BY DAN GLICKMAN
The Rochester Red Wings opened the 2026 season with an 8-7 road victory, using a five-run sixth inning and a bases-loaded walk in the ninth to beat the defending AAA champion Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Friday.
The win is the first opening day win for the Red Wings in 2019 and the first time in the Nationals era that the team has begun the season 1-0.
Tied 7-7 heading into the ninth, third baseman Yohandy Morales drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs off Shrimp reliever William Kemper to get the go-ahead run across the plate. Morales then helped save the game for the Red Wings defensively in the bottom of the ninth, making a diving stop on a one-out bases-loaded grounder from Jacksonville shortstop Jared Serna. Touching third to get the second out of the inning, he then twisted and threw the ball home, where catcher Harry Ford caught the ball and tagged out Daniel Johnson, preventing the would-be tying run and ending the game.
Rochester twice had to come back from deficits. Jacksonville took an early lead off Red Wings’ starter Andrew Alvarez with two runs in the bottom of the first. Rochester scraped back one of the runs in the top of the second, as Abimelec Ortiz scored on an Andrew Pinckney groundout to make it 2-1.
After a three-run home run in the fourth by Jacksonville third baseman Deyvision De Los Santos extended the Miami affiliate’s lead to 5-1, the Red Wings took their first lead of the season in the top of the sixth, when designated hitter Christian Franklin welcomed Jacksonville reliever Jake Walkinshaw with a leadoff double. Ford followed up with a walk, before center fielder Dylan Crews singled to left to load the bases. Ortiz singled in Franklin to cut the lead to 5-2, and then Robert Hassell III drew a walk to make it 5-3. Trey Lipscomb singled in two runs later in the inning to tie the game at five, and Franklin drew a two-out walk to move Rochester ahead, 6-5.
After Pinckney extended the Red Wings’ lead to 7-5 with an RBI single in the seventh, but a two-run bottom half tied the game at seven. Three straight Red Wings reached base with one out in the ninth before Morales’ drew what was ultimately the game-winning walk with two outs.
Ortiz, making his regular season debut for the Red Wings, went two-for-two with a double, an RBI, and three walks, scoring three times. Pinckney and Lipscomb both had two RBI.
Orlando Ribalta earned the win in relief with a hitless eighth inning, striking out one. Jackson Rutledge earned the save, the first of his professional career.
The Red Wings return to action on Saturday in Jacksonville at 6:35 p.m. Left-hander Mitchell Parker is scheduled to pitch for Rochester against Jacksonville righty Bradley Blalock.
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