BY JONATHAN SKUZA
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Travis Blankenhorn stayed hot at the plate with a five RBI night for the Rochester Red Wings as they powered past the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 10-6 Friday evening.
”Just having a veteran hitter in the middle of the lineup that can carry a club that big,” Red Wings manager Matthew LeCroy said. “He’s a guy that I’m never gonna give up on because I‘ve seen him enough and to know he is a guy that has a chance to impact a baseball.”
Blankenhorn’s five RBI night was highlighted by two long bombs. The Pottsville, Pennsylvania native took a 2-2 pitch in the first inning and sent into the Red Wings bullpen to tie the game at two. Four innings later, Blankenhorn found the Red Wings bullpen a second time on a 3-1 pitch to give Rochester a 5-3 lead. The lefty collected his last two RBIs of the evening with a base hit that drove in Jack Dunn and Darren Baker.
“I think he tried to get a heater by me and I think he missed his location, so I’m happy I got a good swing on it,” Blankenhorn said about his first home run.
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The two homers extended Blankenhorn’s extra base streak to six games.
“I feel like when I’m staying in the zone I’m hitting pretty well,” Blanknehorn said.
Joey Meneses joined in on the long ball fun in the seventh inning when he hit a towering home run 415 feet to dead center field to give Rochester a four run cushion.
”I think that was a big home run for Joey,” LeCroy said. “He needed it, it was kind of a weight lifted off his shoulders. I know he wants it so bad.”
”That was huge for our team,” Blankenhorn said. “That was probably the biggest hit of the game.”
Alex Call and Brady House both drove in runs in the in the third inning to tie the game and take the lead for Rochester. Call collected his 12th double of the season to bring around Dylan Crews who led off the inning with a double of his own. Call extended his on-base streak to 15 games. House collected his sixth RBI with a two out base hit to score Call.
”I’m just happy he’s here with us and I’m happy he’s around this group of guys and coaching staff,” LeCroy said about House.
Thaddeus Ward pitched five innings and earned the win for Rochester on Friday. Ward surrendered three runs in the first two innings and struggled in the early parts of his start. From the third inning until his night was finished, the righty kept the Lehigh Valley offense off the board including setting down the final eight batter he faced. Ward finished with three punch outs along with two earned runs on four hits and five walks.
”I hope it gives him some more confidence,” LeCroy said about Ward. “His stuff is there. For him to make the adjustment he made after the second inning and go three, four, five scoreless, for me it’s hope that’s a confidence booster.
The Rochester defense struggled slightly throughout the ballgame including two errors and a couple miscues that led to runs and bigger innings for Lehigh Valley.
”We are going to do our defensive work and we want to be fundamentally sound,” LeCroy said. “We teach every day, we are going to coach and we’ll be better tomorrow.”
Rochester has a chance to win the series with victories in the next two contests and an opportunity to catch the IronPigs in the second-half International standings. The Red Wings trail by a single game.
”I’m confident in our team and I love our group,” LeCroy said. “It’s a dogfight every night with these guys, they got a good team. I’m up for the challenge and I know the guys are.”
The Rochester Red Wings (15-10, 53-45) will continue their series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (16-9, 50-47) on Saturday at 6:45 p.m. as Rochester’s starter has yet to be announced and Lehigh Valley will send righty David Buchanan (7-3, 4.83) to the mound.
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