Another day, another walk-off win for RailRiders

MOOSIC — In this series, with these two offenses, no lead has been safe.

Except, of course, for the last one.

For the second straight day, the RailRiders had it when it mattered most.

Taylor Trammell hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning, scoring Jeter Downs and helping the RailRiders avoid a tough-to-take loss by securing a 12-11 victory in a back-and-forth battle at PNC Field on Sunday afternoon.

The RailRiders trailed by six runs after an inning-and-a-half, battled back to claim a five-run lead after sixth, then had to fight just to secure their first winning series at home in a month after Norfolk stormed back to tie the game with four runs in the top of the ninth.

Continuing his rehab assignment following Tommy John surgery, Jasson Dominguez found himself in the middle of several rallies, going 4 for 5 with a home run and a pair of runs scored.

As they did before coming back for a stirring walk-off win Saturday night, the RailRiders fell behind by six runs Sunday. But, at least they did themselves the favor of doing it with plenty of game to spare this time.

Lefty Tanner Tully struggled early on, getting tagged in the first inning for a double by Heston Kjerstad and a long home run by first baseman Billy Cook that cleared the pitch clock in center field, putting the Tides ahead, 2-0, just three batters into the game.

The second inning actually went worse for Tully. A leadoff walk and a hard double by Errol Robinson set up a two-run double off the wall in right for Jackson Holliday. An error in right field by Oscar Gonzalez on a single by Daniel Johnson helped another two runs score, putting Norfolk up, 6-0.

Two things happened from there, though: The RailRiders bats caught fire, and Tully settled in.

The lefty retired 10 straight batters before leaving after five innings, and by the time he did, his offense got him the lead.

"He gives up six runs in the first two innings, and once the third inning starts, he's immediately on a short leash," RailRiders manager Shelley Duncan said. "And he pitched absolutely wonderful, clean third, fourth and fifth to get us through five."

The RailRiders scored in each of their next five innings, getting two back in the bottom of the second on RBI hits by Jose Rojas and Downs.

Four days after being released from his minor-league pact by the Yankees, Rojas re-signed with the club early Sunday, and the RailRiders were fortunate he did. After Dominguez scored on a double-play grounder to make it 6-3 in the bottom of the third, Rojas tied it up with a home run to the grassy knoll in right center, a three-run shot that followed a T.J. Rumfield double and a Gonzalez single to left.

He had three run-scoring hits during that early surge, piling up five RBIs before the fifth inning ended.

"That three-run home run to tie the game was awesome," Duncan said. "He had quite a few days off, and it's not easy to have that many days off and come right back in and be in the swing of things. When you're down 6-0, and you come back and tie it ... man, talk about the momentum you have in that dugout. And he gave that to us.

"He had some big hits, huge hits, today besides that home run too."

Dominguez didn't want to be left out on that talk, either.

With two outs in the fourth, he launched an estimated 429-foot blast to right field, untying the score and igniting a crowd that stayed late expecting to see the RailRiders put away a win that looked like it would be matter-of-fact when Ben Rice ripped a two-run triple to cap a three-run sixth that put the RailRiders ahead comfortably, 11-6.

Nothing was comfortable for either pitching staff in this series though, the way the two prospect-laden lineups swung the bats this week.

Norfolk got what seemed like a harmless run back in the eighth against right-hander Yerry De Los Santos, when Nick Maton scored on a throwing error by shortstop Oswald Peraza. It proved to be a pretty big moment when the Tides were getting big swings in the ninth against lefty Anthony Misiewicz.

With one out, the Tides ripped five consecutive hits against the typically solid Misiewicz, including back-to-back run-scoring doubles by Blake Hunt and Maton that tied brought the Tides within one. Hudson Haskin tied it with an RBI single to short right, sending a groan from the crowd.

But, Misiewicz rallied to strike out the last two batters of the ninth, and Clayton Andrews worked out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the top of the 10th by getting Hunt looking at a fastball to end the inning.

"Heart of their order up, to put up a zero there, you can't ask for anything more," Duncan said.

It showed the RailRiders what they had to do. With Downs the pace-of-play runner on second to start the inning, Jorbit Vivas pulled a grounder to the right side to advance him to third. After right-hander Wandisson Charles walked Peraza, Trammell lifted a fly ball to center, plenty deep enough to bring Downs home with another walk-off winner.

Tuesday's game

RailRiders (38-25) vs. Rochester (32-29), 6:45 p.m., Frontier Field

Pitching probables: RailRiders TBD vs. Rochester TBD

Off the Rails

* The Yankees made a roster move that affected the RailRiders bullpen, designating right-hander Dennis Santana for assignment and recalling fellow right-hander Ron Marinaccio. Santana had a 6.26 ERA in 23 appearances in New York this season, but he allowed 13 earned runs in his past 10⅔ innings dating to May 11. Marinaccio allowed just two runs in 15⅔ innings over 11 appearances with the RailRiders.

* Jasson Dominguez played in the outfield on consecutive days and for nine innings for the first time during his rehab stint as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.