BY DAN GLICKMAN
The Rochester Red Wings won the sixth and final game of their series at the Charlotte Knights on Sunday, 12-7, behind four home runs. Tied at four going into the sixth inning, the Wing outscored the Knights 8-3 the rest of the way The win also earned the team the series victory, four games to two.
The Wings (42-63, 15-18 in the second half) fell behind early on a sacrifice fly by Charlotte (51-56, 15-17 in the second half) catcher Korey Lee in the bottom of the first, but they soon jumped ahead in the bottom of the second. There, designated hitter Andrew Pinckney led off with a solo shot off of big league veteran Mike Clevinger before Jackson Cluff made it back-to-back with a 384-foot shot to right-center to make it 2-1. Nick Schnell later drew a bases-loaded walk to up the lead to 3-1.
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Charlotte came back though, scoring a run in the bottom of the second and then one in the fourth to equalize it at three. An Andres Chaparro home run in the fifth put the Red Wings up, 4-3, but the Knights then tied it up again in the bottom half of the inning with a Bryan Ramos lead-off shot.
The sixth inning would ultimately prove decisive. After Cluff drew a leadoff walk against Fraser Ellard, he moved to third when Trey Lipscomb hit a ground-rule double. Cluff then came in to score later in the inning when Nasim Nunez hit an infield single, making it 5-4. Nunez then stole second, drawing a throw from Lee that went wild and allowed Lipscomb to come in to up the score to 6-4. It would ultimately be the rehabbing outfielder Dylan Crews who’d put the exclamation point up later in the inning, lining a three-run shot at 106.8 MPH over the center field wall to make it 9-4. The Red Wings would never trail again the rest of the game, although they did have to escape a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, when Holden Powell forced a double-play from Vinny Capra to keep the score 10-7.
On the mound, Seth Shuman earned the win in relief (4-4), going 1.1 innings while allowing two hits and an earned run and striking out two. Crews went 2-for-4 with a double, his home run, and three RBI before being replaced by J.T. Arruda later in the contest. Center fielder and recent arrival Christian Franklin went 2-for-4 with two walks, driving in two. Lipscomb doubled twice as part of a 3-for-5 night.
The Red Wings continue their southern swing on Tuesday when they begin a series with the AAA Baltimore Orioles affiliate, the Norfolk Tides. Game one is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Wings still flirting with .500 2nd half. They get close, then fall back.
the issue–as it always has been this season—pitching. The team and the entire organization has none, Wings have lost several games this season that they had won…but for a total collapse of the bullpen. Starters have been slightly better.
The lineup has mostly survived the call-ups of a few very key players…House and recently Hassel Jr come to mind. Dylan Crews, trying to make it back to DC after a season filled with injuries has gotten off to a very slow start with the Wings. Yesterday he finally hit a key HR.
Norfolk is next…a beatable team that has been in the crosshairs of Orioles fans all year. Two sluggers Basallo and Beavers have led the way and the woeful Orioles have seen fit to not call them up yet, even after they destroyed their team on July 31. (something about keeping their rookie status…but frankly the fans deserve better than what the O’s are serving up)
Nats will be bottom feeders in 2025 on merit. They didn’t do much at the deadline but its clear the organization needs help, especially pitching. Red Wings probably must settle for a goal in 2025 of finishing the 2nd half at .500. Its doable, sort of.