Noll Goes Deep, Wings Fall In High-Scoring Affair 

The Rochester Red Wings dropped the second of their six-game set against Lehigh Valley Wednesday night, 10-5, tying the series at a game apiece. 1B Frankie Tostado, LF Jack Dunn, and RF Blake Rutherford logged a pair of hits apiece, while C Brady Lindsly drove in a run for the sixth consecutive game. LHP Mitchell Parker and LHP Lucas Knowles each made their Triple-A debuts on the mound, becoming the 77th and 78th player to suit up for the Wings this season.

Lehigh Valley broke the scoreless tie in the fourth when CF Matt Kroon sent a 2-0 fastball over the center field fence at 111.7 MPH to give the IronPigs a 1-0 lead. After a pair of walks to the next two batters, 3B Drew Ellis singled to drive in another run and push their lead to two. RF Brewer Hicklen doubled in the right-center field gap to clear the bases in the next at-bat and gave Lehigh Valley a 4-0 lead. Another run crossed on a throwing error, swelling the lead to five.

DH Jake Noll put the Wings on the board in the bottom half, launching his sixth homer of the year to center field to make the score 5-1. In the bottom of the fifth, 3B Jeter Downs singled to lead off the inning, and moved to third on a single from SS Richie Martin, who advanced to second on the throw to third. CF Derek Hill roped an RBI single two batters later to make the score 5-2, followed up by RF Blake Rutherford who drove in a pair with a double to trim the lead to 5-4 after five full innings.

1B Frankie Tostado and LF Jack Dunn singled to put runners on first and second with no one out in the sixth. After a wild pitch moved both runners up a base, C Brady Lindsly tied the game at five apiece with a sacrifice fly. This was his sixth consecutive game with an RBI, the longest active streak in the International League and the longest by a Red Wing since Luis García drove in a run in eight-straight in 2022 (5/5-14).

Lehigh Valley retook the lead in the top of the seventh when Matt Kroon drove in his second run of the game on his third hit, a single down the right field line that scored DH Dustin Peterson. The next batter, C Aramis Garcia broke the game open with a three-run home run, and Brewer Hicklen launched a solo homer of his own later in the inning to cap off a five-run seventh with a 10-5 lead.

Rochester put a runner in scoring position once in the eighth, but were unable to threaten in the ninth as they fell by a score of 10-5.

Southpaw Mitchell Parker made his Triple-A debut on the mound Wednesday night. He worked 3.0 innings, allowing five earned on four hits while striking out three. RHP Daniel Mengden followed in relief, logging 2.0 scoreless innings on three hits with three strikeouts. LHP Lucas Knowles followed, also making his Triple-A debut. The Seattle native allowed three earned in an inning of work, before handing the ball to RHP Jose Mujica, who allowed two earned in an inning of his own. RHP Odalvi Javier covered the final 2.0 frames without allowing a run while striking out three.

Wednesday night’s Diamond Pro Player of the Game goes to RF Blake Rutherford. The lefty was one of three hitters to record a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with a two-run double. This marked his 11th multi-hit game with the Wings this season, first since 8/31 against Scranton/WB. Rutherford has 21 doubles this season between Rochester (9) and Double-A Harrisburg (12), tied for sixth-most among Nationals minor leaguers.

Both teams return to action Thursday night for the fourth of their six-game series. RHP Tommy Romero is slated to make his ninth start of the season, toeing the rubber against IronPigs LHP Michael Plassmeyer. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.

Find the box score attached here.