Hot Bats Power Red Wings over Saints on Friday
May 31, 2024 - International League (IL)
Rochester Red Wings News Release
The Red Wings picked up their second-straight win over St. Paul Friday night, 8-2. Four Red Wings turned in multi-hit games, led by 2B Darren Baker and C Drew Millas, with two apiece at the top of the lineups. In relief, LHP Joe La Sorsa, RHP Adonis Medina, and RHP Luis Reyes all logged scoreless outings to close out the game for Rochester.
After two scoreless innings, Rochester struck first in the bottom of the third, led off by RF Stone Garrett reaching first, thanks to a catcher's interference. The next batter, 2B Jackson Cluff, laid a perfect bunt down the third base line for a single. 2B Darren Baker then lofted a line drive over the St. Paul shortstop's head to load the bases for C Drew Millas. The switch-hitting catcher kept the hit parade going, lining a 2-2 fastball into shallow left field for the third single of the inning. Garrett scampered home on the play, and everyone else moved up one base as Rochester took a 1-0 lead. DH Travis Blankenhorn added to Rochester's lead with an RBI groundout to short, pushing Cluff across the plate, making it 2-0 Red Wings. 1B Juan Yepez subsequently reached on a fielding error, bringing Baker in from third and making it a three-run inning for Rochester.
Rochester's offense picked up right where they left off in the fourth, kicked off by LF Erick Mejia's single to center. Stone Garrett proceeded to work a walk to put runners on first and second for Jackson Cluff. The left-handed hitting shortstop laid down another bunt, this time reaching on an error to load the bases with no outs. A Travis Blankenhorn walk brought Stone Garrett home, extending the lead to four going into the fifth.
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St. Paul began the fifth with a RF Tony Kemp single to right field. SS Will Holland walked in the next at-bat, followed by a Tony Kemp stolen base and an errant throw, which allowed Holland to advance to second and put the Saints in scoring position with one out. 3B Diego A. Castillo then drove Kemp and Holland home with a line-drive double, bringing St. Paul within two runs.
Stone Garrett opened the home half of the sixth with a right-field single. Back-to-back walks to Cluff, and Baker loaded the bases for the Red Wings. Drew Millas then floated a single over the first baseman, scoring Garrett and Cluff to make the score 6-2. Soon after, Baker also made his way home on a fielder's choice, extending the lead to five.
The Red Wings offense continued to rally in the seventh as Erick Mejia smacked a double to the warning track. Stone Garrett drove in Mejia with a single to right field, putting Rochester up 8-2 heading to the eighth.
The score remained the same going into the top of the ninth. The two-hit late surge by the Saints wasn't enough, as the Red Wings got out of the inning, winning the game 8-2 and taking the lead in the series 3-2.
RHP Jackson Rutledge got the ball on Friday night for Rochester. The Missouri native made his tenth season start for the Wings and pitched 4.2 innings, allowing two earned on four hits while striking out five and walking four. Joe La Sorsa came in to provide relief, pitching 1.1 hitless innings with one strikeout. Next on the mound was Adonis Medina, who gave 2.0 scoreless innings of solid work with only one hit and one walk. Luis Reyes came in and closed the game for Rochester with a scoreless ninth, allowing two hits.
On Friday Night, the Diamond Pro Player of the Game goes to C Drew Millas. The former Oakland Athletic catcher went 2-for-5 with three RBI, his ninth multi-hit game in the month of May. He also threw out his eighth runner of the season on the basepaths and now ranks fourth among all International League catchers with a .696 stolen base percentage.
Rochester looks to extend their winning streak to three in the series' sixth game tomorrow night. The Red Wings send RHP Thaddeus Ward to the mound for his 11th start of the season and will face Saints RHP David Festa. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
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International League Stories from May 31, 2024
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- SWB Game Notes - May 31 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
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- Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - May 31 vs. St. Paul - Rochester Red Wings
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