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BY DAN GLICKMAN
Left shorthanded by All-Star Games and call-ups, the Rochester Red Wings fell at the Worcester Red Sox on Friday, 12-5, despite an early lead.
The Wings (12-4 in second half, 50-39 overall, first place in the International League for the second half, one game ahead of Lehigh Valley) took an early 3-0 lead and led 4-3 after two innings, but Worcester outscored them 9-1 the rest of the way.
Rochester played without either of their top prospects, as center fielder Dylan Crews and third baseman Brady House had both left for Texas, where they’ll take part in All-Star Futures Game activities. In addition, the Wings were without starter Jackson Rutledge, who made his first MLB start of the season for Washington on Friday, forcing the Wings to instead start reliever Luis Reyes for the first time this season. Reyes ultimately went two-plus innings, allowing six earned runs on on four hits and walking four.
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The game started off well for the Red Wings, with right fielder Travis Blankenhorn hitting a three-run shot with one out in the first to put Rochester ahead 3-0 in the top of the first, his 18th longball of the season. The Red Sox responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first before catcher Brady Lindsly put the Wings ahead again by driving a ball 409 feet to right center field to lead off the second with his third home run of the season.
It was almost all Red Sox after that, with Niko Kavadas catapulting Worcester ahead, 6-4, with a three-run shot in the third, giving his three of his seven RBI on the night. Although Rochester cut the lead back to one in the fourth, they’d never score again in the game while Worcester continually increased its lead with three runs in the fourth, two in the fifth, and a final run in the eighth.
By the end of the game, the Red Wings brought in backup catcher Jarrett Gonzales to throw the final two innings of play. Utilizing eephus curveballs clocked in the 40s on the radar gun, the Texan allowed two hits and an earned run during his emergency relief appearance, walking two but allowing fewer runs than three other Red Wings pitchers on the night and fewer earned runs than two of them.
A bright spot for the Red Wings came from second baseman Darren Baker, who went 3-for-5 with an RBI and stole his 30th base- tying him for the International League lead. Lindsly was 2-for-4 with his home run, a double, and two runs scored. Righty Orlando Ribalta threw a scoreless seventh inning, the lone Red Wing to throw at least an inning without allowing a run.
Rochester looks to get back in the win column and ensure at least a series split on Saturday when they play at Worcester again at 4:05 P.M. Righty Brad Lord (1-0, 5.79) will start against Worcester right-hander Justin Hagenman (1-3, 4.94).
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