BY JONATHAN SKUZA
ROCHESTER, N.Y.– The Rochester Red Wings’ franchise-record losing streak was extended to 18 games after they lost to the Norfolk Tides 11-4 Tuesday night.
Rochester has surpassed its previous franchise record of a 12-game losing streak that was set back on August 23-September 3 of 2010. The previous franchise record losing streak had been achieved two times before in 2002 and 1920. They currently have the longest losing streak in minor league baseball. The losing streak has seen them slide 12 games under .500 and slide down the IL East Division standings. During the current losing streak, the Wings have been outscored 120-66.
Rochester returned home to Frontier Field after being swept by the Columbus Clippers on the road. The Wings’ luck did not change. Norfolk had a strong second, fourth and sixth innings to propel them to victory.
The second inning for the Tides saw them send ten batters to the dish and score four runs on three hits and four walks. Daniel Ponce de Leon and Curtis Taylor combined to throw 61 pitches before finally getting out of the inning.
“That was a rough spot,” Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy stated. “Daniel, he was fighting but, he didn’t have his good stuff. They were able to fight him off and he ran out of gas.
“I brought Taylor in. Taylor has been doing okay, and he just couldn’t find the strike zone. So unfortunately that was really tough. This is one of the toughest games I’ve had to watch all year, even through the streak, we haven’t had these types of games.”
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Rochester’s deficit got even bigger as they fell behind 8-0 in the top of the fourth inning after Kyle Stowers hit a grand slam with one out in the inning. Stower’s long ball was his 19 of the season for him.
Rochester did come to life a little bit in the bottom part of the frame. Riley Adams blasted a two-run home run for his fourth of the year to cut the Tides’ lead to six. Adams round-tripper was the first hit the Wings recorded in Tuesday’s contest. Andrew Stevenson continued to chip into Norfolk’s lead with a solo home run the following inning to make 8-3.
Norfolk’s strong sixth came from Jordan Westburg‘s three-run home run to put the Tides back in front by eight.
Alex Call in his Red Wings debut provided some offense as he hit his first long ball as a Wing to cut down the Norfolk lead to seven.
“He gets on base,” LeCroy said about Call being added to the lineup. “He fights. He plays extremely hard, which is what we like. He fits the mold we want. He looks like he’s got a chance to be a championship player with the right mindset.”
“Basically my approach doesn’t change,” Call said about the impact he brings to Rocester’s lineup. “All I want to do is put together great at-bats. I know I’m a great hitter.I know I take great at-bats. I know I like to work the count. I feel great with two strikes. So just really want to make it tough on pitchers and help give our guys a look and pass the baton on one at a time. Get on base. Try to set the tone that way.”
The Wings were not able to muscle up any more offense after the Call home run and fell for the eighteenth time in a row.
“We’ve been in every game, but we weren’t in it tonight,” LeCroy said. “Our bats, they were okay, but not good enough. We didn’t fight enough. We didn’t put enough quality at-bats to really get back in and as the game went along, we just couldn’t shut them down.”
Rochester is back in action on Wednesday against Norfolk to try to end the losing streak once and for all. The first pitch is at 7:05.
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