Red Wings Fall Behind Early, Comeback Falls Short

The Rochester Red Wings dropped the third of their six-game set against Syracuse Thursday afternoon, 12-6, falling behind two games to one in the series. 1B Travis Blankenhorn roped his team-leading eighth home run of the season to put Rochester on the board in the sixth, and was quickly followed by the first Triple-A home run from SS Jackson Cluff in the same inning. 2B Jake Alu was the lone Red Wing to turn in a multi-hit performance, three hits for the first time this season.

Syracuse struck first, scoring in the opening frame for the third-straight game. After a quick out, RF Ben Gamel sent a solo home run to right-center to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. Following back-to-back walks to 3B Rylan Bannon and 1B Luke Ritter, CF Trayce Thompson picked up a single to load the bases. SS Jose Iglesias then converted a second run with an RBI single to bring home Bannon. With the bases still loaded, a walk to DH Mike Brosseau scored Ritter. LF Yolmer Sánchez then reached base via a fielder’s choice, while Thompson was cut down at the plate.

With the bases still loaded in the inning, both Iglesias and Brosseau scored on a ball four pitch in the dirt to C Hayden Senger that skipped to the backstop. 2B Luisangel Acuña, Gamel, and Bannon laced three consecutive RBI singles to score Sánchez, Senger, and then Acuña for a formidable 8-0 first-inning lead. This is the most first-inning runs surrendered by Wings pitching since June 8, 2022 at St. Paul.

Quiet innings followed for both offenses until Travis Blankenhorn ignited a five-run Rochester rally in the bottom of the fifth. The Red Wings’ ‘April Player of the Month’ cranked a leadoff solo home run, his team-leading eighth home run of the season. 3B Carter Kieboom followed with a single to left field, and Jake Alu then moved Kieboom all the way to third with a single of his own to center field. Kieboom scored the next-at bat, when RF Jack Dunn grounded into a fielder's choice. Following a C Brady Lindsly double, Jackson Cluff put the Wings back in the game with a three-run shot, his first Triple-A home run to trim the lead to three.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Wings tacked on another run to shrink the lead to 8-6. Alu and Dunn kicked off the inning with back-to-back singles and were moved to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Lindsly. Two batters later, DH Victor Robles promptly drove in Alu with an infield single to second base, cutting the deficit to two runs heading to the eighth.

The score still 8-6 heading into the final frame, the Mets drained Innovative Field’s hopeful energy by piling on four runs in the top of the ninth. Ritter led off with a line-drive double to center field and was moved to third with a single off the bat of Thompson. Iglesias then smacked his second RBI single of the game to bring home Ritter and move Thompson to third. Sánchez followed two batters later by crushing a three-run homer, doubling Rochester’s runs, 12-6.

A scoreless bottom of the ninth sealed a 12-6 victory for the Mets, Syracuse’s second win of the series. They now lead the series 2-1.

LHP DJ Herz took the mound for the Red Wings looking to pick up a win in the third game of the series against Syracuse. The southpaw logged just 0.2 innings of work, allowing seven runs on three hits while walking four. He was replaced in the first inning by LHP Joe La Sorsa who logged a season-high 3.1 innings pitched in relief, allowing one run on five hits while striking out one batter. LHP Tim Cate entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning tossing 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and two walks while striking out three batters. LHP Richard Bleier took over for Cate with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, and finished the seventh without allowing a run on one hit, with a strikeout. RHP Amos Willingham entered in the eighth and allowed four earned on four hits, with three strikeouts and a walk before handing the ball to RHP Stephen Nogosek, who recorded the final two outs without recording a hit.

The Diamond Pro Player of the Game goes to 2B Jake Alu. The Boston College product went 3-for-4 with a run scored. This is his first three-hit game since June 29, 2023 at Lehigh Valley. Since he made his Triple-A debut on July 12, 2022, Alu leads all Red Wings with 12 games having at least three hits.

The Red Wings will look to pull the series even once again Friday night. Rochester RHP Thaddeus Ward takes the ball for his sixth start of the season, toeing the rubber against Syracuse RHP Max Kranick. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.

Find the box score attached here.