RailRiders outslugged 10-8 by Syracuse in series opener

There would be no encore of last week’s historic outing for the RailRiders pitching staff.

In Luis Gil’s last start on the mound, he and Reggie McClain teamed up with Stephen Ridings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s first no-hitter in 15 years.

Gil and McClain were both knocked around on Tuesday, as the RailRiders dropped their series opener in Syracuse 10-8. It was an uncharacteristically sloppy night for the staff, which issued 11 walks.

A week after Gil went six innings without allowing a hit, he struggled with his command and recorded just four outs. He was ultimately charged with six earned runs on two hits and four walks with all six runs scoring in the second inning.

That wasn’t enough to sink the first-place RailRiders (45-24), who fired back tie the game at 6-6 by the fourth inning against the Mets.

Andrew Velazquez’s RBI single and Socrates Brito’ sac fly got things started in the top of the third and Brandon Wagner kept it going with an RBI single in the fourth. The big hit came after that on a three-run homer off the bat of Matt Pita to tie it up.

Syracuse went back on top 7-6 in the fifth inning before the RailRiders took their first lead of the night in the sixth. Velazquez doubled in a run and scored the go-ahead run himself on a Brito single to make it 8-7.

McClain, who pitched the seventh and eighth innings in the no-hitter, couldn’t hold the lead. The Mets took the lead for good in the home half of the sixth after walking the first two batters, both of whom scored on a Chance Sisco double.

McClain went 2.2 innings, giving up three runs on two hits and four walks.

Up 9-8 in the seventh, Mason Williams gave Syracuse some insurance against Braden Bristo, driving in a run on a sac fly.

Ridings, the man who closed out the no-hitter in the ninth, kept the RailRiders alive on Tuesday by keeping the Mets off the board in the eighth.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre managed to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth after a two-out single by Kyle Holder before pinch-hitter Cristian Perez was retired to end the game.

The RailRiders have now lost five of their last eight games this month against the Mets, who own the worst record in Triple-A East. The series continues at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday in Syracuse.