BY DAN GLICKMAN
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh put the Rochester Red Wings ahead for good on Sunday, helping the Wings take the 4-3 win and finish a six-game sweep against the Columbus Clippers, extending their win streak to seven straight in the process. They’ve won nine of their last 10.
It’s the first time the Red Wings have had a six-game sweep at home since the minors moved to a six-game series format after the COVID-19 pandemic and Major League Baseball’s controversial takeover of the minors, and only the second time they’ve had a six-game sweep at all- the other was a six-game streak at Worcester in 2022.
It’s also a sharp turnaround from how the Wings (22-33) looked before the last 10 games, when they held a 13-32 record and one of the worst records in professional baseball. Although the team is a long way from turning the season into a success, Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy is excited about the squad’s recent turnaround.
“It’s super,” says LeCroy. “I say this all the time, but these guys are fighters. I’m really proud of how they responded to a rough start, and to see them come back and do the thing that we’re doing now… it’s gratifying.”
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“You put the work in, they put the work in, and they’re starting to respond, and people are taking off.”
Among the players taking off is third baseman Brady House. The No. 3 prospect in the Nationals system according to MLB.com Pipeline, the Georgian was hitting a serviceable .258 after a mid-April slump but has since regained his swing, becoming the team leader in batting average (.292), home runs (10), and RBI (33). He’d prove a key player in the Sunday’s win- driving in both the game-tying and go-ahead runs.
His first double came in the fifth with the Red Wings down 2-1, when House got hold of a Luis Frias cutter with one out and lined it towards right at 92.8 MPH. Columbus (22-32) left fielder C.J. Kafus made a diving play for the ball but came up just short, allowing House to come in for a double while Darren Baker came around to score, tying it up at two. It’d remain that way until the bottom of the seventh.
With two outs in that inning and Baker standing on second after walking and stealing a bag, House came to the plate and worked a 3-1 count and then caught a Zak Kent slider left too high. He jumped on the pitch, rocketing it 109.3 MPH to left, allowing the speedy Baker to score easily and break the tie, 3-2. First baseman Andres Chaparro followed up with a single that brought in House, extending the lead to 4-2.
House credits players like Baker for helping make such big hits possible.
“It’s nice whenever you have somebody in scoring position,” he says. “Whenever I go up to bat, it’s my goal to put it in in the right side of the field [to get them home]. It’s nice to have someone on second a lot of the time.”
The Clippers, the AAA affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, weren’t done yet. With the leadoff man, Brayan Rocchio, on first in the eighth, left fielder C.J. Kayfus knocked a ball to right-center. Rocchio came around to score to make it 4-3, and Kayfus turned second thinking of a triple. Right fielder Franchy Cordero hit the cut-off man Trey Lipscomb, however, and he threw out Kayfus at third for the out. Marquis Grissom Jr. came in and then recorded the last two outs of the eighth and all three in the ninth to earn his first AAA save.
Among the outs was a crucial pick-off. With one out, Milan Tolentino worked a walk against Grissom, putting the tying man on. During the next at-bat, though, Grissom and the Wings defense caught the speedster- who has 11 stolen bases thus far this season- off the bag, eventually leading to a tag-out by shortstop J.T. Arruda to eliminate the would-be tying run. Grissom then struck out Yordys Valdes to end the game.
“[Red Wings catcher Drew] Millas said something to me,” said Grissom, “He said to check on [Tolentino], keep him in a little corner of my eye. I figured with two outs, you’re gonna try to get off and get off and get a bigger lead. He thought I was going to pitch… and then I just picked them.”
Also contributing for the Red Wings on the day was Juan Yepez- who followed his two home runs on Saturday with an RBI single in the bottom of the first.
On the mound, right-hander Chase Solesky started and had a no-decision, spreading out six hits and two earned runs over five innings, striking out six. Carlos Romero relieved Solesky and went 1.1 hitless innings, striking out two before being removed due to tightness. LeCroy says he’s day-to-day. Parker Dunshee allowed a run but earned the win to move to 1-1.
The game concluded what was the most successful full series for the Red Wings of the season. It was also one of the most thrilling- from Thursday through Saturday, the Wings won in walk-off fashion. That includes a walk-off home run from Nick Schnell in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday night to cap a seven-run comeback after falling behind 6-0 early in the game.
The Red Wings will try to keep it going on Tuesday at the Worcester Red Sox with a 5:05 p.m. start. Cade Cavalli is expected to start against Worcester’s Robert Stock.
Rochester had trouble with the WooSox earlier in the year, going 1-5 in an April series. Worcester still has Roman Anthony- the top position player prospect in the minors.
LeCroy isn’t phased, and neither, he thinks, are the players.
“We played them,” he says. “We played them better than what our records show; we just didn’t hold our leads. But I feel pretty confident about our club. I feel that they’ll want to go out there with a little chip on their shoulder.”
The Red Wings next return to Rochester on Tuesday, June 10, to host the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at 6:45 p.m.
This article has been updated.
Winning is always fun and finally the Red Wings are winning. The first half will not be successful, but perhaps this is building towards being competitive when the IL re-sets at the end of June. A lot depends on what the Nats do. They currently have a few of our decent hitters, due to injury, so that could change. When Crews comes back he may be sent down since he has struggled so far. House may go up. Lile and or Hassel could return.
An ambitious goal could be trying to reach .500. they are now 11 under with just 19 left to play (one game has been cancelled) so that is probably unrealistic but lets see how many more games they can shave off the deficit.
Shades of earlier on with last nights cruel loss. Wings had it ‘won’ twice…one out HR in 9th tied it for Woosox. Wings got 2 in the 10th but quickly a 2 run HR tied it again and Wings went on to lose on a botched bunt play.