BY DAN GLICKMAN
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – You never know where the production will come from in a lineup: a player who has struggled at the plate can provide the spark just as much as one of the team’s batting leaders.
So it was on Sunday, as designated hitter Jacob Nottingham, hitting .216 between three different AAA teams coming into the game, provided Rochester a game-tying home run and later drove in two more runs during a six-run sixth in an 8-2 win called in the eighth inning due to rain.
The 28-year-old California native had only seen limited success at the plate since joining the Red Wings on July 3, only hitting .162 in nine games of action. He hadn’t had a hit since the July 15 game at Syracuse and a multi-hit game since June 14, when he played for the San Francisco-affiliated Sacramento River Cats.
“It’s been a grind the past couple weeks just trying to get in a groove,” said Nottingham. “Yesterday, I’d hit the ball hard a couple times but it didn’t go my way, but you always got to keep going and keep a good mindset with it.”
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JOE TERRITO.
“He’s always telling me that he’s gonna hit for me, and I believe him,” said Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy. “I believe in him.”
On Sunday, that belief was rewarded. Down 2-0, Nottingham got hold of a 1-1 pitch from Durham lefty Jacob Lopez in the fourth and sent it far over the left-field fence for a two-run game-tying home run.
“It was a good pitch to hit,” said Nottingham. “I’ve been working the last week on trying to get right at the plate, and the last couple of days I really thought I was hitting the ball kind of hard, and I got a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it.
“Today was a good day.”
“That was a big homer,” said LeCroy. “He can hit. He just had to stay confident, and he shortened his swing up a bit this week.”
The home run was the highlight of Nottingham’s 2-for-3 day, as he also notched a walk, a double, and four total RBI in the win. The two-run shot was Nottingham’s second round-tripper as a Red Wing but eighth of the season overall (he had hit six during a stint in the Pacific Coast League earlier in the year). Nottingham later had a two-run double in Rochester’s six-run sixth.
The performance came during a day where Nottingham was designated hitter for just the ninth time of the season and the third time as a Red Wing. Usually a catcher, Nottingham said that focusing on just the opposing pitchers instead of his own probably helped him.
“When I’m not catching, I don’t really need to lock in too much on the game plan for controlling the pitchers, so today I was just trying to focusing on how I could help the team in and drive runners in.”
Nottingham was hardly the only hitting hero for the Red Wings in the victory. Centerfielder Derek Hill remained hot since his return to the minors, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Hill has now hit safely for ten straight games. Second baseman Erick Mejia put the team ahead, 3-2, in the sixth with a single to center. Catcher Drew Millas went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Falling behind early, the Red Wings tied it up in the fourth on Nottingham’s two-run home run before leaping ahead with a six-run sixth inning. After some initial struggles for Peralta, the veteran finished his game with three scoreless innings. He was relieved by Luis Reyes and then Luis Cessa, who were perfect in their combined three innings of work.
Reyes ultimately was awarded the win to move his record to 4-0, while rehabbing Tampa Rays reliever Andrew Kittredge was given the loss after allowing six earned runs on seven hits in the sixth.
“It was just a really good team effort; I’m proud of them,” said LeCroy. “They responded, we stayed at it. That game could have gotten ugly early.”
The Red Wings could have won by even more: Rochester was threatening with one out and a man on third when the skies opened up in the eighth. The sudden downpour caught many by surprise and caused pools to form around the field, bringing a premature end to the game.
The 4-2 series win is Rochester’s first against the Tampa Bay Rays affiliate since 2018, when the Red Wings swept a May 29-31 road series. As this week was the only series between the two teams this season, the series win also ensures the Red Wings (11-10 in the second half, 45-49 overall, 2.5 games back) have their first season series win against Durham (10-11 in the second half, 50-46 overall, 3.5 games back) since 2016.
The Red Wings now head out on a two-week road trip to Worcester and Scranton before they return to Rochester on August 8 to begin a series with Lehigh Valley. Right-hander Jackson Rutledge (1-0, 4.76) is set to start the series opener at Worcester on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m.
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