BY DAN GLICKMAN
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The 2026 Rochester Red Wings have, through much of what is rapidly becoming the best season so far of the Nationals era, often been headlined by the guys near the start of the lineup: Yohandy Morales, Abimelec Ortiz, Christian Franklin, and players like Andres Chaparro who have since gotten the call from the Washington Nationals.
But one of the hallmarks of the team has also been depth, and rarely was it on display as much as on Friday night, as the bottom three of the order spearheaded the Red Wings to a 6-3 win against the Worcester Red Sox, ensuring the team would keep pace in the race for the International League’s first half championship.
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The number seven hitter, shortstop Trey Lipscomb, went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored while finishing a triple short of the cycle. The number eight hitter, catcher Tres Barrera, homered and drew a walk. The number nine hitter, second baseman Phillip Glasser, went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a steal of home during a double-steal play.
“Our team needed for them to have [a game like tonight],” said Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy. “But also for them personally, as they’ve been grinding… I’m hopeful that it carries on for them to get hot again.”
In total, the bottom third of the lineup had seven of the Wings’ 10 hits, and drove in four of the team’s six runs. They also set the plate for the top of the order: five of the runs scored for Rochester on the night were Lipscomb, Barrera, or Glasser.
It’s something they know going in on days they are hitting low in the order.
“Our mentality, to be honest, is from one to nine, just get to the next guy, no matter where in the lineup,” said Lipscomb post-game. “That’s what they’ve been preaching this year, just getting to the next guy, because there’s a lot of guys in our lineup that can do some damage.”
“Whether your first, fourth, or ninth, it doesn’t matter,” said Glasser. “You’ve got to do the job, go to the plate, and if guys are on, you bring them in.”
Despite the 6-3 win and the fact they held the lead from the second inning onward, it was an at-times uncomfortable game for the Red Wings, requiring not just the bottom third’s at-bat heroics but some key pitching and defense to ensure victory.
Worcester drew first blood in the opening frame thanks to the speed of its leadoff man, centerfielder Braiden Ward, who drew a lead-off walk off Andry Lara and then stole second, and then third, before eventually coming home on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Anthony Seigler.
The Red Wings struck back in the bottom of the second. Joey Wiemer walked to begin the inning against Raymond Burgos, and Lipscomb followed with a single to move Wiemer to second. After a Barrera strikeout, Glasser singled in Wiemer. Christian Franklin followed up with a single of his own, bringing in Lipscomb to put the Wings ahead, 2-1.
Then, with Harry Ford up to the plate, Franklin took off for second. He beat the throw to second, but as he drew the throw, Glasser took off, coming home to make it 3-1. Technically a steal of home, the delayed play was the Ohio-born 26-year-old’s seventh stolen base of the season.
“He [Franklin] was going, I saw the catcher come up and that ball come out, so I just ran home,” said Glasser.
Glasser put the fourth run on the board in the bottom of the fourth, singling in Lipscomb on a grounder to right, and that would be the end of scoring until the sixth inning – but not before the Red Sox attempted to rally in the fifth. With Andry Lara exiting with two men on and one out, in came Eddy Yean. Yean, who had blown two saves earlier in the week, had rarely been brought in this early in games this season, but according to LeCroy the organization wants to have him get experience in high-leverage situations throughout the game as opposed to solely in late innings. After giving up a single to Vinny Capra to load the bases, Yean quickly recovered, striking out the next two men to escape the inning without any damage.
Worcester broke through in the sixth, though, against Zach Penrod. Penrod, who was supposed to start the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader until a rainout brought about a cancelation, allowed a hit to Mikey Romero to start the inning, before Jason Delay crushed a hanging 2-1 slider to left at 106 MPH for a two-run home run to make it 4-3. Two additional hits plus a wild pitch put the go-ahead run and the go-ahead run both in scoring position. But then, another escape for the Red Wings, as Penrod struck out the next two men before being replaced by Jack Sinclair, who struck out Vinny Capra to end the innings.
It was in the bottom part of the sixth that Barrera struck, hitting a much-needed insurance home run – his first of the season – off Michael Sansone with one out to extend the Wings lead to 5-3. Lipscomb added a solo shot of his own in the eighth with a 108 MPH fly ball into the left-field scoreboard off of Kyle Keller, his 11th homer of the season and one that Statcast said would have gone 449 feet if not for hitting the scoreboard.
Luke Young, meanwhile, saw off another Red Sox rally in the seventh and set Worcester down in order in the eighth to get the win in relief, while Trevor Gott earned the save, his first, with a scoreless ninth inning.
Elsewhere in the International League, the Memphis Redbirds beat Norfolk, 10-2, while the Nashville Sounds lost to Durham, 7-4. The day’s results leave the Red Wings a half-game back of Memphis for the first number one spot in the International League, but a half-game up on Nashville.
Rochester and Worcester’s series continues on Saturday, when the Red Wings will face Red Sox righty Brayan Bello, who was recently demoted from Boston. Rochester, meanwhile, expects to have a “bullpen day.” First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
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