Red Wings Outlast Knights in Saturday Night Thriller
IL Rochester Red Wings

Red Wings Outlast Knights in Saturday Night Thriller

August 2, 2025 - International League (IL)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


The Red Wings entered Saturday night's road date with the Charlotte Knights tied 2-2 in the series. Rochester's six-run sixth inning helped secure the 9-8 victory and snatch the series lead. 1B Andrés Chaparro notched Rochester's first run with a homer and in all, nine Rochester batters logged an RBI.

Charlotte took the game's first lead in the bottom of the first. 2B Curtis Mead dropped a bloop single into left field to put the go-ahead run on base. RF Will Robertson then ripped a no-out double down the left field line, advancing to third on the throw and scoring Mead to put the Knights up early. Later, after back-to-back strikeouts, 3B Bryan Ramos knocked a groundball RBI single to draw Robertson in and extend the lead. Rochester collected the third out to limit the deficit to two.

Rochester answered just a half-inning later as Andrés Chaparro launched a second-inning leadoff homer, his 11th long shot of the season, to get on the board. C Francisco Mejía connected on a two-out double later to set up SS Nasim Nuñez. He drove a ground ball single into right field to bring Mejía across and knot the game at two before the inning expired.

Charlotte regained the lead in the bottom of the second. SS Jacob Gonzalez drew a leadoff walk before stealing second to get in scoring position. Mead later hit a two-out RBI single to center field that put the Knights up 3-2 before the end of the half-inning.

Two innings later, the Knights mounted three more runs to grow their lead. Gonzalez recorded a leadoff single before LF Vinny Capra lifted a one-out triple to the center field wall that scored the runner. In the next at-bat, Mead doubled to left field and picked up his second RBI. He later crossed the plate on a two-out single by 1B Tim Elko that made Charlotte's lead 6-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, CF Dominic Fletcher launched a towering solo shot to deep right, pushing the Knights lead to 7-2.

Rochester struck back loudly in the top of the sixth. DH Nick Schnell sparked the rally with a one-out single up the middle, and Andrés Chaparro followed by roping a double down the right field line, putting two runners in scoring position. CF Andrew Pinckney poked a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Schnell. 2B-LF Trey Lipscomb then drove his 16th double of the season off the left-center wall to bring Chaparro home. Francisco Mejía kept things going with a single to center, plating Lipscomb, and Nasim Nuñez added another base hit up the middle, moving Mejía to third. LF Christian Franklin singled to center, driving in Mejía for his first RBI as a Red Wing, tying the game at seven. RF Dylan Crews reached on a soft chopper to third, driving in Nuñez. With two outs, 3B Yohandy Morales drew a walk to load the bases. Nick Schnell then got hit by a pitch, forcing home Franklin. Charlotte was finally able to escape the jam, but not before Rochester stormed back to take a 8-7 lead.

The Knights didn't waste any time in the bottom of the sixth. Tim Elko blooped a one-out single to shallow right, and moments later, Bryan Ramos laced a double in the left-center gap to bring home Elko. Charlotte evened the score at eight heading into the seventh.

The top of the eighth opened with Nasim Nuñez reaching on a bunt down the third base line, and advancing to second on a throwing error. Christian Franklin followed by laying a bunt of his own in the same direction, moving Nuñez to third. 2B Jackson Cluff then delivered a sacrifice fly to center, plating Nuñez and giving the Red Wings a 9-8 lead.

Rochester's pitching held Charlotte scoreless down the stretch, sealing a 9-8 victory in game five.

RHP Chase Solesky opened the game on the mound for Rochester, working 4.0 innings and allowing six earned runs on eight hits, with two walks and five strikeouts. RHP Parker Dunshee was the first arm out of the pen in the fifth, tossing 2.0 innings and giving up two earned runs on four hits while striking out three. RHP Holden Powell came on in the seventh and allowed two hits. RHP Carlos Romero entered in the eighth and retired all three batters. RHP Eduardo Salazar closed out the ninth and recorded one strikeout.

1B Andrés Chaparro delivered a second inning leadoff homer and later registered a double and a run scored to be named your Player of the Game. Since rejoining Rochester on July 1, the Venezuela native's six home runs is tied (with Yohandy Morales) for third most on the Red Wings.

The six-game set between Rochester and Charlotte concludes tomorrow at Truist Field. The Knights will send RHP Mike Clevinger to the mound, with the first pitch slated for 5:05 p.m.

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