BY DAN GLICKMAN
The Rochester Red Wings didn’t lose any additional players to the trade deadline on Tuesday, but the same couldn’t be said for the opening game of their series with the Scranton RailRiders, falling to the Yankees’ AAA affiliate, 5-4.
The Red Wings jumped to a 4-0 lead in the game’s early innings, but gave up five unanswered runs after that, falling behind for good in the bottom of the eighth. All but one of the Red Wings’ six hits came in the first three innings.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JOE TERRITO.
The loss was the first series-opening defeat for the Red Wings in their last 10 series, going back to a loss to Buffalo on May 16. According to the team, it was the longest streak since the Governor’s Cup champion team in 1997.
Rochester loaded the bases with no outs to begin the second inning but could only score one on a Jeter Downs groundout to move ahead, 1-0.
The Red Wings extended their lead the following inning, as Jack Dunn scored on a forceout before Jacob Nottingham later drove in two on his fourth home run of the season, making it 4-0.
Scranton’s comeback began in the bottom half of the third, as Oswald Peraza brought home a run on a sacrifice fly, and Everson Pereira singled in a second run to narrow the Rochester lead to 4-2. Those were the only runs scored off Wings starter Jackson Rutledge, who went five innings and struck out six in the no-decision.
Pereira drove in another run for Scranton in the seventh to cut the Wings’ lead to one and later scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch by Joel Peguero to tie the game at four. The Railriders took the lead for the first and final time in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by Peraza for the final 5-4 score.
The two teams continue their series on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. Rochester (15-13 in the second half, 49-52 overall, 2.5 games back of league leaders) is expected to send out right-hander Jose Urena (1-2, 6.03) against a Scranton (13-13 in the second half, 47-53 overall, 3.5 games back) pitcher who has yet to be announced.
Leave a Reply