Red Wings Win Tug-Of-War over Buffalo
IL Rochester Red Wings

Red Wings Win Tug-Of-War over Buffalo

July 5, 2025 - International League (IL)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


The Rochester Red Wings and Buffalo Bisons met for the fifth game of their six-game series on a sweltering Saturday evening at Innovative Field. Looking to bounce back from a loss on Friday, the Wings took a back-and-forth contest from the Bisons by the score of 8-5. 3B José Tena crushed the first homer of his Triple-A season, and RF Nick Schnell hit his third homer in his last four games.

Buffalo got the scoring going early on this Saturday afternoon with a bang. 3B Michael Stefanic hit a leadoff home run into the left field bullpen, giving the Bisons a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

The Red Wings would have their answer in the bottom of the second inning. SS Jackson Cluff earned a leadoff walk, and LF Darren Baker reached on a fielding error. Three batters later, CF Robert Hassell III lined an RBI single into right field, scoring Baker. A fielding error by the right fielder would allow a second run to score to give the Wings a 2-1 lead.

The Bisons responded with a run of their own in the top of the third. CF Jonatan Clase led off the inning with an infield single and proceeded to steal second. LF Alan Roden would bring home Clase on a soft liner into center, knotting the score at two.

The Wings would quickly take back their lead in the bottom half of the frame. RF Nick Schnell tattooed a ball into the opposite-field bullpen for a solo homer. Schnell's eighth homer of the year came off the bat at 100.8 mph and traveled 378 feet to give the Wings a 3-2 lead.

The back-and-forth scoring would continue in the top of the fourth inning. SS Josh Rivera hit a fly ball down the right field line that just barely stayed fair, clearing the wall to tie the game for the Bisons, 3-3.

Buffalo led off the top of the fifth with yet another long ball, as 2B Orelvis Martinez launched a ball into the visiting bullpen. Martinez's eleventh homer of the year and Buffalo's third homer of the game gave the Bisons a 4-3 lead.

The Buffalo lead would be short-lived, as in the bottom of the fifth inning, 3B José Tena unloaded on a ball, sending it 458 feet out to right-center field. The first homer of the season for the Dominican Republic native tied the game right back up at 4-4.

Buffalo reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh, as 1B Rainer Nunez roped a leadoff double down the left field line, and C Ali Sanchez looped a double into right field, scoring Nunez, and giving the Bisons a 5-4 lead.

Looking to spark a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, 1B Yohandy Morales laced a single into right field to put a man aboard for the Wings. José Tena then roped a double into the left-center field gap to bring Morales home and tie the game at five. The Wings weren't done yet, as Nick Schnell lifted a high fly ball to left-center, which was misplayed by the center fielder, putting Schnell on third, and scoring Tena to give the Wings a 6-5 lead.

The Wings led off the bottom of the eighth with back-to-back bunt base hits from C C.J. Stubbs and SS Nasim Nuñez. Robert Hassell III then moved both runners into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, which was immediately followed by a single up the middle from Yohandy Morales, scoring both runners and padding the Wings' lead, making it 8-5.

The Bisons looked for some late-game magic in the top of the ninth but were quickly set down in order, giving the Wings their second win of the series by the score of 8-5.

LHP Andrew Alvarez took the ball on Saturday afternoon for his International League-leading 17th start of the season. The Cal Poly alum tossed 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, and striking out three. RHP Parker Dunshee would be the first Wings reliever out of the bullpen in the fifth inning. The right-hander threw 1.2 innings, striking out two while allowing one run on four hits and one walk. RHP Joan Adon tossed 1.1 innings, striking out one and retiring all four batters he faced. LHP Konnor Pilkington closed out the eighth and stayed on to earn the save in the ninth. The southpaw tossed 1.2 innings, striking out one and earning the second save of his professional career.

3B José Tena earns Saturday night's Player of the Game honors. The lefty went 2-for-5 with a double, a solo homer, two RBIs, and a stolen base. The Dominican native logged two extra-base hits, marking the first time since 5/28 (with WSH @ SEA). Tena's fourth-inning, 458-foot blast is the longest-recorded home run of his professional career.

The Wings will conclude their six-game set with the Buffalo Bisons on Sunday afternoon. Red Wings' RHP Bryce Conley will make his Innovative Field debut against Buffalo's RHP Anders Tolhurst. First pitch is set for 1:05 from downtown Rochester.

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