BY DAN GLICKMAN
The Rochester Red Wings started their first series after the All-Star break with a loss on Friday, falling at the Syracuse Mets, 13-2, as Syracuse scored 13 unanswered runs.
The Wings (51-41 overall, 13-6 in second half, one game up in the International League) got on the board early, as right fielder Travis Blankenhorn drove in Darren Baker on a one-out sacrifice fly to put Rochester ahead, 1-0. It was all Syracuse from that point on, however, scoring four in the bottom of the first before putting up nine runs- only one of them earned- in a fifth inning that saw the Wings commit two of their three errors.
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Down 13-1, Rochester scored again in the eighth, with Baker scoring on a Joey Meneses single. That’d be it for the Wings, who were outhit, 14-7.
Baker led the Wings at the plate, going 2-for-5 and scoring both of Rochester’s runs. Meneses went 1-for-2 with an RBI and two walks. Brady House doubled.
Outside of the first and fifth innings, Rochester pitchers held the Mets scoreless, with Joan Adon throwing three innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit and striking out one. Tim Cate and Erick Mejia (normally an infielder) also had scoreless appearances, while Ty Tice threw a perfect seventh.
A loss by Lehigh Valley on Friday night to Worcester means the Red Wings maintain their one-game lead in the International League second half, although Syracuse’s win has moved them to within a game for the lead as well.
The two teams play again on Saturday at 6:35 P.M., with righty Jackson Rutledge (4-5, 6.66) scheduled for the Red Wings. Syracuse hasn’t officially announced their starter, but reports say that New York Mets starter Kodai Senga will make a rehab appearance.
only thing worth saying about that mess was it was ugly. And because the Wings just don’t have any pitching, we will continue to see games like this. The short run in 1st place was fun though, but there is no way its sustainable with the worst pitching staff in the IL.
But we can always hope…