Wings Split Twin Bill Against IronPigs
July 3, 2023 - International League (IL)
Rochester Red Wings News Release
The Rochester Red Wings split their doubleheader against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, falling in game one, 13-4, and winning the second game, 5-4. The Wings finish their six-game series against the IronPigs with a 3-3 record, marking the first time this season that Rochester has split a series.
Game 1
Lehigh Valley got out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to an RBI double from 3B Drew Ellis and a two-run home run from 2B Esteban Quiroz. The Wings added back a run in the top of the second inning, cutting the deficit to 4-1 when C Drew Millas' RBI single plated LF Travis Blankenhorn. The IronPigs added five more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to give Lehigh Valley a 9-1 advantage.
RF Cal Stevenson drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, and 1B Jim Haley plated another run on a groundout. Former Wing CF Jake Cave continued scoring in the IronPigs' half of the inning with a solo home run, his 14th of the season. DH Dustin Peterson capped off the scoring with a two-run home run, Lehigh Valley's fourth of the afternoon. The IronPigs tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Cave drove in a run with a groundout, and LF Weston Wilson knocked a three-run home run over the center field wall to give Lehigh Valley a 13-1 advantage.
The Wings added three runs back in the final frame of game one, moving the score to 13-4. Millas got the scoring going with an RBI single to drive in his second run of the game. SS Jeter Downs followed up with an RBI double, plating his third runner of the season, and 3B Jake Alu's ground out finished off the scoring, allowing Millas to score.
RHP Wily Peralta (2-6, 6.58) started the first game of the twin bill, working 3.2 innings in the loss. Peralta allowed nine runs on eight hits in the start, walking two batters while striking out three. RHP Joel Peguero and RHP Tommy Romero worked the final 2.1 innings, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks while striking out a pair.
C Drew Millas earned the Diamond Pro Player of the Game in the top half of the doubleheader after he went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Millas now has 10 RBI on the season and extended his on-base streak to 12 games (since 6/13).
Game 2
To start off the second game in Monday's twin bill, RF Blake Rutherford gave the Wings a 1-0 lead when he hit a solo home run over the 17-foot wall in right-center field. Lehigh Valley responded in the bottom half of the inning, tying the game at 1-1 when a double from DH Drew Ellis drove in RF Dustin Peterson. Rochester retook the lead in the top half of the third inning when Rutherford drove in his second run of the contest on an RBI single.
The IronPigs would come back in the bottom of the third, tying the game at 2-2 when CF Jake Cave hit a solo home run. Rochester continued the back-and-forth affair in the top of the fourth inning, taking a 3-2 lead when C Jacob Nottingham collected his first hit as a Wing, an RBI double that plated 1B Travis Blankenhorn. LF Jake Alu tacked on another run to give Rochester a 4-2 advantage when he stole third base and went around to home thanks to a throwing error from Lehigh Valley.
The IronPigs added a run back in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run from SS Weston Wilson, but Rochester padded its lead in the top of the sixth inning when an RBI double from Alu scored SS Richie Martin. Lehigh Valley cut the deficit to 5-4 in the bottom half of the inning, when 1B Jim Haley collected an RBI single.
RHP Paolo Espino (4-2, 4.64) started the back half of the doubleheader Monday evening, working five innings, allowing three runs off five hits while striking out six batters. RHP Andres Machado and LHP Tim Cate entered out of the bullpen to work an inning, allowing a combined run on two hits and a walk while striking out a batter. RHP Gerson Moreno finished off the IronPigs with a scoreless inning of relief, earning the save (3)
RF Blake Rutherford earned the Diamond Pro Player of the Game award in the second game of the doubleheader after he went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored. Rutherford is now hitting .375 (15-for-40) since being promoted to Rochester on 6/16, and has extended his on-base streak between Harrisburg and Rochester to 15 games.
The Wings finished 1-for-1 on ABS Challenges in the doubleheader, while the IronPigs went 2-for-4.
The Red Wings return home as they open up a six-game set at Innovative Field where they'll take on their Thruway Rival Buffalo Bisons, beginning on Independence Day. RHP Jackson Rutledge is slated to start for the Wings in his Innovative Field debut, with RHP Casey Lawrence getting the nod for the Bisons. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m.
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