IL Rochester Red Wings

Blankenhorn Picks up Two Hits in Fourth-Straight Loss

August 20, 2023 - International League (IL)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


The Rochester Red Wings dropped their fourth consecutive contest Sunday, 5-1. The team totaled two hits in the series finale, both coming from 1B Travis Blankenhorn. Four Wings relievers delivered scoreless outings, highlighted by 2.1 innings from LHP Anthony Banda.

For the fourth straight game, Buffalo broke open the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. After 2B Spencer Horwitz doubled in his second-straight at-bat dating back to Saturday night, RF Addison Barger drove him in with an RBI single to make the score 1-0. Two innings later, 1B Ernie Clement launched his second home run off Wings pitching this season to make it 2-0 after three. Clement has now hit safely in 14 consecutive games dating back to 7/28, and has collected four extra-base hits in the series.

Rochester cut the lead in half in the fourth, kicked off by LF Travis Blankenhorn's second triple of the season, and first since the season opener on 3/31. 1B Jake Noll drove him in with a sacrifice fly a batter later, his second RBI of the series and ninth through 13 games in August.

The score remained at 2-1 until the sixth, when back-to-back doubles from 3B Tanner Morris and C Jamie Richtie put the Bisons up by two. After a pair of outs and an RBI single from CF Cam Eden, Clement drove in his second run of the game to make the score 5-1.

Both teams were held out of scoring position from the seventh until a hit by pitch to Jake Noll and a walk to 3B Jack Dunn put runners on first and second with one out in the ninth. Rochester was unable to cross the plate however, falling 5-1. This marks their fourth straight loss, the first time they've done so since 6/8-11 in Worcester.

RHP Tommy Romero took the mound for his seventh start of the season with the Wings. The Florida native logged 2.2 innings, allowing two earned on five hits while striking out and walking a pair. Anthony Banda took the ball first and escaped a bases-loaded jam, covering 2.1 scoreless innings on just two hits, while striking out two and walking one. Four Wings relievers were used to cover the final three frames, including scoreless outings from LHP Joe La Sorsa, RHP Luis Cessa, and RHP Gerson Moreno.

LF Travis Blankenhorn earns the Diamond Pro Player of the Game honors in the series finale. The lefty accounted for the only two hits from the Wings, going 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. He now has 24 multi-hit games this season, tied with Darren Baker for most among active players. This is also his first time with two triples in a season since 2019.

The Wings are off Monday, then return home to Innovative Field Tuesday to kick off the first half of a two-week homestand against Worcester. RHP Roddery Muñoz is set to make his fifth start with the Wings, against WooSox LHP Brandon Walter. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.

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International League Stories from August 20, 2023


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