BY DAN GLICKMAN
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A hot day brought a critical double-header for the Rochester Red Wings against the Worcester Red Sox on Thursday. With temperatures reaching into the 90s and both of Rochester’s primary competitors for the International League first half title in also in action, a two-game sweep would be huge for the team in its quest for the squad’s first playoff berth since 2013.
It started off well, as the Red Wings beat Worcester, 6-4. After a back-and-forth affair during the early innings of the seven-inning contest, the Red Wings moved ahead for good in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a Joey Wiemer sacrifice fly and and a Robert Hassell III double. A would-be rally by Worcester was struck down by Wiemer when the left-fielder caught a Tyler McDonough liner in the top of the sixth and then threw out Matt Lloyd at the plate for a 7-2 double-play.
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Despite that opening win, however, the sweep didn’t happen.. Not because they lost the second game, but because the second game got rained out. What’s more, the second game, which was originally supposed to make up a game rained out during a previous series in Worcester, was canceled and will not be made up – which enlarges the chance that the Red Wings’ playoff fate may not be fully decided on the field, but rather due to mathematical half-game quirks in the standings.
Still, the win moved the Red Wings to 40-25 on the season, and as of 8 p.m. on Thursday left them in second in the International League first half pennant race, behind the St. Louis affiliate in Memphis but a half-game up on Milwaukee’s Nashville club, who were playing Durham on Thursday night.
“We didn’t get to play the second game, but it was a big win for our club,” said Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy.
The would-have-been double-header began on a bad note for the Red Wings. Worcester center fielder Braiden Ward singled to open the game, and then moved to second on an error on an attempted pickoff by Wings starter Luis Perales. Ward further advanced when the Wings defense failed to cover third when third baseman Brady House ran in to catch a small pop-up by Tsung-Che Cheng. Although shortstop Trey Lipscomb was able to get Ward out at home on a fielder’s choice on a ball hit by Mikey Romero, Perales then walked Anthony Seigler, bringing up Matt Thaiss.
Thaiss, the Worcester catcher, had only two home runs coming into the day, but one of them had come against Perales earlier in the season. He’d add another on a 1-1 pitch, golfing a cutter low over the right field fence at 107.6 MPH exit velocity to put Worcester up 3-0.
However, the Red Wings began a comeback almost immediately in the bottom of the first, when Yohandy Morales hit his 15th HR of the season, working a 2-0 count before hitting a one-out solo shot that carried over the right field wall against rehabbing Boston pitcher Patrick Sandoval to make it 3-1.
“It was a hitter’s count, so I was obviously hunting a fastball there,, and he left me a breaking ball up in the middle of the zone,” said Morales. “I put the barrel to it, and it was a high pop fly, but it kept carrying. I didn’t think it was going to go out, but it went over the fence.”
“Morales’ homer was big because we got on the board after they scored first,” said LeCroy. “I think that kept us in the ball game.”
Two innings later, in the bottom of the third, the Red Wings tied it up with a two-run inning, beginning with an RBI single by Brady House against Zack Kelly. The Wings equalized it when Abimelec Ortiz scored on a ground-out when Andrew Pinckney beat a throw to second in order to avoid a would-be double play.
Worcester again took the lead in the top of the fourth, as Allan Castro led off with a single before stealing second and then moving to third on a flyout. Nathan Hickey doubled him home to make it 4-3. Worcester continued to threaten after that, but Perales and then Zak Kent were able to get out of it.
The Red Sox lead didn’t last long. Riley Adams came to the plate to begin the bottom of the fourth against Devin Sweet, and after working a 2-1 count got hold a changeup that he smashed at 101.5 MPH to center field for the game-tying homer, making the game 4-4. All four of Adams’ home runs for Rochester this season have given the Red Wings a tie or a lead.
Finally, in the bottom of the fifth, the Red Wings pulled ahead for good. Ortiz led off with a single, and then moved to second when House also singled. Pinckney moved both runners up a base on a sacrifice bunt, and then Wiemer and Hassell brought them in to bring about the 6-4 score. Once Wiemer turned the 7-2 double play in the sixth, the Red Sox never had another baserunner.
“That was a big, big, big play by him,” said LeCroy of Wiemer’s throw. “He’s got a plus-arm, and he showed it up for a big play.”
With that game over and nine games left in the first half, meanwhile, the Red Wings are concentrating on what they can control.
“We’re focused on our team right now, and winning games,” said Morales. “Obviously, we’re closing in on the first half, so we’re just coming out here every day, trying to win games, focusing on one game at a time to win the first half.”
The next “one game” comes on Friday, when the Red Wings and Red Sox continue their series on 6:45 p.m., when Rochester expects to send out righty Andy Lara (2-4, 5.95) against Worcester left-hander Raymond Burgos (1-3, 7.11).
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