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It was a blast that threatened the RailRiders’ season.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s rally in the opener of Thursday’s seven-inning doubleheader in Pawtucket was crushed by one loud crack of the bat — an extra-innings grand slam by Juan Centeno.
That abrupt 9-5 loss nearly knocked the RailRiders from their perch atop the IL North — and out of a playoff spot with four games left in the regular season.
Instead, the RailRiders responded with an extra-innings win of their own in the nightcap, topping the Red Sox 8-4 in the 10th.
That important victory allows Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to head home for the season’s final series in a tie with Syracuse for the division title and a trip to the postseason.
The RailRiders (73-63) will host Buffalo for four games at PNC Field beginning Friday while Syracuse (73-63) hits the road to take on Rochester for the Mets’ final four contests.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had entered the day with a half-game lead over Syracuse after Wednesday’s game in Pawtucket was rained out. The Mets blanked Lehigh Valley 2-0, forcing the RailRiders to earn a split of their twinbill to keep pace.
That finally game in the 10th after they blew a 4-3 edge in the eighth. With the bases loaded, Clint Frazier came home on a wild pitch to retake the lead and Mandy Alvarez followed with a two-run single, scoring later on a hit by Gosuke Katoh.
Ryan McBroom did his part, hitting two home runs to give the RailRiders an early lead.
Frazier was the first batter of the second game and he promptly doubled to left. And just to show there was no lingering shock from the opening loss, McBroom stepped in next to slam his 24th homer of the season for a 2-0 lead.
Bobby Dalbec homered off of Game 2 starter Brian Keller in the second, but McBroom answered in the third with No. 25 to lead off the frame.
The 3-1 lead wouldn’t hold, though, as the PawSox got to Keller for two runs in the fifth. It stayed that way until extras, where McBroom walked and Pawtucket issued an intentional walk to Kyle Higashioka to load the bases, hoping for an inning-ending double play.
Amburgey came through on a full count, hitting a line drive to left to bring home Frazier for the go-ahead run.
It wasn’t enough. Ryan Dull got one out in the bottom of the eighth before Dalbec tied it up with a single that kept the game going.
More control problems for the PawSox cropped up in the 10th as two more walks loaded the bases again, setting the stage for the RailRiders’ win.
J.P. Feyereisen, who pitched a perfect ninth, came back out for the 10th and struck out the side to earn the win, surrendering only a two-out single.
Thursday’s opener went back and forth with Frazier’s two-run homer giving the RailRiders a 3-2 lead in the fourth. The PawSox got the run back in the home half, however, and took the lead in the fifth when Michael Chavis and Josh Ockimey both hit solo shots off of reliever Joe Mantiply.
Wendell Rijo answered with a home run of his own in the sixth, and Trey Amburgey kept the RailRiders alive in the seventh with an RBI single after a Pawtucket error and a wild pitch put a runner at third.
In extras, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre went down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth. Chance Adams got the first out, then hit two straight batters to load the bases.
Adams nearly escaped unscathed after a strikeout, but Centeno parked an 0-1 pitch with two outs over the fence in right for the walk-off win.