BY DAN GLICKMAN
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – It was a tale of two games as the the Rochester Red Wings returned to Innovative Field on Tuesday for a doubleheader.
In the first game, the Wings beat the St. Paul Saints, 6-2, to move to three games above .500 for the first time all season, having failed their six previous attempts. Travis Blankenhorn took the International League lead in home runs with his 14th shot of the season, while Joan Adon scattered five hits and held St. Paul scoreless into the sixth.
The second game was a decidedly tougher time, as Red Wings bats struggled against St. Paul’s Caleb Boushley and reliever Josh Winder, only putting up five hits in a 4-1 loss.
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Tuesday’s games were the first games for the Red Wings since Washington top prospect and team batting leader James Wood was placed on the seven-day injured list for hamstring tightness, which he suffered last Thursday.
The injury is not believed to be serious, and Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy says the tall outfielder remains with the team.
“We’re not anticipating anything long,” he said. “He’s doing his routine, he’s doing things with our trainer and strength and conditioning coach. I think we ‘put the fire out’ on something that could have been a little bit longer, but I anticipate him to get going pretty quickly.”
Still, Wood has been a big part of the Rochester lineup, leading not only in batting average (.355) but also on-base-percentage (.465), slugging (.596), OPS (1.061), hits (59), walks (35), runs scored (39), and doubles (13).
“When you got a guy out, obviously people pick up more playing time, so whoever steps in gets the job done,” said LeCroy.
Offensively, the Wings showed no sign of slowing without Wood in the first game, knocking around 2019 Red Wing Randy Dobnak for eight hits and six earned runs.
First baseman Juan Yepez started the scoring, leading off the second by scorching a line drive at 106.4 MPH over the left field fence, his seventh of the season, to give the Wings a 1-0 lead. Blankenhorn followed in the third inning with a two-out shot 425 feet to center to increase the lead to 2-0.
“He’s a good pitcher,” said Blankenhorn of Dobnak, who he played with in the Twins organization earlier in his career. “He throws a lot of stuff, and his ball moves a lot. So, like I [say] all the time, I try to get the ball in the zone and try to put a good swing on it. So, [today] it was positive.”
Second baseman Darren Baker nearly hit a home run of his own in the fourth, but the ball died just before the wall and he settled for an RBI double to extend Rochester’s lead to 3-0. An RBI double from center fielder Alex Call and a run-scoring single from Carter Kieboom finished the Red Wings scoring in the fifth rounded out the scoring.
Meanwhile, Adon not only didn’t allow a run until the sixth inning, he didn’t walk anyone during his six innings of work.
“Walks are what have gotten him in trouble,” said LeCroy.
It was the first game all season that the 25-year-old didn’t allow a free pass, and continued a hopeful trend for the Dominican, who only allowed one base-on-ball in his May 22 start at Lehigh Valley.
In the second game, however, the Red Wings’ hitters struggled. Playing as the road team in a makeup of a game lost to rain in St. Paul earlier in the season, the Red Wings grabbed a top-of-the-first lead when outfielder Jack Dunn beat a throw home on a fielder’s choice. St. Paul tied it in their half, however, loading the bases against T.J. Zeuch and scoring a run on a double play. Two innings later, they took the lead on a solo shot by Matt Wallner before adding a run each in the fourth and fifth. The Wings hitters that put up six against St. Paul pitching in game one had some opportunities, but rarely took advantage, going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
“It’s baseball,” said Blankenhorn. “Everyone was hitting the ball in the first game, and then they came out [in the second game] and [beat us].”
“You have to give credit to their pitcher, he pitched pretty well against us. Unfortunately, that’s the game of baseball, and it happens.”
The Wings and Saints continue their series on Wednesday. Rochester plans to send out Spenser Watkins (1-1, 4.89) against Adam Plutko (0-1, 11.57). Game time is 6:05 p.m.
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