Wings walk off

The Red Wings took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning off IronPigs starter Mark Appel. Matt Hague and Tommy Field had RBI hits, and Hague’s single extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Both Mitch Garver and J.B. Shuck also hit safely in the inning, extending their hitting streaks to nine and six games, respectively.

Lehigh Valley made it a 2-1 ballgame in the top of the fourth inning when Logan Moore hit a solo home run off Rochester starter Chris Heston.

The IronPigs didn’t waste time taking the lead in the top of the fifth inning, scoring three and making the score 4-2. After allowing three hits that stretched the Lehigh Valley lead to two runs, D.J. Baxendale came in to relieve Heston with one out in the inning and retired the two batters he faced.

Heston finished with 4.1 innings pitched, allowing four earned runs on nine hits, three walks and two strikeouts. He threw 85 pitches – 50 for strikes.

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Appel was replaced to begin the bottom of the sixth inning. He threw 5.0 innings, giving up two earned runs on eight hits, five walks and three strikeouts. He threw 102 pitches – 59 for strikes.

Rochester had an opportunity to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning, after two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs. Field, however, was not able to deliver an RBI hit despite hitting a hard lineout to center field.

Phil Hughes, on a rehab assignment from Minnesota, came in to relieve Baxendale to start the top of the seventh inning.

Hughes finished with 1.0 innings pitched, allowing no runs on one hit, one walk and one strikeout. He threw 21 pitches – 16 for strikes.

The Red Wings scored one run in the bottom of the seventh inning, cutting the IronPigs’ lead to 4-3. Following a leadoff double by Niko Goodrum, Leonardo Reginatto delivered with one out, hitting an RBI single.

Following an inning from Hughes, Ryan Pressly came in to begin the top of the eighth. Through the top of the eighth and ninth innings, he retired all six batters faced.

In the bottom of the ninth, the tying run scored on an RBI walk by John Ryan Murphy following a leadoff single and two walks to load the bases. Reginatto, the next batter, lined a walk-off single to win the game for the Red Wings.

The Red Wings also continue their trend of winning ballgames when scoring first. They have the second-best winning percentage in the International League when scoring first (26-8).

Rochester outhit the IronPigs 14 to 11.

Winning Pitcher: Pressly (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Venditte (7-1)
Save: none

The series and homestand concludes Saturday night at 1:35 p.m., as the first 1,000 fans will receive a two-in-one poster/puzzle giveaway and kids can run the bases after the game.