Red Wings Use Eight-Run First to Top Mets
IL Rochester Red Wings

Red Wings Use Eight-Run First to Top Mets

Published on August 17, 2025 under International League (IL)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


The Rochester Red Wings hit the field Sunday afternoon to close out their six-game series against the Syracuse Mets, looking for their fourth win and series victory. Rochester jumped ahead early with eight runs in the first inning and went on to secure the win and series, defeating the Mets 9-4. LF Christian Franklin paced the offense with a three-hit game, including a triple in the bottom of the fifth. 2B Jackson Cluff launched his first grand slam of his professional career in the top of the first, and every Red Wing starter recorded a hit in the win. RHP Adrian Sampson turned in 6.0 two-hit innings without allowing an earned run, en route to his third win in a Red Wings uniform.

Christian Franklin and RF Nick Schnell opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. 1B Andrés Chaparro then drew a walk to load the bases. CF Andrew Pinckney followed with a ground-ball single to center, driving in Franklin and Schnell while moving Chaparro to second. With a 2-0 lead, 3B Trey Lipscomb singled to center to load the bases once again, for C Francisco Mejía, who kept the rally going with a line-drive single to center, scoring Chaparro, advancing Pinckney to third, and Lipscomb to second. Jackson Cluff, the eighth batter of the inning, launched a grand slam to right-center field, the Red Wings' second of the season, to extend the lead to 7-0. SS Nasim Nuñez lined a single and quickly swiped second for his 31st stolen base of the season, putting himself in scoring position. Franklin came back to the plate for his second at-bat of the inning and lined another single, advancing Nuñez to third. Nuñez then scored on a fielder's choice, giving the Red Wings an 8-0 lead at the end of one.

Following a scoreless second, 2B Luke Ritter reached second on a throwing error and the next batter, C Hayden Senger ripped a single to drive in Ritter. The base hit put the Mets on the board and cut their deficit to 8-1 to end the top of the third.

Former Batavia Muckdog Nasim Nuñez kicked off the bottom of the fifth after drawing a walk to reach first. Franklin then smacked a triple to right field, his fifth of the season, bringing Nuñez home and ending the fifth inning with a 9-1 lead.

The score remained unchanged heading into the top of the eighth inning. CF Jett Williams got things started with a walk, then quickly advanced to second and stole third. LF Ryan Clifford singled to center, driving in Williams and making the score 9-2. With Clifford on first, RF Jose Azocar tripled to bring him home, cutting the deficit to six. 3B Yonny Hernandez then drew a walk to place runners on both corners. With a wild pitch, Azocar crossed home plate adding a run to the scoreboard to end the top of the eighth with a 9-4 score.

After holding the Mets in the top of the ninth, the Rochester Red Wings secured the win, 9-4, and claimed the series victory.

Right-hander Adrian Sampson took the mound first for Rochester and tossed 6.0 innings while allowing just one unearned run on two hits, walking and striking out three. In relief, RHP Erick Mejia took over and threw a scoreless inning, walking one and collecting two strikeouts. RHP Joan Adon came on in the eighth and gave up three earned runs on two hits, with two walks. RHP Andry Lara entered to finish off the eighth and struck out two batters across 1.1 frames to finish off the game.

2B Jackson Cluff is Tonight's Player of the Game. The BYU alum crushed his first professional career grand slam, a 392-foot shot over the right-field wall, marking his tenth home run of the season. In August, Cluff has homered four times, tying his career-high across a single month (4 in August 2019).

The Rochester Red Wings will open another six-game series at home on Tuesday, this time against the Toledo Mud Hens. RHP Riley Cornelio is set to take the mound first for Rochester. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 P.M.

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International League Stories from August 17, 2025


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