High-Flying Wings Snap Four-Game Skid against Syracuse
June 23, 2024 - International League (IL)
Rochester Red Wings News Release
Rochester came into Saturday night with a season-high four consecutive losses, but the Red Wings' offense delivered with 12 hits, and RHP Jackson Rutledge pitched 6.0 strong innings to secure a 9-1 victory against the Syracuse Mets. LF James Wood launched his 10th homer of the year and added an RBI single for his 17th multi-hit game of the season, and 2B Darren Baker tied a career-high with four hits including a pair of doubles and his first career five-RBI game to pace the offense.
After a scoreless first frame, 1B Juan Yepez flared a single in front of the right fielder to lead off the second inning for Rochester. 3B Carter Kieboom followed with a single to center field to put runners on first and second. DH Stone Garrett capitalized on the scoring chance by scorching a ground ball 103.7 MPH past the second baseman, which brought Yepez around to score and moved Kieboom to third to give Rochester an early 1-0 lead. With the help of a wild pitch, Carter Kieboom scored to pile onto the 2-0 advantage. Darren Baker then chopped one past the shortstop and into center field to score Garrett, who had reached second on the wild pitch, for the third run of the second inning.
Syracuse looked to answer in the bottom of the fourth inning after a leadoff double from DH Ben Gamel put a runner in scoring position. Two batters later, 1B Mike Brosseau drove a ball hard through the left side of the infield for a single. With two on and two outs, C Austin Allen smoked a ball to the right field gap to score Gamel and cut into the Rochester lead, 3-1.
James Wood helped Rochester extend the lead to 4-1 in the fifth by driving a 1-0 sinker over the left-center field fence for a solo home run. The 377-foot shot marked the top prospect's 10th of the season, all coming away from Innovative Field. Rochester then worked three-straight walks to load the bases, when Baker drove a double off the wall in left field to score a pair of runs and add to the lead, 6-1.
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Baker connected on his third hit of the night via a grounder that took an interesting bounce off the mound to lead off the eighth inning for the Red Wings. After a wild pitch and a groundout, Baker reached third with Wood back at the plate. The IMG product roped a sharp ground ball to center field to score Baker and pad the Rochester lead to 7-1.
In the ninth inning, Juan Yepez and SS Jack Dunn each worked walks to put two runners on base for Baker. The California native dropped his fourth hit of the game into left-center for a double that scored both runners and ballooned the Red Wings lead to eight runs.
Syracuse could not overcome their 9-1 deficit in the bottom of the ninth, as LHP Tim Cate forced three-straight outs to close out the victory for Rochester, their first of the series.
Right-hander Jackson Rutledge took the mound first for Rochester Saturday night, his 14th start of the 2024 campaign. The right-hander tossed 6.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing six hits while striking out eight and walking two. LHP Joe La Sorsa was called on to relieve Rutledge in the seventh. The southpaw logged a scoreless seventh, allowing one hit while striking out two. After returning from a rain delay, RHP Adonis Medina took the ball for the eighth. The Dominican Republic native turned in a scoreless inning of his own while striking out one and walking one. Fellow southpaw Tim Cate toed the rubber for the final inning of the contest. The University of Connecticut product worked 1.0 scoreless innings to close out the bottom of the ninth.
The Diamond Pro Player of the Game on Saturday night goes to 2B Darren Baker. The 2021 MLB Draft Pick logged his third career four-hit game tonight, finishing 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a career-high five RBI, and a run scored. This is the fourth four-hit game by a Red Wing this season, and first since C Riley Adams on June 5 at Worcester. Baker now leads all Nationals Minor Leaguers with 69 hits this season.
Rochester looks to make it back-to-back wins in the series finale against Syracuse Sunday afternoon. RHP Brad Lord is set to make his Triple-A debut against Mets RHP Blade Tidwell. The first pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m.
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