The Rochester Red Wings last won their third straight game in Allentown back on June 11 of 2021. Over a year later, a ninth-inning rally from the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to defeat the Wings 6-5 ensured that wait would continue.
Anibal Sanchez, continuing his rehab assignment with the Red Wings, went 5.1 innings on the day, giving up just two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out three. The only earned run came in the third, when Dalton Guthrie singled home Scott Kingery with one out.
The Wings would strike back in the top of the fourth, as Adrian Sanchez brought home Nick Banks and Donovan Casey on a one-out double. Later in the inning, Sanchez himself was brought home by Josh Palacios on a two-out groundball single to make it 3-1.
Lehigh Valley threatened in the bottom of the fifth to tie it up. After Kingery reached on an error by Casey, he moved to second on a groundout before being driven home on a ground-rule double by Guthrie. Although another man would walk during the inning, Sanchez was able to escape thanks to two strikeouts.
In the sixth, the Red Wings would get that run back and then some. Palacios would drive in Casey with two outs, moving Adrian Sanchez to third. With Ildemaro Vargas then at the plate, the Red Wings pulled a gutsy play, as Palacios took off for second. As the IronPigs threw to second, Sanchez took off for home. The throw to second headed into the outfield, allowing for Sanchez’s steal of home to succeed, making it 5-2. Adrian Sanchez would ultimately go 3-3 with two doubles, a walk and two RBI on the day.
The score would remain the same until the bottom of the ninth, when everything fell apart for Rochester. The first three batters of the inning reached base for the IronPigs against Alberto Baldonado, with the last of those three being a game-tying home run by Guthrie, who would ultimately drive in five runs against the Red Wings in the game. A few batters later, Josh Ockimey singled sharply to center to drive in Johan Camargo to win it.
The loss moves the Red Wings to 43-39 on the year, putting the Red Wings at least a game-and-a-half back of Durham in the crowded International League East, pending the results of remaining games.
The Red Wings continue their series at Lehigh Valley through the weekend, with Sterling Sharp scheduled to take the mound on Saturday.
ouch…bullpen meltdown blows a 3 run lead in the 9th. I think we have to be prepared to endure more games like this. Its tough losing like that for sure. I watched the O’s last night, trailing 4-2, 2 outs no one on in the 9th…storm back with 4 straight hits…all with 2 strikes on each batter, to win 5-4 over the Angels. Comebacks lately have been frequent. Its what is so great about baseball…you just can’t assume anything.
I have to think part of the Wings problem (and it may be league-wide) is that the bullpens are incredibly over-used. Starters rarely go 5 innings. Teams use 5 and 6 pitchers every game it seems. I wish that trend would go away. Why suddenly after all these decades, can’t starters go at least 7 innings, or even throw complete games anymore? So much in the game has changed.
I suspect if the Wings end up the season at .500, that will be about the best we can hope for