BY DAN GLICKMAN
The Rochester Red Wings split a doubleheader with the Worcester Red Sox on Sunday, falling in game one, 4-3, before winning game two in extras, 2-1.
The win in game two ensured a 4-2 series victory for Rochester, just the second series win on the road this season and their first since a 5-1 series win at Toledo in late May. It also keeps Rochester (15-12 in second half, 49-51 overall) within two-and-a-half games of first place in the International League, behind the thruway rival Buffalo Bisons.
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The first game, played a full nine innings to complete yesterday’s suspended game, had a late comeback foiled by a ninth-inning walk-off loss. With two outs in the ninth and down 3-2, first baseman Jake Noll got hold of the 1-1 pitch from Nick Robertson and launched it over the right-center field wall for his third home run of the year to tie it at three. The game-tying homer capped a 3-for-3 game for Noll, who notched three RBI and walked twice as he finished a triple short of the cycle.
Worcester followed the Wings’ rally by loading the bases against Luis Cessa before walking it off on a single by David Hamilton to end the game, 4-3.
In the seven-inning game two, veteran Wily Peralta went five innings and allowed just four hits in a no-decision but was nearly by Red Sox righty Brian Van Belle, who allowed six hits in five innings of his own. One of those hits, however, was a second-inning solo shot by Red Wings designated hitter Matt Adams, his 13th of the season, to put the Red Wings ahead, 1-0.
The 1-0 score would hold until the seventh and final scheduled inning, when a pinch-hit home run by Nick Sogard tied the game, 1-1. The Red Sox got the winning run to third, but Gerson Moreno escaped with a strikeout of Wilyer Abreu to force extra innings.
The Red Wings opened the eighth with Derek Hill on second as part of the extra inning rules. Jake Alu moved him to third on a groundout to start the inning, but Travis Blankenhorn struck out for the second out of the inning. Catcher Drew Millas jumped on the first ball he saw, though, singling to right to bring home Hill to put the Wings ahead, 2-1. Tim Cates then came in for the bottom of the eighth and prevented any Worcester runs to grab his first save as a Red Wing.
Darren Baker, Alu, Blankenhorn, and Erick Mejia each had two hits in the victory.
Rochester heads to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for a six-game set with the AAA Yankees affiliate. Right-hander Jackson Rutledge (1-0, 5.57) is set to start the series opener on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m.
The Red Wings will return to Rochester on Tuesday, August 8, against Lehigh Valley.
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