BY JONATHAN SKUZA
Sometimes you need a fresh start.
The Rochester Red Wings started the second half of the season with a victory behind a five-RBI performance from right fielder Blake Rutherford. The Wings pulled out a 7-6 victory over the host Lehigh Valley IronPigs Wednesday evening.
Rutherford got Rochester on the board early with a groundout for his first RBI of the evening. Jake Alu scored on the groundout after leading off the game with a base hit. Alu finished the night 4-for-5 with three runs scored.
The next at-bat, Franmil Reyes blasted his fifth home run of the season to center field for a two-run shot to give the Red Wings an early 3-0 lead. Alex Call came around to score on the round-tripper after following Alu’s base hit with one of his own.
Rutherford hit a two-run shot of his own in the third inning for his third of the year to give Rochester a commanding 5-0 with one out. Alu had his second lead-off base hit of the night before being driven home on the long ball.
Rochester did not get on the scoreboard until the ninth inning after Lehigh Valley tied knotted the game at five in the fourth inning. Rutherford tallied his final two RBI on a line drive base hit to left field that drove home Alu and Richie Martin. Martin led off the inning with a base hit while Alu reached base via an error.
Rochester finished the evening with 12 hits, two stolen bases, and five walks.
Right-hander Jackson Rutledge made his Triple-A debut as he got the start on the mound for Rochester after being called up from Double-A Harrisburg on June 27. The former first-round pick pitched three and two-third innings where he registered three strikeouts and surrendered five runs on two hits and six walks.
Gerson Moreno secured the win out of the bullpen for the Wings as he was able to finish out the last two innings. Moreno struck out five and gave up one unearned run on one hit.
Darick Hall started the Lehigh Valley comeback with a solo home run in the third inning to get them on the board. The following inning the IronPigs pushed across the other four runs. Cal Stevenson drove in Simon Muzziotti with a force out. Weston Wilson drove in two runs with two outs on a base hit to center field. Hall tied the game with a base hit in a two-strike count. Hall would bring Lehigh Valley within one with an RBI double in the ninth, but the Wings were able to hang on for the victory.
The Rochester Red Wings (1-0) will continue their series with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (0-1) on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. Rochester will send right-hander Jose Urena (0-1, 6.27) to the mound while righty T.J. Zeuch (2-3, 5.57) will start for Lehigh Valley.
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