Courtesy of RedWingsBaseball.com
Rochester used an eight-run 6th inning in game two to salvage a doubleheader split with a 9-0 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Saturday night at Coca-Cola Park.
The Red Wings (43-36) recorded just one hit and fell 2-1 in game one to the IronPigs (51-31).
Game 1
Rochester managed just one hit against four different Lehigh Valley pitchers. Vince Velasquez made a rehab start for the IronPigs and allowed the lone run, a second inning sacrifice fly to Leonardo Reginatto. After the sac fly, the final 15 Wings were set down in order.
Tim Melville (2-1) had traffic on the bases in every inning but he was limit the damage to just two runs. The IronPigs loaded the bases in the 1st inning but didn’t score and left two aboard in the 2nd. Lehigh Valley broke through in the 3rd as a misplayed ball resulted in a triple for J.P. Crawford. He scored on a ground out to tie the game. Again the IronPigs loaded the bases in the 4th and scored on a fielder’s choice.
Melville suffered the tough-luck loss after surrendering tow runs on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts in a six-inning complete game. The switch-pitching Pat Venditte (8-1) earned the win after throwing 2.0 scoreless innings in relief of Velasquez.
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Game 2
The second game came down to clutch hitting. D.J. Baxendale scattered three hits over 3.0 innings with three strikeouts in a bullpen start for the Wings. He was matched by IronPigs starter Jake Thompson (3-9) as the game went scoreless to the 5th.
Mitch Garver delivered a two-out RBI single giving Rochester a 1-0 lead in the 5th. The game was decided in back-to-back half innings: the bottom of the 5th and top of the 6th. Michael Tonkin (3-2) tossed a scoreless inning and remained on the mound in the 5th. A one-out double by Hector Gomez put runners at second and third base. Jake Reed entered from the bullpen and got a pop out and a fly out to end the threat.
The Red Wings responded with eight runs on six hits and three errors in the 6th to bust the game open. The biggest at-bat of the inning came with Engelb Vielma up. He laced a two-run single to center to make it 4-0 but he got in a rundown between first and second. Interference was called allowing Vielma to reach second and extend the inning. Zack Granite then tripled him in, Matt Hague plated two with a double after back-to-back walks and Niko Goodrum singled in the final run, all after the interference error.
Granite’s 29-game on-base streak and 11-game hitting streak came to an end in game one. He was named the International League Player of the Month for June earlier in the day.
Next Home Game: The Red Wings are home for seven straight games beginning Tuesday, July 4 vs. Pawtucket (Red Sox) at 7:05 p.m. This homestand features the final Bark in the Park of the season, Bull Durham Night featuring Ron Shelton, Salute to Slapshot Night and much, much more.
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