On a sunny Labor Day afternoon at ESL Ballpark, the Rochester Red Wings (83-54, 38-26) opened their final homestand of the season with a 3-1 victory over the Scranton/WB RailRiders (73-63, 36-26). LF Sam Petersen drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth and added insurance with his first triple of the season in the eighth, while CF Andrew Pinckney preserved an early tie with a home run-robbing catch.
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The first two innings went by without a run from either side, before Scranton/WB drew first blood in the third. LF Kenedy Corona reached base via a one out hit-by-pitch, and moved into scoring position the following at-bat on a wild pitch. Later in that same plate appearance, CF Jarred Kelenic cashed in with a looping RBI single to give the RailRiders a 1-0 lead.
Rochester offered a response in the home half of the fourth. 3B Cayden Wallace was hit by a pitch to kick things off, and moved up to second on a single from DH Riley Adams. Andrew Pinckney then reached on a fielder’s choice to put runners on the corners before RF Leandro Pineda looped a ground-rule double that hopped into the left field berm. Wallace coasted home on the play to knot the game up at one apiece.
Andrew Pinckney kept the game tied in the following half inning with a spectacular leaping catch over the center field fence to rob a home run off the bat of 1B Tyler Hardman. His second home run robbery of the season helped send the ballgame to the halfway point.
Both teams traded zeroes through the fifth until Rochester came to bat in the bottom of the sixth. After two quick outs, Leandro Pineda drove a single up the middle to keep the inning alive. A wild pitch moved him up to second, and C Maxwell Romero Jr. worked a walk to put a pair of runners on. Sam Petersen came to the plate next and smoked a single through the left side that allowed Pineda to motor around third and cross the plate to give the Red Wings their first lead of the ballgame, 2-1.
Rochester added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Andrew Pinckney lined a leadoff single to left and stole second before Sam Petersen ripped a two-out triple into the left-field corner, bringing Pinckney home to extend the Red Wings’ lead to 3-1.
Scranton/WB worked a one-out walk in the ninth, but RHP Gus Varland induced a flyout from 1B Tyler Hardman and struck out LF Kenedy Corona to seal the 3-1 victory and earn his first save with Rochester.
RHP Andry Lara took the ball first for Rochester and worked 2.1 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits while striking out three without issuing a walk. LHP Joe Glassey followed with 1.2 scoreless frames, surrendering one hit and striking out four. LHP Richard Lovelady, RHP Kyle Nicolas, and RHP Justin Lawrence each contributed a scoreless inning before LHP Matt Krook struck out two over 0.2 scoreless. Gus Varland recorded the final out of the eighth with a strikeout and came back out in the ninth to record the four-out save.
LF Sam Petersen is the Red Wings Player of the Game Monday night. The Iowa native finished 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI in the winning effort. He has now picked up a hit in five consecutive games dating back to September 4.
The Red Wings and RailRiders will take Tuesday off before continuing their six-game series Wednesday night at ESL Ballpark. RHP Jack Cebert will take the mound for Rochester against Scranton/WB RHP Brendan Beck. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
The box score attached HERE.
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