BY JON SKUZA
ROCHESTER, N.Y.–Rochester’s late innings rally fell short against the Worcester Red Sox on Friday evening.
Ronaldo Hernandez hit a solo home run for Worcester to put them up 5-2 in the eighth inning en route to a 5-4 victory over Rochester.
Worcester came out of the gates hot to start the game scoring four runs in the first inning. Connor Wong drove in Delvin Granberg with an RBI double. Christin Stewart hit a sac-fly to score Connor Wong for the second run. Jeter Downs scored Hernandez with an RBI double. Downs scored on a Pedro Castellanos single.
Rochester started its rally in the seventh inning. Andrew Stevenson drove in the first run for the Red Wings with an RBI triple to score Jecksson Flores. Ildemaro Vargas hit a sacrifice fly to score Stevenson to cut the Red Sox lead to two. The rally continued the following inning with two more runs. Taylor Gushue drove in Jake Noll and Donovan Casey on a two-run double to pull Rochester within one run of Worcester. The Red Wings couldn’t continue the rally in the ninth inning and fell short on Friday.
“We fall behind early and we fight back and we’re just a hit short,” Red Wings Matt LeCroy said. “So we got to keep plugging, keep plugging. Guys are getting opportunities to play that show people what they can do. Just gotta keep getting after it and we’re gonna win some ballgames.”
Cory Abbott struggled in the first inning of his start but then settled down. He pitched three strong innings after the first inning. Abbott recorded four strikeouts in his outing. He did give up the first four runs, but none of them were earned.
“He settled down, he had a good mix going with the slider, moved his fastball around a little bit better than he did early in the first and make some nice adjustments to keep the game where it was,” LeCroy said of the 6-foot-1 right-hander.
Sterling Sharp and Tyler Clippard came into the game in relief for Rochester. Sharp pitched four strong innings recording three strikeouts and gave up a run but, kept the Red Wings in the game. Clippard pitched the ninth inning and kept the game at one run to give the Red Wings a chance to come back late. He recorded two strikeouts on nine pitches in his one inning of work.
“Sharpie [Sterling Sharp] followed him and gave us a chance, we gave up the home run there, it as kind of a dagger but, can’t take away from how good Sharpie pitched then Clip [Tyler Clippard] came in and he kept the game close,” LeCroy said.
Rochester will look to get their first win of the series against Worcester on Saturday at 7:05.
ted says
I made the observation that the Wings should just forget tonites game and tomorrows…take the 0-6 and just enjoy the fireworks. Never in all my years have I seen a team go this bad, this fast. From one of the best winning percentages in their history, to not being able to win a game is pretty distressing. The team falls behind early, rallies late, and then gives up more runs. The offense is terrible right now. the key guys are locked in miserable slumps. The pitching has been dreadful.
Heck, everything is dreadful. Its loss after loss after loss. Was April and May just a big tease? Right now the team is painful to watch. I know the staff is trying to put on a game face and I get that, but gosh, you have to win once in awhile right?
What a total mess.