Red Wings silenced in series finale

BY MIKE ROSE

The Rochester Red Wings ended the week with a quiet effort as they fell to the Worcester Red Sox, 5-0. In the final game before the All-Star break across baseball, Rochester could not muster any offense. With Red Wings outfielder Dylan Crews and third baseman Brady House still away from the team after representing the National League in the MLB Futures Game, the Red Wings managed just two hits and six total base runners offensively in the losing effort.

The loss was the first time Rochester has been shut out since the second half began. The last time the Red Wings were shut out prior to Sunday was on June 12 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Lefty DJ Herz made the start for the Red Wings on the mound but failed to work deep into the game, exiting after 3.1 innings. The Red Sox got to Herz in the second on a two-run double from Matthew Lugo to give Worcester the early lead. Herz would end his first Triple-A start since May allowing two runs on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts. He had compiled a 1-3 record with a 5.17 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 31.1 innings for the Washington Nationals this season.

Worcester would add on in the fifth against Garvin Alston. Enmanuel Valdez plated the first run on a fielder’s choice groundout before Mickey Gasper made it a 4-0 lead with an RBI single. Alston made his Triple-A debut on Sunday and allowed a pair of runs across his 2.2 innings of work. He surrendered three hits and two walks while recording two punchouts. Alston pitched 30.1 innings in Double-A this season posting a 3.86 ERA.

Eddy Alvarez hit a solo blast in the eighth to put the exclamation mark on the victory for Worcester. Luis Guerrero earned the win on the mound for Worcester. The Red Wings’ lone hits came from Drew Millas and Carter Kieboom. Kieboom also worked a pair of walks to reach three times in the game. Darren Baker also reached on a walk for the Red Wings.

The loss leads to the first split series for Rochester (13-5, 51-40) in the second half. It also marks the first series in the second the Red Wings did not win. They still occupy the top spot in the International League standings despite the loss, leading second-place Lehigh Valley by one game. With all of baseball heading into the All-Star break Rochester will be out of action until the weekend. They’ll resume play out of the break with a three-game road trip to Syracuse to face the Mets beginning on Friday. the first pitch from NBT Bank Stadium is set for 6:35 p.m. with the projected starting pitchers for both sides to be determined.