ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester Red Wings started the 2023 season in the loss column on Friday, letting a late lead slip away before falling to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, 8-7, in 10 innings.
“I thought we fought really hard offensively, but we didn’t get it done late on the mound,” said Red Wings manager Matthew LeCroy.
Rochester gave up two leads during the game and allowed five runs from the seventh inning onward.
The Red Wings struck first with three runs in the second. Right fielder Stone Garrett started the inning with the first Rochester hit of the new season, blooping a single to short center off Lehigh starter Michael Plassmeyer. He wouldn’t stay at first for long, as Travis Blankenhorn then hit a sharp grounder past Lehigh first baseman John Hicks into the right field corner for a an RBI triple to put the Wings ahead, 1-0. It was the first triple by the Red Wings in a opening day game since 2016.
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Left fielder Yadiel Hernandez then hit the ball deep to left-center, into the so-called “Bermuda Triangle” between the visitors’ bullpen and the retired number for Jackie Robinson, bringing Blankenhorn to score. A single by catcher Onix Vega knocked in Hernandez to make it 3-0.
The IronPigs came back to tie the game at three in the fifth, as former Red Wing John Hicks doubled to lead off the inning and was later brought home on a two-out single by left-fielder Simon Muzziotti to narrow the lead to 3-1. The Lehigh Valley center fielder, Scott Kingery, then hit a two-run home run deep over the left field fence to tie the game at three.
Lehigh Valley later pulled ahead in the top of the seventh, as IronPigs left fielder Simon Muzziotti hit a triple to right with a man on to drive in the tying run. The relay throw from Darren Baker went high and ended up in the visitors dugout, bringing Muzziotti home for the go-ahead run.
Rochester again took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the inning, as center fielder Cody Wilson reached on a single before stealing second and moving to third on a wild pitch by Francisco Morales during the steal. Baker brought Wilson home next, beating the throw to first for his first AAA hit and RBI. Rochester third baseman Chad Pinder then singled before both he and Baker moved up a bag on another wild pitch.
Designated hitter Matt Adams walked, then Garrett came to the plate again and singled to left off new reliever Erich Uehlman, bringing home both Baker and Pinder to take the lead, 6-5. It would be Garrett’s third hit of the game and the only hit in the bottom of the seventh that left the infield.
“That’s part of putting the ball in play,” said LeCroy.
The IronPigs again tied it in the ninth, however, on a home run by catcher Aramis Garcia off Rochester closer Jordan Weems. They took the lead in the top, 8-6, in the top of the tenth on a home run by designated hitter Vimael Machin that seemingly carried just over the right-field fence.
Post-game, LeCroy stood by his relievers.
“We had the right guys in there, guys we’re going to depend on,” he said, “but we didn’t get it done.”
Although the Red Wings got within one in the final inning with a Blankenhorn RBI single, they were unable to tie it up before the game ended, 8-7.
The Wings play Lehigh Valley again on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 P.M. Right-hander Jake Irvin, rated as the Nationals’ 20th-best prospect by MLB.com, is scheduled to start against IronPigs’ righty T.J. Zeuch.
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