BY JONATHAN SKUZA
ROCHESTER, N.Y.– For the second night in a row, the Rochester Red Wings came up short in a one-run game against the Syracuse Mets. Rochester lost 5-4 to the Mets on Saturday evening.
“Unfortunately for us, the past few nights haven’t gone our way,” Red Wing’s manager Matt LeCroy stated about the loss. “We took a lead there late and we gave it back up in the eighth and that’s just the way the last few weeks have gone for us.”
A big eighth inning led the Mets. Travis Blankenhorn drove in Ender Incriarte and Mark Vientos on a two-RBI double to take the lead for Syracuse. Blankenhorn led the Mets with four RBI on Saturday. He also smashed a two-run home run in the third inning to put the Mets up 3-0.
Luke Ritter opened the scoring for the Mets in the second inning. He drove in Travis Blankenhorn on an RBI single. Syracuse added to its lead with the Blankenhorn home run the following inning.
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Rochester answered with its own two-run third inning. Andrew Stevenson drove in Matt Lipka on an RBI triple to cut the lead to two. Ildemaro Vargas scored Stevenson the following at-bat to make it a one-run ball game. Stevenson scored Lipka again in the fifth inning to tie the game for Rochester.
Jake Noll gave the Red Wings their first of the night in the seventh inning on a bases-loaded two-out single.
Syracuse’s big eighth inning gave them its lead back. Alberto Baldonado struggled to close out the inning for Rochester which led to the Blankenhorn two-RBI double. Baldonado received the loss Saturday.
Jake Noll had deja vu in the bottom of the ninth inning. The five-hole hitter saw himself in a situation to tie the game with two outs in the ninth inning. Like the night before Noll didn’t execute and led to a Red Wings loss.
Stevenson recorded his third straight multi-hit game of the series. He is now 10-for-23 in the series. Stevenson and Lipka have been a big part of Rochesters’ offense in the series.
“Lipka, there’s no doubt in my mind he still can bang in the big leagues,” LeCroy stated about Lipka and Stevenson. “Anytime he wants to, he’s an unbelievable athlete, the speed and if he gets on he’s gonna make things happen. Steve, he’s about as locked down as he’s ever been.”
Sterling Sharp had a solid outing for the Red Wings. The right-hander threw six innings giving up three runs on this and three walks. He struck out five Mets Saturday. Sharp did struggle in the second and third inning but kept the Mets scoreless for the final three innings of his outing Saturday.
“The walks tonight just hurt him early, but he settled down and kept us in the ballgame,” LeCroy said about Sharp’s performance.
Rochester will look to get back on the winning track in the series finale against Syracuse at 1:05 Sunday. Right-hander Logan Verrett (3-5, 5.04) will take the mound for Rochester while southpaw Thomas Szapucki takes the hill for Syracuse.
Papa says
Keep up the good work