By Craig Potter
Rochester keeps pace with Lehigh Valley with the 5-1 win against the Chiefs.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings kept their International League playoff hopes alive with a 5-1 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs on Tuesday night before 8,126 fans at Frontier Field.
John Ryan Murphy and Adam Brett Walker each smacked a 2-run homer as Daniel Palka belted a solo home run to account for the Wings markers.
Murphy’s homer came in the fifth to break a scoreless tie off Chiefs starter Reynaldo Lopez.
“The time before that he went a complete game (against us),” said Murphy. “Hehas a really good arm and we up getting some hits going.
“He fell behind with a breaking ball first pitch so I had it in the back of my head that maybe he’ll throw another one, and he left it up in the zone and it was a great pitch to hit.”
“We’re kind of built for that (homers),” said Red Wings manager Mike Quade. “Murf doesn’t have a bunch of them (3). He got a hanging breaking ball and did exactly what he is supposed to do.
“When we traded for him we expected, and still expect him, to help at the major league level. He really struggled offensively but his game-calling and how he works with pitchers is phenomenal. The last three weeks, he’s swung the bat, average-wise, better than anybody on the club….He’s playing the way he’s capable of playing.”
The victory left Rochester 3.5 games behind Lehigh Valley for the Wild Card as the IronPigs shut out Pawtucket, 2-0, on Tuesday at home.
Rochester starting pitcher David Hurlbut sustained an injury on a 2-2 count while pitching to Chili native and Aquinas graduate Chris Bostick.
“I think it’s his groin,” Quade said of the injury. “He didn’t want to come out, he wanted to keep pitching, and I love that. If your delivery is going to be compromised, that’s not going to happen.
“Also, he needs to make another start for us so we’ll see how the recovery goes…And if he can’t make it, then Bencomo gets his work in.”
Hurlbut left the game and Omar Bencomo came on in relief. He struck out Bostick. Bencomo tossed 4.2 innings, giving up 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 6 hitters.
“Fully rested, he was huge,” said Quade of Bencomo. “To get called on like that is very tough, and to shut them down and pitch the way he did was huge.
The Chiefs threatened in the ninth as they loaded the bases against reliever Edward Mujica, but the right-hander got Bostick to fly out to center field to end the game.
The two teams go at it again on Wednesday night at 7:05 pm.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – redwingsbaseball.com
Videos
John Ryan Murphy interview – https://youtu.be/UkeaVk_Q3kA
Manager Mike Quade interview – https://youtu.be/0SyyvdfGsSI