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Red Wings' Offense Explodes in Third-Straight Win in Lehigh Valley

August 22, 2024 - International League (IL)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


Thursday night spelled another hit parade for the Red Wings offense, who collected a season-high 18 hits on their way to a 12-3 win over Lehigh Valley. Rochester has now won nine of their last 10 games and trails Columbus by just 1.5 games in the International League second half. DH Drew Millas tied his career-high with four hits, including a double while driving in a pair of RBI. LF Travis Blankenhorn, in his first game back with the team after a stint with Washington, connected on his 25th home run and second triple of the season to go along with a single and a walk. On the mound, LHP Andrew Alvarez limited the IronPigs offense to two earned and tied his Triple-A high with seven strikeouts.

The Red Wings got things going in the top of the second inning with a Drew Millas single. With one out and Millas on first, 1B Carter Kieboom one-hopped the wall in right-center field for a double that advanced Millas to third. A 2B Jake Alu then laced a single to center field that allowed both Millas and Kieboom to score and give Rochester a 2-0 lead. With a runner on first C Brady Lindsly reached on an error that put another runner in scoring position for SS Jack Dunn. The Georgia native turned on a 94 MPH fastball and found the hole in the left side to score Alu and grow the Red Wings lead to 3-0.

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Rochester kept their foot on the gas in the top of the third with a Travis Blankenhorn walk to lead things off, followed by a 3B Brady House single. With two on, Drew Millas sliced a 1-2 fastball down the left field line for his second hit of the ballgame that drove in Blankenhorn and increased the score to 4-0 Rochester.

Lehigh Valley fought back in the bottom of the fourth inning, kicked off by a single from 3B Buddy Kennedy, his second hit of the day. Three batters later, DH Cody Roberts was hit by a pitch to put Kennedy into scoring position with two outs. 2B Jim Haley then smacked his 10th double of the season to center field that brought home both Kennedy and Roberts and cut the deficit in half, and after four innings of play, Rochester led 4-2.

Travis Blankenhorn led off the top of the fifth inning with his second triple of the season (first since 4/17 at Toledo) just missing a home run. Two batters later, Drew Millas blooped a single into left field for his third hit of the day and second RBI, pushing the Red Wings lead to 5-2.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Lehigh Valley started things off with a walk from Buddy Kennedy who then advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt from LF Matt Kroon. CF Ryan Mckenna doubled on a sharp ground ball to left field that scored Kennedy and cut the lead to two. After six innings of play, Rochester led 5-3.

Rochester broke things open in the top of the seventh inning after back-to-back singles from CF Darren Baker and Travis Blankenhorn put runners on first and second to lead off the frame. A walk to Carter Kieboom loaded the bases for Jake Alu, who doubled off the top of the wall, clearing the bases for his second, third, and fourth RBI of the night as the lead ballooned to 8-3.

Travis Blankenhorn smoked his 25th home run of the season, and eighth against Lehigh Valley, into right-center field that sailed 370 feet over the wall in his first game since being back with Rochester. This was a two-run shot that scored RF Dylan Crews, who had reached on a one-out single. Rochester was not done there as Brady House worked a walk, Drew Millas picked up his fourth hit of the night and Kieboom singled to center field to score House as the lead skyrocketed to 11-3 with back-to-back three-run innings.

The Red Wings tacked on another run in the top of the ninth inning after two straight singles from Brady Lindsly, and Jack Dunn brought up Dylan Crews. The LSU product singled and scored Lindsly, and simultaneously set a season-high with the Red Wings 18th hit of the ballgame. The lead grew to 12-3 Rochester.

The IronPigs went down quietly in the ninth and Rochester has now taken the first three games of the series, winning game three 12-3.

Southpaw Andrew Alvarez took the ball to start on Thursday night. The left-hander delivered 5.0 strong innings and allowed two earned on four hits while striking out seven and walking none. RHP Carlos Romero took over in the sixth and allowed an earned run on one hit while walking one over 0.2 innings of work. RHP Orlando Ribalta came on and recorded a strikeout to finish the sixth, and finished his day going 1.1 clean innings while striking out two batters. LHP Tim Cate got the eighth inning and retired the IronPigs in order striking out one over 1.0 inning pitched. RHP Ty Tice saw the ninth and threw 1.0 inning striking out two, and allowed one walk.

The Diamond Pro Player of the Game goes to LF Travis Blankenhorn. The lefty slugger came up a double shy of the cycle and finished 3-for-4 with his 25th home run of the season, a triple, two RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. He is the first Red Wing hitter with 25 home runs since Adam Brett Walker hit 27 in 2016, and the first left-handed hitter since at least 1987.

Rochester looks to secure their fourth straight on Friday night in game four of their series against the IronPigs. RHP Jackson Rutledge is slated to throw against Lehigh Valley RHP Seth Johnson. The first pitch will commence at 7:05 p.m.

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