BY DAN GLICKMAN
The Rochester Red Wings entered Wednesday with a six-game win streak, but they couldn’t make it to seven, as they fell to the Worcester Red Sox in a back-and-forth 7-6 defeat in Massachusetts, falling behind in the fifth on a two-run home run by Worcester’s Nick Sogard.
Despite the loss, the Red Wings (11-3 in the second half, 49-38) remain first in the International League for the second half, as even a win for the second-place Lehigh Valley IronPigs in Buffalo on Wednesday night would put them at two games behind the Red Wings.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JOE TERRITO.
Rochester got off to a hot start, with Dylan Crews drawing a leadoff walk in the first before Darren Baker and Carter Kieboom hit back-to-back singles, which combined with a fielding error by Worcester center fielder Eddy Alvarez to to bring in two runs before an out was recorded. Joey Meneses, making his second appearance since getting demoted to the Wings, later singled in Kieboom to put the Wings up 3-0.
Worcester answered to begin the bottom of the second, as second baseman Nick Yorke hit the first of his two solo home runs on the day to lead it off and cut the Rochester lead to 3-1. The WooSox took the lead the following inning, as a one-out three-run shot by Enmanuel Valdez jumped them ahead, 4-3, before Yorke’s second solo shot increased the lead to 5-3.
The Red Wings rallied in the top of the fifth. With the bases load and two outs, third baseman Brady House singled in Baker from third for his first AAA RBI to cut the lead to 5-4. Alex Call followed, connecting on a 3-2 sinker from Bryan Mata to send the ball through the infield into right for a two-RBI single, again putting the Wings ahead, 6-5.
Sogard’s two-out homer in the bottom of the inning against Tim Cate moved the game to its final 7-6 score, however, as the Red Wings proved unable to tie it up, despite getting men into scoring position in the sixth and eighth.
At the plate, Call and catcher Brady Lindsly each went two-for-four, with Call driving in two runs. Adonis Medina, Amos Willingham, and Orlando Ribalta all threw an inning each of scoreless relief. Baker stole his 29th base of the season, one behind Buffalo’s Steward Berroa for the International League lead.
The Red Wings will look to get back in the win column on Thursday in game three of their Worcester series, with first pitch set for 6:45 P.M. Righty Spenser Watkins (6-3, 4.61) will face Worcester righty Richard Fitts (5-3, 4.26).
Funny but when they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 1st inning, I said I have a bad feeling about this one. Worcester has a very hard hitting lineup and they were due to bust out. And they did. 4 HR’s provided all their runs as the Wings ended up blowing the lead twice.
They did have their chances to get back in it though, but couldn’t deliver the key hit with RISP in the later innings. Tough loss. So we get back on the horse tomorrow and start a new win streak. (with emphasis on keeping their guys in the ballpark)