BY DAN GLICKMAN
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Less than a day after getting shut out, 10-0, the Rochester Red Wings were held scoreless again Wednesday, falling to the Scranton Wilkes/Barre RailRiders, 3-0, while managing just one hit.
It was the Red Wings’ second straight shut out, the first time that the team has been shut out in two straight games since 2021 and the first time they’ve been shut out in two straight home games since 2007. The Red Wings (32-30, fourth in International League East) haven’t scored a run since the eighth inning of their 8-5 win over the Worcester Red Sox on Sunday- 19 innings without scoring.
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“We’re kind of in a little rut,” said Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy. “We’re trying to get out of it.”
Despite the low number of hits, the Red Wings had opportunities, twice loading the bases thanks to walks by Scranton pitching in the fifth and sixth. Both times, however, the offense failed to score.
On the mound, Red Wings lefthander Andrew Alvarez struggled in his first AAA start on June 6 at Worcester, allowing six earned runs in 2.2 innings of play. However, he impressed in his first home outing, allowing four hits in five innings while striking out two and holding the RailRiders scoreless.
“He made great adjustments from his first outing,” said LeCroy. “He was in better counts, he kept them off the barrel for the most part. He was able to get through it, that was a good sign for him as he bounces back (from his first start).”
“I was getting ahead and let them get themselves out,” said Alvarez. “I threw fewer pitches, and the defense did a great job at backing me up. Me and Brady [Lindsly] were dialed in together, just trusting him and we went from there.”
It didn’t come without some aches and pain, though, as Alvarez twice faced hard line drives right at him, including a 106 miles-per-hour liner into his leg off the bat of Carlos Narvaez in the first. Alvarez was able to field the ball and then throw out the catcher at first for the out, something he said helped him get out of the first inning with two men on.
“I’m kind of glad it got me, it saved a run and got an out, so I can’t complain.”
Much of the game was a pitcher’s duel, as Alvarez and Scranton starter Josh Maciejewski matched zeros on the line score through the fifth inning, with Maciejewski keeping all Red Wings off the basepaths until a one-out single by right fielder Travis Blankenhorn with an out in the fourth- the lone hit on the day against the North Carolinian. Rochester finally chased Macijewski away in the fifth with two men on and one out, but reliever Odanier Mosqueda escaped the inning without allowing a run despite loading the bases with a walk to Erick Mejia. The second opportunity for the Wings came an inning later, as three straight walks loaded the bases for the Wings. The next two batters were put out by the first baseman, though, ending the would-be rally.
“We had a chance there in the fifth, we didn’t get the big hit,” said LeCroy. “In the sixth we had the bases loaded with one out and didn’t score. That was the momentum changer.”
Scranton finally broke through in the seventh, when right fielder Oscar Gonzalez tripled on a ball that got by Blankenhorn in right before getting driven in on a double by Greg Allen. Scranton added two more in the ninth for insurance, and the Red Wings never seriously threatened after Erick Mejia was left stranded on second in the seventh.
The loss moves Rochester’s “elimination number” for the first half of the International League’s split-season format to one: another Wings loss or a win by Omaha will mathematically eliminate them from having a shot at the first-half title.
The Red Wings continue their series with Scranton on Thursday at 6:45 P.M. Right-hander Thaddeus Ward (4-3, 6.89) will take the mound against righty Will Warren (4-4, 7.24). The team will hand out Rochester Plates Hawaiian shirts to the first 1,000 fans as part of a Beach Night promotion.
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