BY JONATHAN SKUZA
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings (11-31) surrendered seven runs in the ninth inning to fall 9-3 to the Durham Balls (28-16) Saturday evening.
”We had a chance and we couldn’t record the last out,” Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy said. “It’s kind of been our season. We haven’t been able to hold leads and put people away.”
Going into the ninth inning Rochester was leading 3-2 and was one strike away from securing their first back-to-back victories since the third and fourth game of the season. Former Red Wing Andrew Stevenson had other plans as he smacked an RBI double to tie the ballgame. His Durham teammates would proceed to push across six more runs highlighted by a Coco Montes three-run home run.
“We’re giving everybody the opportunities and nobody wants to take it,” LeCroy said.
The Red Wings defense finished with two errors in the contest with one coming in the ninth when a throwing error ended up in the Red Wings dugout allowing two runs to score.
”It’s just experience,” LeCroy said. “We got to continue to play. It’s not a lack of work before the game. We do early work and extra work before the game, but the game is a different story. We have to be able to take what we do on the defensive side in pregame and take it into the game.”
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Durham heavily out hit Rochester 14-3 during Saturday’s contest. Rochester’s offense had 17 batters set down in a row between the fourth and ninth inning that was broken up by a Drew Millas base hit with one out in the ninth.
“We just didn’t work him long enough,” LeCroy said. “We got him early, but he settled down and gave his guys a chance.”
The small bright spot for Rochester’s offense was Brady House who launched two home runs during the offense and provided all of the runs for the Red Wings.
”He was our offense,” LeCroy said. “He’s getting locked in. I’m proud of all the young hitters. They’re doing some really neat things at the plate and I’m excited for that.”
House in the first inning took a 1-0 pitch and hit a long fly ball down the left field line to get Rochester on the board early. Then, in the third inning he hit a 407 foot two-run shot to extend the lead.
”The main thing has been we’ve been working on is being on time,” House said. “Daylen [Lile] was on first and I was just trying to get the ball to the middle right side of the field so he could get over somehow and try to get to third base and it ended up being a good swing.”
House has launched three home runs during the series with Durham and collected four extra base hits total as he has been a bright spot for the Red Wings offense.
”We’ve been working on trying to control the zone and get pitches that we like to hit,” House said. “We’ve been doing a good job of that and staying with our approach.”
Andrew Alvarez pitched well for Rochester giving them their longest start of the season with six and a third innings pitched. Alvarez gave up a run on four hits and a walk while striking out three for Rochester.
”Huge,” LeCroy said. “He’s kind of been a mixed bag at the beginning. He had some tough innings that got him in trouble, but tonight he put it all together and gave us a chance.”
The Red Wings and Bulls will conclude the series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. as Rochester will send right-hander Seth Shuman (0-1, 2.18) while Durham will have southpaw Joe Rock (1-2, 5.18) toe the slab.
The season has devolved into just featuring good individual performances (House, Alvarez e.g.) The results of the game is not important anymore for obvious reasons. May as well treat this like spring training. 11-31 is shameful.
When you are ONE strike away from a one-run victory, with only one runner on base…and you lose 9-3….there are no words. Wings lost their season opener to
Buffalo but then won game 2. Coming home they blew out Lehigh Valley for a two game win streak. They lost every other game in that series and that pretty much has defined the season. They have yet to win a series and they haven’t put consecutive wins together since games 2 and 3.
I feel bad for Matt LeCroy and our fans who have to watch these games.