The Rochester Red Wings (39-28, 84-56) fell to the Scranton/WB RailRiders (38-27, 75-64), 5-3, in a hard-fought Friday night battle. An eighth-inning, two-run homer from 2B Marco Luciano sealed the win for the RailRiders. 2B Cayden Wallace knocked a solo home run to tie the game at three in the sixth inning, and picked up a pair of knocks while adding a walk at the plate. Six Rochester pitchers saw action, highlighted by a five-strikeout performance from LHP DJ Herz.
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After a scoreless first inning, 3B Oswaldo Cabrera drew a walk in the top of the second to become the first baserunner of the game for either side. Cabrera scored during the ensuing at-bat off a double sent into the right field corner by RF Yanquiel Fernandez. Rochester closed the inning with a massive, two-out throwout at home plate, preventing Fernandez from scoring. The effort from LF Trey Lipscomb and C Riley Adams would keep the RailRiders’ lead at 1-0.
SS Seaver King drew a seven-pitch walk in the third inning to force the RailRiders to make a pitching change. Trey Lipscomb ripped a line drive to left field, scoring King from first after a fielding error by RailRider LF Jarred Kelenic to tie the game at one.
2B Cayden Wallace got the Wings on the board once again in the fourth, starting the inning with a leadoff single to center field. He moved to second off a wild pitch, reached third on a groundout from Riley Adams, and eventually scored on a broken-bat, RBI-groundout from RF Leandro Pineda. Rochester would lead 2-1 after four innings of play.
The Red Wings’ lead would be short-lived, however, as two consecutive walks from PH Ernesto Martinez Jr. and CF Kenedy Corona, respectively, paved the way for a crucial RailRider fifth inning. An RBI-single from Jarred Kelenic brought Martinez Jr. home, just before a sacrifice bunt by SS Max Schuemann scored Corona to put the Railriders ahead, 3-2.
It was Wallace making noise for the Rochester offense once again, this time sending a high-flying shot that just found its way over the right-field wall. His 11th homer of the year with Rochester knotted things back up at 3-3 after six innings.
Sticking with the tug-of-war style of game, it was Scranton/WB striking next. A blooper single from C J.C. Escarra started the inning, which was quickly followed by a two-run blast by Marco Luciano to put the RailRiders up by two after the eighth. Rochester would be unable to break the Scranton/WB defense, falling by a score of 5-3.
In the fourth start of his rehab assignment with Rochester, LHP DJ Herz dished five strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work, while allowing one run on two hits and walks each. RHP Holden Powell allowed two runs on one hit and two walks before he was relieved by RHP Joe Glassey. His third appearance of the season with the Wings was a clean, 1.2 innings of work that included one strikeout. RHP Justin Lawrence pitched the seventh inning, where he recorded two strikeouts and walks each. Up next to the hill for one full inning was southpaw Matt Krook, who recorded a pair of strikeouts, while allowing two hits and runs each. Pitching a clean final inning for the Red Wings was RHP Josiah Gray.
The Rochester Red WIngs Player of the Game is 2B Cayden Wallace. His 2-for-3 night at the plate was highlighted by a game-tying, solo home run in the sixth inning. Along with his 11th home run with Rochester and 29th of the season, the Arkansas native recorded an RBI, drew a walk, and scored two runs.
The Red Wings will look to re-take the series lead against the RailRiders on Saturday at 6:05 p.m., as both teams continue their push for the postseason. Making his 19th start of the season for Rochester will be RHP Chandler Champlain, where he will take on RHP Adam Kloffenstein of the RailRiders.
Find the box score attached HERE.
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