IL Rochester Red Wings

Red Wings Ride Big Sixth Inning In Victory Over Mets

Published on May 3, 2024 under International League (IL)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


The Rochester Red Wings evened the series against the Syracuse Mets with a 10-1 victory on Friday evening. Four Red Wings batters logged multi-RBI games, headlined by CF James Wood, who finished the game 3-for-5 with two RBI, and SS Jack Dunn, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI and three walks. Rochester was also propelled by RHP Thaddeus Ward, who tossed a season-high 6.0 innings, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out a season-high eight batters.

The bats for both teams were stifled out of the gate, being held scoreless through five innings before Syracuse broke through in the top of the sixth. 2B Yolmer Sánchez opened the inning with a single and moved over to third base on an errant pickoff attempt to first base. With two outs, SS José Iglesias walked to set up RF Carlos Cortes with runners on first and third. Cortes drove in the only Mets run by hitting a ground ball single to right field, scoring Sánchez from third base and giving the Mets a 1-0 lead.

The Red Wings responded in the bottom of the sixth inning after a lead-off double off the bat of 2B Jake Alu. Jack Dunn singled to right field with one out in the inning, scoring Alu from second base to tie the game at 1-1. 3B Erick Mejia followed the single by reaching on a fielder's choice and moved to third base on a RF Victor Robles single to center field. With James Wood at the plate, Robles stole his first base of the season, moving to second to put two runners in scoring position. Wood took advantage, smashing a 107.2 MPH line drive to left field, scoring Mejia and Robles, giving Rochester a 3-1 lead.

The next batter, 1B Juan Yepez, singled, moving Wood to third base, and a walk to DH Travis Blankenhorn loaded the bases for LF Stone Garrett. The Red Wings left fielder kept the rally going, hitting a hard, 102 MPH ground ball to center field, scoring Wood and Yepez and extending Rochester's lead to 5-1. Having gone through the entire order, Jake Alu got his second hit of the inning, a 103.7 MPH single to center field, tacking on another run for the Red Wings, putting them up 6-1. C Drew Millas followed up the Alu RBI single with a single of his own to load the bases once again for Rochester. The single was followed by back-to-back walks to Dunn and Mejia, extending the Red Wings lead to 8-1.

The Red Wings added more to their seven-run lead over the Mets in the bottom of the eighth inning. A lead-off walk by Stone Garrett and a two-out walk to Jack Dunn set up Erick Mejia to do more damage on offense. Mejia delivered a line drive single to left field, scoring Jake Alu, who reached on a fielder's choice from second base to give Rochester a 9-1 lead. LF Darren Baker followed in Mejia's footsteps, lining a single of his own to left field to push Rochester's run total to double digits, giving them a 10-1 lead.

The Mets made an effort in the top of the ninth inning, trying to chip into their nine-run deficit starting with a leadoff double off the bat of Carlos Cortes. A two-out single by CF Luisangel Acuña moved Cortes to third base, but a 1B Luke Ritter game-ending strikeout ended the Syracuse rally and locked down the Rochester 10-1 victory.

Thaddeus Ward made his sixth start of the season and recorded the second quality start for Rochester in 2024 and in the series. The Fort Myers native tossed 6.0 innings, allowing one earned on five hits while striking out eight and walking one. RHP Adonis Medina entered in relief in the top of the seventh. The right-hander allowed no runs on one hit while striking out three over 2.0 innings of work. RHP TJ Zeuch entered in the ninth to close out the game. The University of Pittsburgh product logged a scoreless inning of work, allowing two hits while striking out a pair.

The Diamond Pro Player of the Game goes to RHP Thaddeus Ward. The 2018 Boston Red Sox draft pick earned his first career Triple-A win and turned in the Wings' second quality start of 2024, working 6.0 innings for the first time since 2019. He allowed one earned on five hits while walking one and striking out eight, his most since September 2, 2022, with Double-A Portland (BOS) and the most from a Wings pitcher this season.

Rochester will look to take a 3-2 series lead in game five Saturday afternoon. RHP Joan Adon takes the ball, toeing the rubber against Mets' RHP Max Kranick. The first pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

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International League Stories from May 3, 2024


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