From 1 to 165: The RailRiders’ record-breaking homers

The record stood since 1998, surviving organization changes, philosophy changes, ballpark changes and player changes.

This year’s RailRiders took it down with 37 games to play. Mike Ford’s sixth-inning home run Thursday against Columbus was the team’s 165th of the season, breaking the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise record for home runs in a season. Some of the credit can go to Triple-A using big league baseballs for the first time — El Paso, the San Diego Padres’ Triple-A affiliate went into Thursday with 210 dingers in 103 games — but the RailRiders employing several veteran hitters hasn’t hurt either.

Some notes on the historic homers:

• Ford has 21 home runs, tying Eric Valent (2001) for most by a lefty hitter in SWB history. Jorge Vazquez holds the overall record with his 32 in 2011.
• Ford and Ryan McBroom, who is second on the team with 18 home runs, have homered in the same game just twice this season: May 26 and June 9.
• Seven players have double-digit home runs already: Ford, McBroom, Trey Amburgey (17), Kyle Higashioka (16), Logan Morrison (15), Breyvic Valera (11) and Brad Miller (10). Zack Zehner (8) and Thairo Estrada (7) are closing in on joining the club. Ford, Amburgey, Valera and Gosuke Katoh (7) are at career highs for homers in a season.
• The RailRiders got some help from some big leaguers. Aaron Hicks (May 11), Giancarlo Stanton (June 14), Aaron Judge (1) and Cameron Maybin (July 23) all homered on rehab assignments.
• At PNC Field? On the road? Doesn’t matter. The RailRiders have hit 82 homers as the road team and 83 homers as the home team.
• Homer break down: 95 solo shots, 43 two-run homers, 20 three-run homers and seven grand slams — that last one’s a franchise record, too.
• It takes a village: 26 players have homered for SWB this year. The 1998 Red Barons got homers from just 16 players.
• Tyler Wade is the only player to go deep off a pitcher with the same first name. He hit a two-run shot against Norfolk’s Tyler Herb on June 12. Though McBroom nor Ryan Lavarnway never got any of them, the RailRiders have 11 home runs off pitchers named Ryan: Buffalo’s Ryan Tepera (1), Toledo’s Ryan Carpenter (1), Rochester’s Ryan Eades (1), Durham’s Ryan Merritt (1) and Buffalo’s Ryan Feierabend (7). The also have 10 home runs against pitchers named Drew.
• The RailRiders have failed to homer in just 24 games. Eight of those 24 were parts of doubleheaders, meaning they were seven-inning games.
• LHP Daniel Camarena and RHP Drew Hutchison have both started games for the RailRiders this year. They’ve also allowed home runs to RailRiders. McBroom got Camarena when he was with Rochester on April 24, then McBroom and Estrada tagged Hutchison for two July 7 after he had left to join Rochester.

Here we go. From Matt Lipka’s Opening Day blast, to Ford’s record-breaker, here are the RailRiders’ 165 home runs this season.

1: April 4 — Matt Lipka (1), at Buffalo; Two-run homer off Corey Copping in the seventh inning
2: April 6 — Mike Ford (1), at Buffalo; Two-run homer off Sean Reid-Foley in the third inning
3: April 6 — Gosuke Katoh (1), at Buffalo; Three-run homer off Sean Reid-Foley in the fourth inning
4: April 7 — Mike Ford (2), at Buffalo; Solo homer off Clay Buchholz in the first inning
5: April 7 — Mike Ford (3), at Buffalo; Two-run homer off Clay Buchholz in the third inning

6: April 7 — Ryan Lavarnway (1), at Buffalo; Solo homer off Clay Buccholz in the fourth inning
7: April 7 — Mandy Alvarez (1), at Buffalo; Solo homer off Clay Buccholz in the fourth inning
8: April 7 — Cliff Pennington (1), at Buffalo; Three-run homer off Zach Jackson in the ninth inning
9: April 7 — Mike Ford (4), at Buffalo; Solo homer off Zach Jackson in the ninth inning
10: April 11 — Gosuke Katoh (2), vs. Buffalo; Two-run homer off Shawn Morimando in the third inning
11: April 13 — Gosuke Katoh (3), vs. Buffalo; Two-run homer off Jordan Romano in the third inning
12: April 13 — Ryan McBroom (1), vs. Buffalo; Solo homer off Conor Fisk in the third inning
13: April 13 — Thairo Estrada (1), vs. Buffalo; Solo homer off Zach Jackson in the sixth inning
14: April 13 — Thairo Estrada (2), vs. Buffalo; Two-run homer off Danny Barnes in the seventh inning

15: April 14 — Ryan McBroom (2), vs. Buffalo; Solo homer off David Paulino in the fourth inning
16: April 14 — Kellin Deglan (1), vs. Buffalo; Two-run homer off David Paulino in the fourth inning
17: April 14 — Mike Ford (5), vs. Buffalo; Solo homer off Ryan Tepera in the fifth inning
18: April 15 — Billy Fleming (1), vs. Lehigh Valley; Grand slam off JoJo Romero in the second inning
19: April 15 — Ryan McBroom (3), vs. Lehigh Valley; Solo homer off JoJo Romero in the third inning
20: April 17 — Gosuke Katoh (4), vs. Lehigh Valley; Solo homer off Tyler Viza in the third inning
21: April 22 — Trey Amburgey (1), at Rochester; Three-run homer off Justin Nicolino in the third inning
22: April 23 — Gosuke Katoh (5), at Rochester; Solo homer off Lewis Thorpe in the first inning
23: April 24 — Ryan McBroom (4), at Rochester; Solo homer off Daniel Camarena in the third inning
24: April 25 — Cliff Pennington (2), at Rochester; Solo homer off Zack Littell in the third inning
25: April 27 — Brad Miller (1), vs. Syracuse; Two-run homer off Paul Sewald in the seventh inning
26: April 27 — Cliff Pennington (3), vs. Syracuse; Walk-off two-run homer off Tim Peterson in the 10th inning
27: April 29 — Trey Amburgey (2), vs. Rochester; Grand slam off Gabriel Moya in the seventh inning

28: May 1 — Ryan McBroom (5), vs. Rochester; Walk-off two-run homer off Preston Guilmet in the 10th inning
29: May 2 — Gosuke Katoh (6), vs. Rochester; Solo homer off Chase De Jong in the fourth inning

30: May 3 — Brad Miller (2), at Syracuse; Solo homer off Casey Coleman in the in the fifth inning
31: May 3 — Gosuke Katoh (7), at Syracuse; Two-run homer off Arquimedes Caminero in the ninth inning
32: May 3 — Ryan McBroom (6), at Syracuse; Solo homer off Arquimedes Caminero in the ninth inning
33: May 5 — Zack Zehner (1), at Syracuse; Two-run homer off Mickey Jannis in the first inning
34: May 5 — Kyle Higashioka (1), at Syracuse; Two-run homer off Mickey Jannis in the third inning
35: May 5 — Kyle Higashioka (2), at Syracuse; Grand slam off Mickey Jannis in the fourth inning
36: May 7 — Ryan McBroom (7), vs. Indianapolis; Solo homer off Brandon Waddell in the seventh inning
37: May 8 — Matt Lipka (2), vs. Indianapolis; Three-run homer off Mitch Keller in the second inning
38: May 10 — Trey Amburgey (3), vs. Toledo; Solo homer off Will Vest in the third inning
39: May 11 — Mike Ford (6), vs. Toledo; Solo homer off Matt Hall in the first inning
40: May 11 — Aaron Hicks (1), vs. Toledo; Solo homer off Matt Hall in the first inning
41: May 11 — Mike Ford (7), vs. Toledo; Solo homer off Matt Hall in the third inning

42: May 14 — Kyle Higashioka (3), at Indianapolis; Two-run homer off Mitch Keller in the fourth inning
43: May 15 — Brad Miller (3), at Indianapolis; Solo homer off Alex McRae in the fourth inning
44: May 15 — Breyvic Valera (1), at Indianapolis; Solo homer off Alex McRae in the fifth inning
45: May 16 — Cliff Pennington (4), at Indianapolis; Three-run homer off Dario Agrazal in the fourth inning
46: May 16 — Kyle Higashioka (4), at Indianapolis; Solo homer off Luis Escobar in the fifth inning
47: May 16 — Brad Miller (4), at Indianapolis; Solo homer off Luis Escobar in the fifth inning
48: May 17 — Brad Miller (5), at Toledo; Two-run homer off Drew VerHagen in the second inning
49: May 17 — Mike Ford (8), at Toledo; Solo homer off Drew VerHagen in the third inning
50: May 18 — Cliff Pennington (5), at Toledo; Solo homer off Trent Szkutnik in the seventh inning
51: May 19 — Breyvic Valera (2), at Toledo; Two-run homer off Ryan Carpenter in the sixth inning
52: May 21 — Logan Morrison (1), vs. Pawtucket; Solo homer off Mike Shawaryn in the second inning
53: May 21 — Breyvic Valera (3), vs. Pawtucket; Two-run homer off Mike Shawaryn in the third inning
54: May 21 — Logan Morrison (2), vs. Pawtucket; Solo homer off Josh Taylor in the seventh inning
55: May 22 — Kyle Higashioka (5), vs. Pawtucket; Three-run homer off Matthew Kent in the fifth inning
56: May 22 — Trey Amburgey (4), vs. Pawtucket; Three-run homer off Bobby Poyner in the sixth inning
57: May 23 — Trey Amburgey (5), vs. Pawtucket; Solo homer off Josh A. Smith in the first inning

58: May 23 — Ryan McBroom (8), vs. Pawtucket; Two-run homer off Josh A. Smith in the second inning
59: May 23 — Ryan Lavarnway (2), vs. Pawtucket; Three-run homer off Josh A. Smith in the third inning
60: May 23 — Breyvic Valera (4), vs. Pawtucket; Solo homer off Domingo Tapia in the fifth inning
61: May 24 — Ryan McBroom (9), at Syracuse; Solo homer off Chris Mazza in the second inning
62: May 24 — Ryan McBroom (10), at Syracuse; Solo homer off P.J. Conlon in the eighth inning
63: May 24 — Breyvic Valera (5), at Syracuse; Grand slam off Joe Zanghi in the eighth inning
64: May 25 — Mike Ford (9), at Syracuse; Two-run homer off Casey Coleman in the second inning
65: May 25 — Breyvic Valera (6), at Syracuse; Solo homer off Sean Burnett in the third inning
66: May 25 — Kyle Higashioka (6), at Syracuse; Solo homer off Sean Burnett in the fourth inning
67: May 25 — Brad Miller (6), at Syracuse; Two-run homer off Sean Burnett in the fourth inning
68: May 25 — Brad Miller (7), at Syracuse; Two-run homer off Stephen Villines in the sixth inning
69: May 26 — Ryan McBroom (11), at Syracuse; Solo homer off Corey Oswalt in the second inning
70: May 26 — Logan Morrison (3), at Syracuse; Three-run homer off Corey Oswalt in the third inning
71: May 26 — Mike Ford (10), at Syracuse; Solo homer off Arquimedes Caminero in the seventh inning
72: May 26 — Trey Amburgey (6), at Syracuse; Solo homer off Joseph Shaw in the eighth inning
73: May 27 — Logan Morrison (4), at Syracuse; Two-run homer off Zach Lee in the third inning
74: May 27 — Brad Miller (8), at Syracuse; Two-run homer off Zach Lee in the third inning
75: May 29 — Ryan McBroom (12), vs. Rochester; Solo homer off Gabriel Moya in the second inning
76: May 29 — Mike Tauchman (1), vs. Rochester; Two-run homer off Ryan Eades in the sixth inning
77: May 31 — Tyler Wade (1), vs. Lehigh Valley; Two-run homer off Enyel De Los Santos in the first inning
78: May 31 — Mike Ford (11), vs. Lehigh Valley; Three-run homer off Kyle Dohy in the sixth inning
79: June 1 — Logan Morrison (5), vs. Lehigh Valley; Solo homer off Drew Anderson in the third inning
80: June 1 — Billy Burns (1), vs. Lehigh Valley; Solo homer off Drew Anderson in the fifth inning
81: June 1 — Mike Ford (12), vs. Lehigh Valley; Solo homer off Drew anderson in the fifth inning
82: June 2 — Trey Amburgey (7), vs. Lehigh Valley; Three-run homer off Luke Leftwich in the eighth inning
83: June 3 — Mike Ford (13), at Buffalo; Two-run homer off Andrew Sopko in the fourth inning
84: June 4 — Trey Amburgey (8), at Buffalo; Solo homer off Ryan Feierabend in the first inning
85: June 4 — Trey Amburgey (9), at Buffalo; Solo homer off Ryan Feierabend in the third inning
86: June 4 — Logan Morrison (6), at Buffalo; Solo homer off Ryan Feierabend in the fourth inning
87: June 5 — Breyvic Valera (7), at Buffalo; Two-run homer off Conor Fisk in the third inning
88: June 5 — Kyle Higashioka (7), at Buffalo; Solo homer off Conor Fisk in the third inning
89: June 6 — Brad Miller (9), at Buffalo; Solo homer off Justin Shafer in the ninth inning
90: June 7 — Trey Amburgey (10), vs. Syracuse; Solo homer off Chris Flexen in the fifth inning
91: June 8 — Logan Morrison (7), vs. Syracuse; Solo homer off Walker Lockett in the third inning
92: June 8 — Logan Morrison (8), vs. Syracuse; Two-run homer off Walker Lockett in the seventh inning
93: June 9 — Mike Ford (14), vs. Syracuse; Grand slam off Chris Mazza in the second inning
94: June 9 — Ryan McBroom (13), vs. Syracuse; Two-run homer off Eric Hanhold in the sixth inning

95: June 9 — Logan Morrison (9), vs. Syracuse; Three-run homer off Stephen Villines in the first inning
96: June 9 — Brad Miller (10), vs. Syracuse; Two-run homer off Stephen Villines in the second inning
97: June 9 — Kyle Higashioka (8), vs. Syracuse; Two-run homer off Paul Sewald in the fifth inning

98: June 11 — Kyle Higashioka (9), at Norfolk; Two-run homer offf Chandler Shepherd in the third inning
99: June 12 — Mike Ford (15), at Norfolk; Two-run homer off Tyler Herb in the first inning
100: June 12 — Tyler Wade (2), at Norfolk; Two-run homer off Tyler Herb in the fourth inning
101: June 12 — Thairo Estrada (3), at Norfolk; Solo homer off Chris Lee in the fifth inning
102: June 14 — Giancarlo Stanton (1), at Durham; Three-run homer off Austin Pruitt in the third inning
103: June 16 — Erik Kratz (1), at Durham; Solo homer off Ricardo Pinto in the fourth inning
104: June 16 — Erik Kratz (2), at Durham; Three-run homer off Casey Sadler in the eighth inning
105: June 18 — Mike Ford (16), vs. Norfolk; Solo homer off Tyler Herb in the first inning
106: June 18 — Mike Tauchman (2), vs. Norfolk; Three-run homer off Tyler Herb in the first inning
107: June 18 — Kyle Higashioka (10), vs. Norfolk; Solo homer off Tyler Herb in the first inning
108: June 18 — Aaron Judge (1), vs. Norfolk; Solo homer off Tyler Herb in the fifth inning

109: June 19 — Kyle Higashioka (11), vs. Norfolk; Solo homer off Tom Eshelman in the second inning
110: June 19 — Ryan McBroom (14), vs. Norfolk; Solo homer off Tom Eshelman in the fifth inning
111: June 19 — Ryan McBroom (15), vs. Norfolk; Solo homer off Tom Eshelman in the eighth inning
112: June 20 — Logan Morrison (10), vs. Norfolk; Solo homer off Keegan Akin in the sixth inning
113: June 20 — Breyvic Valera (8), vs. Norfolk; Two-run homer off David Hess in the eighth inning
114: June 20 — Clint Frazier (1), vs. Norfolk; Solo homer off Matt Wotherspoon in the eighth inning

115: June 21 — Logan Morrison (11), vs. Durham; Solo homer off Ricardo Pinto in the fifth inning
116: June 22 — Logan Morrison (12), vs. Durham; Solo homer off Casey Sadler in the sixth inning
117: June 22 — Ryan McBroom (16), vs. Durham; Solo homer off Casey Sadler in the eighth inning
118: June 23 — Kyle Higashioka (12), vs. Durham; Solo homer off Aaron Slegers in the second inning
119: June 23 — Logan Morrison (13), vs. Durham; Three-run homer off Aaron Slegers in the fourth inning
120: June 23 — Billy Burns (2), vs. Durham; Three-run homer off Ryan Merritt in the eighth inning

121: June 24 — Erik Kratz (3), at Rochester; Solo homer off Ian Krol in the ninth inning
122: June 25 — Trey Amburgey (11), at Rochester; Solo homer off Kohl Stewart in the third inning
123: June 25 — Thairo Estrada (4), at Rochester; Solo homer off Chase De Jong in the fourth inning
124: June 26 — Mike Ford (17), vs. Buffalo; Solo homer off Ryan Feierabend in the first inning
125: June 26 — Logan Morrison (14), vs. Buffalo; Two-run homer off Ryan Feierabend in the second inning
126: June 26 — Trey Amburgey (12), vs. Buffalo; Three-run homer off Ryan Feierabend in the third inning
127: June 26 — Mike Ford (18), vs. Buffalo; Solo homer off Ryan Feierabend in the fifth inning
128: June 26 — Trey Amburgey (13), vs. Buffalo; Solo homer off David Garner in the sixth inning
129: June 27 — Breyvic Valera (9), vs. Buffalo; Solo homer off T.J. Zeuch inthe first inning
130: June 29 — Mike Ford (19), at Lehigh Valley; Solo homer off Connor Brogdon in the eighth inning
131: June 30 — Logan Morrison (15), at Lehigh Valley; Two-run homer off Edubray Ramos in the seventh inning

132: July 2 — Trey Amburgey (14), at Pawtucket; Solo homer off Kyle Hart in the second inning
133: July 3 — Kyle Higashioka (13), at Pawtucket; Solo homer off Teddy Stankiewicz in the second inning
134: July 3 — Thairo Estrada (5), at Pawtucket; Two-run homer off Teddy Stankiewicz in the third inning
135: July 3 — Zack Zehner (2), at Pawtucket; Solo homer off Mike Shawaryn in the ninth inning
136: July 7 — Thairo Estrada (6), vs. Rochester; Solo homer off Drew Hutchison in the first inning
137: July 7 — Ryan McBroom (17), vs. Rochester; Solo homer off Drew Hutchison in the second inning
138: July 7 — Zack Zehner (3), vs. Rochester; Three-run homer off Drew Huchison in the third inning
139: July 7 — Trey Amburgey (15), vs. Rochester; Solo homer off D.J. Baxendale in the sixth inning

140: July 11 — Ryan Lavarnway (3), at Syracuse; Solo homer off Drew Gagnon in the second inning
141: July 11 — Tyler Wade (3), at Syracuse; Solo homer off Drew Gagnon in the sixth inning
142: July 12 — Kyle Higashioka (14), at Syracuse; Solo homer off Anthony Kay in the second inning
143: July 14 — Zack Zehner (4), at Syracuse; Two-run homer off Ervin Santana in the sixth inning
144: July 15 — Zack Zehner (5), vs. Columbus; Two-run homer off Tanner Tully in the fifth inning
145: July 17 — Clint Frazier (2), vs. Columbus; Solo homer off Michael Peoples in the third inning

146: July 18 — Mike Ford (20), vs. Columbus; Solo homer off Shao-Ching Chiang in the first inning
147: July 19 — Trey Amburgey (16), vs. Louisville; Solo homer off Vladimir Gutierrez in the second inning
148: July 19 — Zack Zehner (6), vs. Louisville; Grand slam off Justin Grimm in the seventh inning
149: July 20 — Kyle Higashioka (15), vs. Louisville; Solo homer off Tejay Antone in the second inning
150: July 20 — Kyle Higashioka (16), vs. Louisville; Two-run homer off Tejay Antone in the fourth inning
151: July 21 — Wendell Rijo (1), vs. Louisville; Solo homer off Keury Mella in the third inning
152: July 21 — Clint Frazier (3), vs. Louisville; Solo homer off Keury Mella in the sixth inning
153: July 21 — Breyvic Valera (10), vs. Louisville; Solo homer off Brad Markey in the ninth inning

154: July 23 — Tyler Wade (4), at Columbus; Three-run homer off Michael Peoples in the first inning
155: July 23 — Thairo Estrada (7), at Columbus; Two-run homer off Michael Peoples in the fifth inning
156: July 23 — Clint Frazier (4), at Columbus; Solo homer off Michael Peoples in the fifth inning
157: July 23 — Cameron Maybin (1), at Columbus; Solo homer off Argenis Angulo in the sixth inning
158: July 23 — Clint Frazier (5), at Columbus; Solo homer off James Hoyt in the ninth inning
159: July 23 — Breyvic Valera (11), at Columbus; Solo homer off James Hoyt in the ninth inning
160: July 24 — Ryan McBroom (18), at Columbus; Solo homer off Shao-Ching Chiang in the third inning
161: July 24 — Zack Zehner (7), at Columbus; Solo homer off Shao-Ching Chiang in the fifth inning
162: July 24 — Zack Zehner (8), at Columbus; Solo homer off Dan Otero in the seventh inning
163: July 25 — Trey Amburgey (17), at Columbus; Solo homer off Aaron Civale in the third inning
164: July 25 — Wendell Rijo (2), at Columbus; Grand slam off Jon Edwards in the fifth inning
165: July 25 — Mike Ford (21), at Columbus; Two-run homer off Jon Edwards in the sixth inning

Conor Foley

Conor Foley goes beyond the box score with in-depth coverage of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. He has worked at The Times-Tribune since graduating from University of Scranton in 2011, and he has covered the RailRiders since 2017. Contact: cfoley@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125; or @railridersTT