BY DAN GLICKMAN
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – After a day full of rain, the skies cleared up in time for the Rochester Red Wings to play the Indianapolis Indians on Saturday night. The Red Wings perhaps wished it hadn’t, however, as they fell for the first time in the second half, 13-4, as Indianapolis hitters battered Wings pitching to the tune of 13 hits, including six in a six-run third and three in a five-run fourth spurred by a Malcolm Nunez grand slam.
The loss also ended a six-game win streak for the Wings (4-1 in second half) overall.
“It’s just one of those days,” said Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy. “We just couldn’t stop them, man. They took advantage of some walks and mistakes.”
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The game started off looking good for the Wings. A night after scoring 14 runs on 17 hits, the Red Wings offense opened the game where it left off, as the team staged a two-out rally with three straight hits, culminating in a two-run home run by Juan Yepez to make it 4-0.
That would be it for the Red Wings offense for the game, as the Indians replied with 13 unanswered runs. Their barrage began in the third, as the Indians batted around the Red Wings and starter Jackson Rutledge with an inning that included six straight one-out hits, including a two-run double to center by Ji Hwan Bae to put Indianapolis on the board 4-2 and a Matt Gorski double to put the Indians ahead, 5-4. Even the second out brought in a run, as Seth Beer raced home before the Red Wings got Gorski in a rundown to make it 6-4.
All of the third-inning runs came against Rutledge, who’d ultimately go three innings and a batter in the fourth while allowing seven earned runs on seven hits and three walks. However, some of it was the result of bad luck, as Indianapolis hitters were able to find open spots in the field and send hits just out of the reach of Rochester fielders. LeCroy had hoped that the right-hander would recover, but after walking the leadoff man in the fourth, he removed him for Adonis Medina.
“I felt good about Rut[ledge],” said LeCroy. “[But] he just couldn’t stop the bleeding there in the third inning, then we went back out in the fourth and walked the first guy.”
What followed was what LeCroy called Medina’s “toughest outing” of the year, as the righty allowed two hits to load the bases before walking in Liover Peguero to bring in a bases-loaded run. The following batter, Nunez, grabbed hold of a 2-1 sinker and sent it over the fence in left-center at a velocity of 108.1 MPH for a grand slam to increase their lead to 11-4.
The Red Wings bullpen held the Indians scoreless after that until they put up two runs in the top of the ninth, with Tim Cate and Orlando Ribalta each throwing two hitless innings. However, Rochester bats struggled against former big leaguer Domingo German– just over a year removed from throwing a perfect game for the New York Yankees. After the Red Wings put up four runs against him in the first, the Dominican held them scoreless his remaining four innings before three different Indianapolis relievers combined to allow just two hits the rest of the way, preventing any sort of comeback.
“We just never got back in it,” said LeCroy.
Offensively, Riley Adams, playing first base instead of his usual catcher, had two doubles as part of a 2-for-4 night, notching an RBI in the first. Darren Baker stole his 26th base of the year in the first inning, tying him for second in the International League.
Neither James Wood nor Dylan Crews started Saturday. While Wood’s absence was likely the result of his upcoming callup (still not officially announced by the Nationals or Red Wings), LeCroy said Crews’ day off was simply a normal rest day combined with some caution after he hit a foul ball off his foot earlier in the series.
The Red Wings conclude their series with Indianapolis on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. Rehabbing Washington National righty Josiah Gray, a 2023 All-Star, will start against a Indians starter to be announced. LeCroy says that Gray will be “full-go” in his second rehab start for the Red Wings. On Tuesday, the Le Moyne product went six innings, allowing four hits and an earned run while striking out four as he works his way back from a right elbow/forearm flexor strain suffered early in the season.
Sunday will be the final game of the Red Wings’ Marvel Super Hero weekend, and will also feature a birthday party for Spikes and Mittsy.
One of those crazy nights (as the Eagles would sing). After being mostly perfect all the month of May and a good part of June Adonis Medina flamed out last night with his worst outing of the season.
Again, the Wings Achilles Heel in 2024 has been pitching. And unless it straightens out, it will sink any chances they have of competing seriously. Even in many of the victories Wings hitters have allowed the pitching to allow a ton of runs.
Put this one aside for the moment. Go out and take the series 5-1 and move on to Buffalo. While I’m sure they will miss James Wood, it should be noted that the team still won a lot of games without him. He was a luxury and we probably won’t see him anymore, unless he totally fails in his first trip to the majors.