Red Wings Rally for First Opening Day Victory Since 2019
IL Rochester Red Wings

Red Wings Rally for First Opening Day Victory Since 2019

Published on March 27, 2026 under International League (IL)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


Kicking off the season in Jacksonville for the first time since 1967, the Rochester Red Wings used a five-run sixth inning and 10 total walks to beat the Jumbo Shrimp in a thrilling Opening Day matchup Friday night, 8-7. 1B Abimelec Ortiz led the way offensively, reaching base five times in five plate appearances with two hits and three walks. RF Andrew Pinckney also picked up a pair of hits and RBI, going 2-for-5 out of the seventh spot in the lineup.

10 walks are the most by the Red Wings on Opening Day since 2012, and eight runs scored is the most since 2017.

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After the Red Wings were retired in order in the top half of the first, Jacksonville quickly established a lead. A leadoff walk to CF Andrew Pintar and an infield single by 1B Deyvison De Los Santos brought RF Kemp Alderman up to bat, who poked a one-out single into center field, driving in a run. A fly out to center and a walk later, DH Nathan Martorella drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the Jumbo Shrimp lead to 2-0.

In his first at-bat as a Red Wing, 1B Abimelec Ortiz roped a double into right field to lead off the second inning for the first Red Wing hit of 2026. LF Robert Hassell III advanced Ortiz to third with a groundout, bringing 2025 Red Wings MVP RF Andrew Pinckney to the plate. Pinckney hit a dribbler past LHP Robby Snelling, bringing in the run on a sacrifice groundout to make the score 2-1.

The game stayed quiet until the bottom half of the fourth, where Jacksonville broke things open. 2B Jared Serna reached on a slow roller to third for a one-out single. After a lineout and a two-out walk to Andrew Pintar, Deyvison De Los Santos launched a 112.0 MPH three-run homer to left center, extending the Jacksonville lead to 5-1.

Rochester refused to go quietly in the season opener. DH Christian Franklin led off the sixth with a 110.6 MPH double to center, the hardest hit ball by a red wing on Opening Day since at least 2022, and the hardest hit double by a Red Wing since Nick Schnell on August 26 last season, also at Jacksonville. A walk from C Harry Ford and a single from CF Dylan Crews led to an Abimelec Ortiz RBI single that scored Franklin, his second hit of the game. With still no outs, Robert Hassell III kept the rally going with a bases-loaded walk to bring in Ford. After a strikeout, 2B Trey Lipscomb hit a line drive single to left field that scored two, bringing the score to 5-5. The bases were loaded once again after 3B Yohandy Morales was hit by a pitch, which brought Christian Franklin to the plate for the second time in the inning. Franklin drew a full count walk to give Rochester their first lead of the game, 6-5.

The Jumbo Shrimp went quietly in the bottom half of the sixth, outside of a single and two stolen bases from SS Jesús Bastidas. Rochester put the pressure on early with walks from Dylan Crews and Abimelec Ortiz, but a 3-6-1 double play made it two outs with a runner on third. Andrew Pinckney came to the plate and made the score 7-5 with a single up the middle that scored Crews for his second RBI, and Crews' second run of the game.

The reigning Triple-A Champions wouldn't surrender without a fight. C Joe Mack drew a one-out walk, followed by a hit by pitch to Kemp Alderman and a walk to LF Matthew Etzel that loaded the bases. A quick popout by 3B Jacob Berry followed a pitching change, but Nathan Martorella came through for Jacksonville with a two-RBI single to square things up 7-7 through seven.

A quiet eighth inning kept the game tied going into the ninth. After a strikeout to start the inning, Rochester swiftly loaded the bases with a walk from Abimelec Ortiz and singles from Robert Hassell III and Andrew Pinckney. Another strikeout brought Yohandy Morales to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. After working the count full, Morales took a fastball low and away to bring in Ortiz for his third run of the game, giving the Red Wings an 8-7 lead.

Jacksonville threatened in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with no outs. A popout to SS Zack Short brought 2B Jared Serna to the plate. Serna laced an inside slider 93.2 MPH to Yohandy Morales at third, who made a diving play, tagging the base for the force out and gunning down PR Daniel Johnson at home to turn the double play and end the game, stunning the Jumbo Shrimp at home 8-7.

LHP Andrew Alvarez took the mound first for Rochester for his third consecutive Opening Day start, and second with the Red Wings. The southpaw, who turned in a career-high 30 starts between Rochester and Washington a season ago, allowed five earned runs on four hits across 4.0 innings, with two strikeouts and five walks Friday night. RHP Trevor Gott took over in the fifth for his Red Wings debut and submitted 1.2 clean innings on one hit with a strikeout. RHP Eddy Yean followed with 0.2 hitless frames in his first appearance with Rochester, but yielded two earned runs with two walks and a strikeout. Julian Fernández came on and recorded a pair of outs to finish the seventh, allowing one hit. Moving to the eighth, RHP Orlando Ribalta turned in a hitless frame, with a walk and a strikeout, before turning things over to RHP Jackson Rutledge for the ninth. The Missouri native worked himself in and out of trouble, issuing a pair of walks without allowing a run.

Rochester's Player of the Game in game one of 150 goes to 1B Abimelec Ortiz. The Bayamon, Puerto Rico native became the first Red Wing to reach base five times on Opening Day since at least 2004, going 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI, three walks, and three runs scored.

The Red Wings and Jumbo Shrimp are back in action Saturday night for game two of their three-game set. LHP Mitchell Parker is slated to toe the rubber against Jacksonville RHP Bradley Blalock. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

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International League Stories from March 27, 2026


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