BY DAN GLICKMAN
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Heading into a doubleheader on Thursday, two major developments were hanging over the Rochester Red Wings as they faced the Syracuse Mets: the return of infield prospect Seaver King from an oblique injury and the team’s continued issues with twinbills.
King’s return, to be sure, was a something that the Red Wings had been awaiting for weeks.
“I’m glad he’s back, he makes a big difference in our lineup,” said Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy.
The problem with doubleheaders was possibly a bigger concern to Rochester fans, however: the Red Wings hadn’t swept both games of a split since August 30, 2024 in Scranton.
The result? Well, King’s return went very well, as he went 2-for-3 with two doubles before being removed as a precaution (a pre-decided move to help ease him back into play, according to LeCroy). But the Red Wings continued to struggle in twinbills – winning game one 6-1 before falling in game two by a 2-0 score for their first shutout loss of the season.
“I don’t know how to explain the doubleheaders,” said LeCroy. “But I do know if you split, you’re doing something, it’s better than getting beat twice. I know we’d like to win both games, but for some reason it’s hard to really take both of them.”
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Rochester (16-14 in the second half, 61-42 overall) cruised in game one, taking an early lead with three runs in the bottom of the first and holding the lead the rest of the game. King made his presence felt immediately against Syracuse (13-16 in the second half, 51-53 overall) pitcher Jack Wenninger, smacking an 0-1 changeup to left and hustling in for a lead-off double. Phillip Glasser followed with a walk, and King moved up to third on a wild pitch during the at-bat.
Then, with an 0-1 count, Christian Franklin got hold of a 91.7 MPH fastball and sent it up the middle, where it deflected off Wenninger. Third baseman Zack Short, who had played for Rochester earlier this season, tried to get Franklin at first, but the throw went wild for an error, allowing King to score, bringing Glasser to third, and advancing Franklin to second.
The 1-0 lead was soon extended, as Wenninger threw a wild pitch against Abimelec Ortiz that brought Glasser home to make it 2-0. After an Abimelec Ortiz walk, Andrew Pinckney grounded out, although it allowed Franklin to come in and score to increase the lead to 3-0.
Rochester continued to pad the lead in the innings that followed: Franklin made it 4-0 on a sacrifice fly in the second, Glasser added a fifth run in the fourth with an RBI single to score King, and then came around to score himself on an Ortiz double to put the game at 6-0.
On the mound, meanwhile, “opener” Jared Simpson struggled and loaded the bases in the first, only to escape thanks to an MJ Melendez flyout. After a scoreless second inning from Erik Tolman, the “bulk guy” for the game took over: Chandler Champlain.
Champlain has increasingly taken the role of “bulk” pitcher this season after mainly being used as a starter earlier in the year – taking over after an inning or two and then going several innings. He says his approach, however, hasn’t changed.
“Whenever my name is called, I’ve got a job to do, and that’s to put up zeroes,” he said post-game. “There’s definitely different feelings when you come out of the pen versus when you start any games, to me both good and bad. Tonight, though, I tried to treat it like a start. I warmed up as if I was about to start the game – I just knew it wasn’t going to be the top of the first.”
However he prepared, it worked: the Californian took over in the third worked the rest of the seven-inning game, going five innings while allowing three hits and an earned run while striking out seven. With the win, he moved his AAA record to 7-4 on the season. The lone blemish came in the sixth, on an RBI single by Ji Hwan Bae.
The second game saw the Red Wings on the wrong end of a good pitching performance, however as New York Mets No. 1 prospect Jonah Tong threw five shutout innings of two-hit baseball, striking out seven. No Red Wing reached second base against the Canadian right-hander, who received run support from a Christian Arroyo solo shot and a Bae RBI single against Zach Penrod in the second inning.
“Tong was really good,” said LeCroy post-game, adding that he didn’t believe that Tong’s statistics this year (he entered the game with a AAA record of 2-5 with a 5.59 ERA) told the whole story.
“He’s got a good changeup, he get you looking up in the zone with the fastball or maybe a high changeup, and then we start chasing that fastball. He knows how to get after you, if you take take your walks against him, you probably have more success, but we weren’t able to [today].”
While the Red Wings had more luck against Syracuse relievers and got the tying run to the plate in both the sixth and seventh, they were unable to score, sending them down in defeat.
The Red Wings, who lead the series 2-1, continue their six-game set with Syracuse on Friday at 6:45 p.m., when Rochester sends out right-hander Luis Perales (4-5, 3.66) against 36-year-old righty Robert Stock (0-0, 2.35).
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