On a cool Saturday night, the Rochester Red Wings (82-53, 37-25) outlasted the Syracuse Mets (71-65, 33-28), 14-9, in a back-and-forth slugfest at NBT Bank Stadium. Rochester erased deficits in both the seventh and eighth innings and launched a season-high six home runs, including four during a seven-run eighth. RF LEANDRO PINEDA led the charge with a pair of homers and four runs scored, while INF BUDDY KENNEDY delivered the decisive three-run blast.
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Rochester opened the scoring in the second inning. Pineda reached safely and came around when RF SAM PETERSEN put the ball in play, and Syracuse committed a fielding error, giving the Wings a 1-0 advantage.
The Mets answered in the third when SS Émilien Pitre lined an RBI single to even the game. Pineda quickly restored Rochester’s lead in the fourth, lifting a solo home run for his ninth homer with the Red Wings this season.
The Wings added to their advantage in the sixth. LF ANDREW PINCKNEY launched his 14th home run of the season, and Petersen followed later in the inning with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 4-1.
Syracuse responded with five runs in the bottom half of the frame. SS Ronny Mauricio and RF Mj Melendez opened the inning with back-to-back solo home runs before 1B Nick Lorusso delivered a two-run single and RF D’Andre Smith added an RBI knock, putting the Mets ahead, 6-4.
Rochester immediately answered in the seventh. Three consecutive walks loaded the bases, and a pair of passed balls allowed the first run of the inning to score. INF CAYDEN WALLACE then lined a two-run single that brought home INF TREY LIPSCOMB and Kennedy, pushing the Wings back in front, 7-6.
The lead changed hands again in the bottom of the seventh. Pitre led off with his first home run of the season, and Syracuse added two more runs on an RBI single from CF Jose Ramos, a Rochester throwing error, and a wild pitch to take a 9-7 advantage.
The Red Wings delivered the decisive blow in the eighth. C MAXWELL ROMERO JR. opened the inning with his ninth home run of the season, and Petersen scored the tying run on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice off the bat of Lipscomb. Kennedy followed with a three-run homer to center field, his first in a Rochester uniform, to give the Wings a 12-9 lead.
Wallace and Pineda then launched back-to-back solo home runs to cap the seven-run frame. Wallace’s blast was his 10th of the season, while Pineda’s second homer of the night gave him 10 with Rochester. The six total home runs established a new season high for the Red Wings.
RHP CHANDLER CHAMPLAIN started for Rochester and turned in 5.0 strong innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and three walks while striking out seven. RHP JUSTIN LAWRENCE recorded the final out of the seventh and earned the victory, while RHP KYLE NICOLAS and RHP JAKE BIRD combined for two scoreless innings to close out the win.
The Rochester Red Wings Player of the Game is RF LEANDRO PINEDA. The left-handed hitter finished 3-for-4 with two home runs, two RBI, and a career-high four runs scored. It marked his second multi-homer performance in 11 days after he also went deep twice on August 26 at Buffalo.
Rochester and Syracuse will conclude their six-game series Sunday evening at NBT Bank Stadium. LHP DJ HERZ will make his third rehab start with the Red Wings and ninth overall during his assignment. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m.
The box score is available HERE.
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