
Looking to rebound from a tough loss Thursday night, the Rochester Red Wings (23-20) faced Lehigh Valley (20-23) in game four of the series on a warm, sunny Friday evening. Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, 1B Abimelec Ortiz and LF Andrew Pinckney roped back-to-back RBI hits to put Rochester in front for good, holding Lehigh Valley off the board for the final two frames to preserve a 3-2 victory. RHP Chandler Champlain became the first Red Wing to log 7.0 innings at ESL Ballpark since 2024, picking up his fourth consecutive win on the mound.
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After a pair of strikeouts opened the bottom of the second inning, SS Trey Lipscomb launched a solo home run 412 feet to center field, giving the Red Wings an early 1-0 lead over the IronPigs. The Tennessee product’s seventh homer of the season came off the bat at 104.8 MPH, his fourth homer this season with an exit velocity of 100 MPH or higher.
Lehigh Valley answered in the top of the fourth after 3B Otto Kemp lined a soft single into the outfield and later scored on a double from 1B Liover Peguero, evening the score at one apiece. After a scoreless bottom of the fourth, LF Christian Cairo led off the fifth with a walk and promptly stole second base before advancing to third on a single from former Rochester Red Wing DH Carter Kieboom. Cairo later scored on a sacrifice fly from SS Sergio Alcántara, giving the IronPigs a 2-1 advantage.
Rochester responded in the bottom half of the inning as 3B Yohandy Morales collected his 10th hit of the series with a leadoff double. Following a groundout that moved Morales to third, Abimelec Ortiz ripped a game-tying RBI double to even the score at 2-2. LF Andrew Pinckney followed with an RBI single to right field, bringing home Ortiz and giving Rochester a 3-2 lead.
Lehigh Valley came to bat down one in the ninth, but went down in order to hand Rochester their sixth win in the last seven games, and fourth one-run victory of the season.
California native Chandler Champlain made the start for Rochester Friday night and turned in his third consecutive quality start. The right-hander logged 7.0 full innings, allowing two earned on five hits while striking out three and walking one. LHP Zach Penrod took over in the eighth and recorded the last six outs of the night without allowing a hit, while striking out three and walking one.
The Rochester Red Wings Player of the Game tonight is 1B Yohandy Morales. The 2023 second-round pick finished the night 2-for-2, picking up a single and a double, drawing a walk as well. He has now picked up an extra-base hit in six consecutive games, the longest streak by a Red Wing since Travis Blankenhorn in 2024.
Rochester will look to win again Saturday night as its six-game series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs continues at ESL Ballpark. RHP Riley Cornelio is expected to take the mound for the Red Wings against RHP Bryse Wilson for Lehigh Valley. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. at ESL Ballpark.
Find the box score attached HERE.
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