RailRiders Ninth Inning Rally Sinks Red Wings

Coming off a win in the series opener on Tuesday against Scranton/WB, the Rochester Red Wings fell to the RailRiders in walk-off fashion Wednesday afternoon, 5-3. CF James Wood launched his third and fourth home runs of the season and drove in all three runs offensively. RHP Robert Gsellman turned in 3.1 hitless innings in relief, his third consecutive scoreless outing of at least 2.0 frames.

After two scoreless innings, Rochester jumped in front in the third. SS Jackson Cluff ripped a 2-0 pitch down the right field line for his third double of the season. Two batters later, James Wood roped a slider 417 feet to dead center field for his third home run of the season, giving the Wings a 2-0 lead. This marks Wood’s second-farthest home run of the season and the sixth-farthest by any Red Wing in 2024.

The RailRiders battled back in the bottom of the third. LF Brandon Lockridge led off the inning with a walk, and 2B Caleb Durbin followed it up with a line drive single to put two men on with no outs. Two batters later, 1B Carlos Narvaez worked a free pass to load the bases. After a pop-out, C Luis Torrens and 3B Jeter Downs subsequently walked to bring home Lockridge and Durbin to tie it up 2-2.

Neither team was able to cross the plate until the Red Wings regained the lead in the top of the seventh. With two outs, James Wood hit a no-doubt solo home run to center field, his fourth of the year and second of the game, giving Rochester a 3-2 lead. All four of his homers this season have come in two games (two on 4/11 at BUF).

The Wings took their one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Brandon Lockridge hit a line-drive single to right field to put the tying run on base. Down one with a runner on, Caleb Durbin came to the plate and hit a two-bagger off the wall, allowing Lockridge to come around to score and tie the game. The next at-bat, RF Everson Pereira launched a walk-off two-run home run to complete the ninth-inning comeback and even the series at a game apiece with a final score of 5-3.

LHP DJ Herz took the mound for his sixth start of the season on Wednesday. The former Chicago Cub farmhand allowed two earned on just one hit across 2.2 innings while striking out two and walking seven. Robert Gsellman took over with two outs in the third and completed 3.1 hitless innings with four strikeouts and one walk. This is the longest hitless relief outing by a Red Wing since RHP Drew Rucinski tossed 4.0 hitless frames on July 25, 2017. RHP Luis Reyes came on for the seventh and tossed 1.1 scoreless innings on one hit while striking out one and walking two. RHP Amos Willingham inherited two runners with one out in the eighth but was able to escape the jam unscathed. The right-hander came out for the ninth and allowed three earned on three hits to end the game.

Wednesday’s Diamond Pro Player of the Game goes to CF James Wood. The Nationals top prospect went 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. This is his second multi-homer game of 2024, making him one of seven players in the International League that have logged two or more multi-home run games this season.

The Red Wings look to take back control of the series on Thursday night. RHP Thaddeus Ward will get the start for Rochester, facing RailRiders LHP Tanner Tully. First pitch is set for 6:35 pm.

Find the box score attached here.