ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester Red Wings, wearing their famous “Rochester Plates” alternate uniforms for the first time this season, didn’t always play the cleanest game on Thursday. What ultimately mattered was the final score, though: a 9-8 win after a walk-off single to left by catcher Kevin Plawecki in the ninth, with a heavy assist from a career night by second baseman Darren Baker, who went 4-5 and finished a double short of the cycle.
The win came despite three Red Wings errors, an early deficit, and several blown leads. Despite the difficulties, the Red Wings always came back.
“[There were] defensive plays we didn’t make, and it cost us early,” said manager Matt LeCroy. “We fought back, took the lead, but we just couldn’t keep them from scoring. But the kids fought their tails off, and they did some neat things there at the end.”
“We had a tough stretch early, but we’re starting to hopefully get going a little bit.”
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Buffalo took an early lead in the first inning. Left fielder Nathan Lukes sent the game’s first pitch into left for a single and then moved around the bases thanks to an error, a long flyout, and then a double by right fielder Wynton Bernard to make it 1-0.
Baker put the Red Wings right back into it, sending a ball deep into the right-center gap before speeding around the basepaths for a leadoff triple. Jake Alu followed up with a sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1. Alu, playing his first AAA game of the season after rehabbing an injury, was 3-4 with an RBI on the night.
The Bisons regained the lead in the top of the third, as a throwing error by Baker and a dropped fly ball by right fielder Franklin Barreto allowed Buffalo to score two and take the 3-1 lead. They added another run in the top of the fourth, as second baseman Davis Schneider and third baseman Rafael Lantigua hit back-to-back doubles to start the inning, making the score 4-1.
The Red Wings cut into that lead in the bottom of the inning. After a walk by left fielder Yadiel Hernandez, Barreto stepped up. The former Oakland Athletic, who had earlier allowed a run due to an error, got back that run and more, hitting his third home run of the season over the left field fence to make it 4-3.
After the Bisons extended their lead to 5-3 on a Schneider home run in the top of the fifth, the Red Wings tied it up at five in the bottom half. First baseman Travis Blankenhorn doubled with two men on to score Baker, and then Alu came in on an infield fielders choice. Blankenhorn scored on a groundout to put the Wings ahead, 6-5.
The two teams traded runs the next few innings, and by the bottom of the eighth it was tied, 7-7. Then, Baker smashed a ball 404 feet over the right field fence for his first career AAA home run, putting the Red Wings ahead, 8-7.
By that point, Baker’s early run-scoring error was a distant memory from which the fans in attendance had moved on- much like he had.
“Mistakes happen,” said Baker. “Wasn’t the first one, won’t be the last one; you just gotta move on and try to help the team get a win.”
Baker credited some adjustments at the plate and work with coaches for his breakout night, which sent his batting average soaring from .242 to .316 for the year.
“I feel like the first couple of weeks of the season, I was still getting acclimated, finding myself at this level,” said Baker.
In the ninth inning, it appeared the Baker home run was the final blow, as Jordan Weems sent down the first two Buffalo hitters without difficulty. The next three batters then singled, though, allowing Rafael Lantigua to score on a Cameron Eden hit up the middle to tie it again, 8-8. It would be the fifth and final tie of the ballgame.
The Red Wings were able to escape the top of the ninth with the game tied and then went to work quickly in the bottom half. Wilson Garcia singled, then Hernandez followed with a single of his own. Barreto moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt, and then Plawecki came to the plate. The former Met then singled on the 0-1 pitch from Jay Jackson to drive in Onix Vega, who had pinch-run for Garcia, for the win.
The victory was the Red Wings’ second straight and the first time this season that they’ve won multiple games in a row.
Brighton graduate Ernie Clement went 2-4 with a walk and RBI for Buffalo.
The Red Wings continue their series with Buffalo on Friday night at 6:05. Rochester expects to send out right-hander Jake Irvin (MLB.com’s No. 20 prospect for Washington) against Buffalo right-hander Yosver Zulueta (MLB.com’s No. 3 prospect for Toronto).
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