BY DAN GLICKMAN
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Only minutes before two straight home runs took the energy out of the Innovative Field crowd, it seemed like the Rochester Red Wings were about to jump ahead of the Toledo Mud Hens. With two outs in the sixth, catcher Francisco Mejia, a veteran of portions of seven MLB seasons, got hold of an 85.5 MPH splitter left near the center of the zone by rehabbing 2023 All-Star Alex Cobb.
He drove it deep into the night. From the sound of the crowd of 7,457 fans, many thought it would be gone, or at the very least land for extra bases and a game-tying run from Jackson Cluff, who was heading full-speed around the bases from first. It was not to be: Toledo center fielder Akil Baddoo came streaking in, reaching up and grabbing the ball to end the inning and keep the score 4-3 Mud Hens.
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That would ultimately prove to be as close as the Rochester Red Wings (48-74, 21-29 in the second half) came on Saturday night in a 14-4 loss, as Mud Hens (70-55, 31-19) in the second half catcher Tomas Nido and Baddoo hit back-to-back home runs off reliever Eduardo Salazar to start a five-run inning that put the Hens up 9-3 en route to their victory. Toledo jltimately hit fie home runs on the night.
It was the fourth straight appearance for Salazar, where he gave up at least one run, and the follow-up pitcher, Julian Fernandez, fared little better, allowing two home runs in the eighth, including another to Baddoo, who finished the night 3-for-6 with two RBI and three runs scored.
“Sally’s struggles kind of continued,” said Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy post-game. “He gave up five out there, and that kind of was a dagger.”
Although the Red Wings would claw back a run in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single by Yohandy Morales, it was too little, too late. By the end of the game, infielder J.T. Arruda was pitching for the Wings.
Earlier, the Mud Hens had jumped ahead in the first inning, utilizing what they’ve done for much of the series: the long ball. After a single to right by Baddoo and an error that allowed left fielder Trei Cruz to reach, starter Adrian Sampson got the next man, first baseman Justyn-Henry Malloy, to fly out. Up came third baseman Jace Jung, who worked a 3-2 count before finding a pitch left high that he promptly deposited into the right field bullpen to put Toledo ahead, 3-0. It was the third first-inning home run for Toledo in the series, and the second from Jung.
The Red Wings then got to work scraping their way back. Facing starter Keider Montero, Mejia singled in Trey Lipscomb on a liner in the second to make it 3-1, and then Andrew Pinckney made it a one-run game on a single in the third, 3-2. While the Hens again moved ahead into a two-run lead on a ground-rule double in the fourth by Nido to turn the score to 4-2, a first-pitch home run in the bottom of the fourth by shortstop Jackson Cluff- his career-high 11th of the season- again put the Wings back just one, 4-3.
The sixth inning saw two opportunities for runs fall by the wayside in what proved to be the last opportunity for Rochester to tie or move ahead. Pinckney led off with a ground ball single against Cobb, but then Lipscomb hit a ball hard but right at Toledo second baseman Max Anderson, who was able to get the ball to first in time to double-up Pinckney. Although Cluff got on with a single to center, Baddoo’s nice catch of Mejia’s drive ended what proved to be the Wings’ last serious threat.
“We had a spot there that could have changed the outcome,” said LeCroy. “But, you know, we didn’t pitch well enough to stay in it.”
Offensively, the Wings were led by Pinckney and Cluff, who each had two hits and drove in a run. Cluff also drew a walk.
Sampson, coming off two quality starts earlier in the home stand, had another nice night on the mound, going six innings while allowing three earned runs on five hits and striking out five. Despite getting the loss to move to 3-4 on the season for Rochester, his manager didn’t blame him.
“[He] did a nice job,” said LeCroy. “He kept on, and kept them off balance. He gave us a chance, we crept back in to it, left only one down after six innings.”
“We got a couple guys that don’t feel that good in the bullpen, and it’s been kind of our Achilles heel all year.”
The Red Wings conclude their home stand and their series with the Mud Hens on Sunday at 1:05 p.m., when they send out Riley Cornelio (1-2, 6.14). After Sunday, the Wings hit the road for two weeks before coming back in September for the final home series of the year, starting Sept. 9 against Buffalo.
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