By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
David Peterson has allowed just nine hits in three major league appearances for the New York Mets this season. He allowed nine hits on Thursday in Rochester.
The Red Wings tagged Peterson, who will be back with New York on Tuesday to pitch against Philadelphia, for seven earned runs before he left the contest. Rochester won 13-6, handing the 26-year-old the loss in his first career Triple-A start.
Several Red Wings showed they can handle major league pitching, including the star most rumored to be back in Washington soon. Shortstop Luis García continued a scintillating stretch with a first inning home run, his third in as many at bats and fifth of the season. García also singled off Peterson, going 2-for-3 to raise his batting average against left-handed pitchers to .591 (13 of 22).
“I thought our at bats, off of a really tough pitcher in Peterson, were really solid,” Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy assessed. “We laid off the sliders, which is his pitch, and then we got in some pretty decent counts.”
Rochester traded runs with Syracuse for the first two innings (Carlos Rincon hit a two-run home run in the first for Syracuse) before scoring eight unanswered runs through the sixth. Each of the team’s nine starting batters recorded at least one hit, while each of the nine Syracuse starters struck out at least once against Red Wing pitching.
Red Wings right-hander Jefry Rodriguez did not produce his most accurate showing, throwing just 43 of his 83 pitches for strikes, but struck out a season-high nine batters. Rincon’s home run was preceded by a two-out walk to former Red Wing Daniel Palka, one of four walks Rodriguez issued. Despite an uneven outing, he allowed just three earned runs and left with a lead for the second straight start.
Reed Garrett, who entered the game in relief of Rodriguez, earned the win after retiring each of the five batters he faced. Ben Braymer pitched the ninth inning, leaving two baserunners stranded on his birthday.
“The first inning, I didn’t like the 3-2 pitch to Palka that set up the two-run shot with two outs,” LeCroy acknowledged. “I’d rather be down 1-0 than 2-0. He settled down; he made some pitches, but we’re trying to eliminate the walks. He was in some bad counts sometimes, but he found a way to get through it and he kind of had some easy work there in the middle part of that outing.
“He keeps getting better. [Pitching coach Rafael Chavez] has done a really nice job working with that slider. He’s just gotta be a little bit better at commanding it.”
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Joey Meneses also homered for the Red Wings, lifting Syracuse reliever Adonis Medina’s 2-2 pitch well over the left field wall with Adrian Sanchez on first base. Rochester collected 12 total hits, four for extra bases as Joshua Palacios and Tres Barrera each doubled.
“We did a nice job situationally to score some runs, to get back in the game,” LeCroy said. “Luis’s continued a hot bat. Really happy.
“When you face a guy like [Peterson]… To come out and do what we did today was great. I’m really excited with how our at bats went.”
Rochester attempts to improve to 3-0 this week when it hosts Syracuse again on Friday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05. Jackson Tetreault is slated to pitch for the Red Wings, while St. Bonaventure University alumnus Connor Grey will get the ball for Syracuse.
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