BY JONATHAN SKUZA
ROCHESTER, NY. — The Rochester Red Wings split their fifth doubleheader of the season with the Buffalo Bisons with a loss in game one 4-2 and a victory in game two 2-1.
In the game two victory, Rochester jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after Trey Lipscomb drove home Darren Baker on a base hit with two outs. Carter Kieboom tacked on an insurance run in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly that scored James Wood. Wood extended his on-base streak to 24 games.
”Good team game,” Red Wings manager Matthew LeCroy said. “We scored enough, we gave up the home run, but luckily we had the insurance run and we ended up winning.”
Addison Barger hit a solo home run 416 feet to pull Buffalo within one in the seventh inning, but Rochester was able to get the final three outs to pick up the victory.
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DJ Herz earned his first Triple-A victory on Saturday with a strong five inning performance on the mound for Rochester.
”It feels good,” Herz said. “The guys were all celebrating and it’s just a good feeling. It’s good to get back on track.”
Herz struck out a new season high of eight batters while only giving up three hits and one walk in his five innings of work.
”I haven’t pitched in nine days,” the left hander said. “So it was good to just get this good one under my belt and now we keep rolling from here.”
”I’m so proud of what he did, coming off a couple bad outings and some work on the side with our pitching coach,” LeCroy said. “He was able to take it into the game. It’s the best that he’s probably ever thrown the baseball and we’re really excited for his next outing.”
The Rochester bullpen shut the door to assist Herz’s in his milestone victory. The two innings of work from the bullpen saw a strikeout and one run surrendered on one hit.
”It’s a good feeling when you know you can trust the guys and don’t have to worry,” Herz said.
The Red Wings also played a part in Herz’s victory by turning two double plays. Erick Mejia made a highlight reel catch in right field on a well hit ball from Cameron Eden and then threw out Will Robertson who ran past second base thinking it was going to be a base hit. Then, Dunn turned a an inning ending double play to keep Buffalo off the scoreboard at the point in the ballgame.
”I thought it was great,” LeCroy said about the catch. “That was big for us in that inning.”
In game one, Buffalo secured a lead in the third inning that they never gave. Rochester jumped out to an early lead after Drew Millas collected a two-RBI base hit that scored Baker and Jack Dunn who collected back-to-back base hits to lead off the Red Wings’ first inning.
”We scored out of the gate, but we didn’t keep them from scoring,” LeCroy said. “We didn’t get that shut down inning that we needed. Offensively, we just didn’t get it going.”
Buffalo responded the following inning with a two run inning of their own. Leo Jimenez drove in Barger and Brian Serven with a base hit after both collected a double to open up the inning. The following inning, Serven drove in what became the deciding run when he collected a base hit up the middle that scored Nathan Lukes. Buffalo added an insurance run in the fifth inning when Lukes drove home Spencer Horwitz with an RBI double after Horwitz led off the inning with a triple.
Rochester was not able to respond as they couldn’t get much offense going after the two run first inning. The Red Wings left seven runners on and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
”Our situational hitting, we need to get those runners in when they play the infield back,” LeCroy said. “Those are the ones you have to capitalize on because they’re basically giving up a run for an out.”
Baker played a big part in sparking the Red Wings offense in both contests with the Redwood City native being Rochester’s first run in both games. Baker went 2-for-7 with two runs scored in the doubleheader.
”Against guys like [Paolo] Espino or [Andrew] Bash, you may only get a couple of chances to score really,” Baker said. “I just do my job to get on base in front of Woody (James Wood) and [Jack] Dunn and see what happens.”
”We call him ‘The Hit Collector’ because he just finds ways to get on base and get hits,” LeCroy said.
Rochester will look to build of the game two momentum to capture its third series on Sunday.
”I think we just got to go out and secure the baseball and I’m excited Rut (Jackson Rutledge) to pitch for us tomorrow against a good lineup,” LeCroy said. “Hopefully he can keep us close and the offense breaks out.”
The Rochester Red Wings(20-20) and Buffalo Bisons (25-19) will finish up their series on Sunday with first pitch scheduled at 1:05 p.m. as right hander Jackson Rutledge (2-2, 6.33) will get the ball for the Wings while the Buffalo will send opener righty Troy Watson (3-6, 4.83) to the mound.
Series going about the way we all expected. A chance to win it today or another split. Wings almost gave away game two when they allowed 1 run in the 7th but closed the door after that to secure the 2-1 win.
I feel so bad for Dan Mason & Co for the absolutely hideous spring weather for our homestands so far. I cant remember a time in recent years where the weather has been so consistently awful for most every game. Hopefully that will change once we turn the calendar to June.