By Dan Glickman
The Rochester Red Wings dropped their 2025 season opener on Friday, 6-2, to the Buffalo Bisons, as the bullpen allowed five unanswered runs, and the team failed to capitalize on a bases-loaded situation in the seventh.
Rochester (0-1) has lost five straight opening day games.
Left-handed starter Andrew Alvarez threw five innings without an earned run, striking out six while allowing two hits and two walks on 80 pitches. The lone blemish came on an unearned RBI groundout by Ali Sanchez with one out in the bottom of the second, scoring Joey Loperfido, who was only in scoring position due to a passed ball by catcher Drew Millas earlier in the inning.
Rochester made up the 1-0 deficit in the top of the fourth, as third baseman Brady House led the inning off with a walk before moving to third on a double by first baseman Juan Yepez. House scored the following at-bat on a groundout by designated hitter Franchy Cordero, and left fielder Stone Garrett knocked Yepez home with a single to left to put the Wings ahead, 2-1.
That would be all scoring the Red Wings could muster at the plate on the day, and Buffalo jumped on the Red Wings bullpen immediately after Alvarez left, with four of the first five Bison reaching against Konnor Pilkington. Pilkington, making his Wings debut, hit the first two batters he saw before striking out Joey Loperfido. Michael Stefanic put Buffalo ahead in the next at-bat with a two-run double to make it 3-2. Two more runs would score after Pilkington was lifted for Joan Adon, giving Buffalo a 5-2 lead.
The Red Wings had a chance to get back into it in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs, but Josh Walker‘s strikeout of Cordero ended the threat. Buffalo extended its lead in the eighth with a solo shot from Loperfido to bring about the 6-2 score.
Rochester aims to get into the win column on Saturday in Buffalo in the second game of the 2025 season. Right-hander Andry Lara is set to make his AAA debut against Buffalo left-hander Trenton Wallace.
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