will join the RailRiders when they return home from their road trip on Monday.
According to the report, he will arrive to “continue his workouts” as he deals with a sports hernia and hopes to return to action by Thursday.
• The RailRiders are also getting an important pitcher back soon, as the Yankees optioned Chance Adams back to Triple-A late Thursday night.
Newly signed arm Ryan Dull was recalled to New York prior to Friday’s games.