Nationals’ Joey Gallo joined Rochester for a rehab stint (hamstring) and homered in the Red Wings’ 10-5 win of Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Buffalo Bisons at Sahlen Field. Gallo delivered a two-run go-ahead shot in the third inning that put Rochester ahead 3-1. After Buffalo leveled things 3-3, Andrés Chaparro connected on a homer of his own in the fifth inning that gave Rochester the lead they wouldn’t surrender. Gallo was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and three plated runs tacked on.
Dylan Crews tripled to lead off the third. José Tena followed with a double that scored Crews and knotted the game at one. Tena ended the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored including one on the bat of Gallo’s home run. Crews went 3-for-4 and crossed home once.
After Chaparro’s home run, Rochester added four more runs in the fifth. Gallo, Joey Meneses and Brady House walked in order before Buffalo made a pitching change. Adrian Hernandez took the mound before throwing a wild pitch that allowed Gallo to add one to the lead and the other runners to advance. Jack Dunn then knocked a sacrifice fly to right field allowing Meneses to reach home. Darren Baker walked and stole second before another wild pitch handed runs to House and Baker and made the Rochester lead 9-3.
In the sixth inning, Gallo and Meneses had back-to-back one-out walks before Jimmy Burnette relieved Hernandez. House singled and loaded the bases for Dunn. Dunn hit a fielder’s choice toward third baseman Gabriel Cancel who made a fielding error that allowed Gallo to score.
Adonis Medina and Joe La Sorsa were key arms out of the bullpen for the Red Wings combining for three scoreless innings. Medina fanned three across 1.2 innings pitched and earned the win. La Sorsa limited the Bisons to one hit and added a strikeout.
Bisons leadoff man Jonatan Clase went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Center Max McDowell hit a two-run homer late that cut the lead to 10-5.
In Game 2, Rochester fell 5-3. Tena hit a solo home run in the first inning for Rochester before Chaparro got his second two-run bomb of the afternoon in the seventh.
Rochester attempted a seventh inning rally but came up short. Crews singled and then got home on Chaparro’s two-out homer. Then, Carter Kieboom walked and Jake Alu doubled which gave Stone Garrett runners on second and third. But, Garrett struck out.
Spenser Watkins started for the Wings and turned in four innings pitched. He struck out four batters. Tim Cate also delivered a scoreless inning of relief.
Josh Kasevich hit a three-run homer in the fourth gaining Buffalo’s lead that lasted until the end. Damiano Palmegiani managed a two-run shot in the sixth for some insurance.
Thursday, Rochester and Buffalo will meet again at Sahlen Field for Game 3 of the series. Andrew Alvarez is slated to take the mound for Rochester while Buffalo is expected to start Trenton Wallace. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Too bad Wings couldn’t close the deal and win both yesterday. Garrett has whiffed a few times to end rallies this season. He has been an offense disappointment.
Wings really are no longer a threat for 1st place. They are playing .500 ball. And that I believe has been their ceiling all season. Biggest issues: pitching, and lately the many callups by Washington which has gouged a hole in our offense. Gnats can do whatever they want of course. they are not contenders. Still the call-up of Blankenhorn was an odd one. He wasn’t on their 40 man. And there is no reason to believe he is in their long range plans. Perhaps it was just a ‘reward’ or thank-you for having a good season with the Wings.
While they have not lost a series 2nd half, they seem to have settled into being content to split the 6 games each week. But no longer should they be considered contenders. They teased for awhile but reality has come home to roost.
Well, I forgot the little 3 game series with Syracuse that the Wings got swept in. And really started the descent into mediocrity.