Wings Power Their Way to Series Opening Victory Against Jumbo Shrimp

In their first game following the four-day All-Star break, the Rochester Red Wings (54-38, 9-10) broke out the bats and put up seven on the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (50-42, 8-10) on their way to a 7-2 Red Wings win Friday night, their ninth of the second half and 54th of the season. Rochester was led offensively by DH Abimelec Ortiz, who drilled three doubles in the game, and LF Christian Franklin, who reached base four times and finished the contest 3-for-4 with a triple. On the mound, LHP Jackson Kent was electric, setting down eight by way of the strikeout in 5.0 innings of work.

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After a 1-2-3 top half of the first, Christian Franklin singled to get the bottom half of the frame started, then stole second for his 16th of the season. 1B Yohandy Morales walked next, and Abimelec Ortiz later doubled down the right field line over the leaping try of the Jumbo Shrimp first baseman to bring home Franklin for the first run of the ballgame, making it 1-0 Red Wings.

Jacksonville responded in the third courtesy of a solo shot off the bat of RF Andrew Pintar in the top half of the third, a 358-foot blast which had just enough juice to get over the right field fence and into the Red Wings bullpen, tying the game at one apiece.

Following Ortiz’s free pass to lead off the home half of the third, CF Andrew Pinckney lined a ball into the right-center gap for a double, pushing Ortiz home, while extending his hit streak to 13, allowing the Red Wings to regain their one-run advantage. With the hit-and-run in action, Pinckney scored on a single to the right side from SS Trey Lipscomb, making it 3-1 after three innings of play.

The Red Wings weren’t done at the plate in the fourth. 2B Phillip Glasser got the extra-base hit party started, doubling down the third base line. He then jogged home thanks to Franklin, who roped a ball into the gap for his second three-bagger of the season. Franklin scored on a light grounder to first from Yohandy Morales, making it 5-1 Rochester.

Rochester's streak of unanswered runs continued in the fifth, when C Riley Adams hit an oppo-taco homer, 111.2 MPH off the bat, the seventh hardest home run hit by a Wing this season. The long ball extended the Red Wings' lead to five after five.

After a quiet sixth inning, Jacksonville cut into the Rochester lead in the seventh after 3B Graham Pauley shot a homer to right center field, making it 6-2 Red Wings.

Rochester responded an inning later after Abimelec Ortiz smashed his third double of the evening, followed by a line drive single sent by 3B Brady House, sending Ortiz to third. Shortly after, Andrew Pinckney popped out on a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Ortiz to reach home plate, making it 7-2 Red Wings.

In the ensuing half inning, the Red Wings' defense closed out game one to seal their 54th win of the season and begin the series against Jacksonville up 1-0.

Southpaw Jackson Kent made his 10th Triple-A start in the series opener. The former Arizona Wildcat put in 5.0 innings of work and allowed two hits total, including a homer, and logged eight strikeouts. LHP Erik Tolman replaced Kent in the sixth. The ASU alum did not allow a run or hit and threw one strikeout in 1.0 inning. RHP Paxton Schultz came in to pitch in the seventh, and allowed one run on one hit and logged one strikeout in 1.0 inning. RHP Zak Kent replaced Schultz in the eighth inning. Kent did not allow a run, allowed one hit, and threw one strikeout in 1.0 inning. RHP Eddy Yean came in to close for Rochester in the ninth and provided a strikeout and ten strikes thrown to seal a series-opening victory for the Red Wings.

The Rochester Red Wings Player of the Game is DH Abimelec Ortiz. The 24-year-old from Puerto Rico had three hits, all of which were doubles that led to one RBI to boot. Ortiz is the first Red Wing with three doubles logged in a game since June 28, 2024, and adds to his season total with a team-leading 20 doubles on the season.

Rochester will look to make it back-to-back wins and pick up a series victory in game two of their short three-game set against Jacksonville Saturday night. RHP Chandler Champlain will get the start for the Red Wings against Jumbo Shrimp RHP Karson Milbrandt. The first pitch is slated for 6:45 p.m.

Find the box score attached HERE.

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