By PAUL GOTHAM
Travis Blankenhorn delivered a two-run home run in the ninth inning as the Rochester Red Wings (50-54) rallied to defeat host Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (49-54) in International League action, Friday night.
Blankenhorn brought home Darren Baker with his 17th round-tripper of the season and second in as many nights.
Baker reached on a one-out walk and stole second before Blankenhorn capped a 3-for-5 effort at the plate for the night with a two-out shot.
Daniel Mengden (1-1) struck out three and retired all six batters he faced over two scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win.
The Wings trailed 3-1 after seven innings before mounting a comeback.
Luis Garcia led the eighth with a double, and Blankenhorn put runners on the corners with a base hit. Jacob Nottingham made it a 3-2 game with a single. Blankenhorn eventually scored the tying run on a Drew Millas RBI-groundout.
Gerson Moreno fanned three over an inning and two-thirds of scoreless relief before Mengden took over to start the eighth. Mengden got Jamie Westbrook on a line drive to right field for the first out of the eighth. The right-hander then induced a pair of ground balls to set down the side. Mengden struck out the side in the ninth. He threw 23 pitches (16 strikes) over the two innings of work.
Blankenhorn also had a double in the win.
Jack Dunn finished 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Matt Adams drove in a run with a single and later scored. Cody Wilson was 1-for-3.
Scranton/WB’s Austin Wells was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI, a walk and a run scored. Everson Pereira went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
The two teams meet again on Saturday for a 6:05 PM first pitch at PNC Field.
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