Carter Kieboom delivers the game-winning homer as Rochester beats Syracuse in the 12th.
By Caktus AI / Rochester Red Wings
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — After falling behind in the top of the 12th inning, the Rochester Red Wings walked off the Syracuse Mets, 6-4 to extend their winning streak to an International League-long six games and secure their second consecutive series win. Rochester has now won nine of its last 10 games for the first time since May of last season. 3B Carter Kieboom delivered the walk-off two-run home run. The Wings hosted “Women in Sports Night,” drawing a home crowd of 8,407 for the Friday evening contest.
Rochester jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to a home run to right-center field from RF Nomar Mazara off of RHP Jose Butto. It was Mazara’s fourth long ball of the year and third since 5/24 against TOL. The Wings added to their lead in the second inning when singles from 1B Matt Adams and C Luis Torrens, and a walk from LF Travis Blankenhorn loaded the bases for 2B Erick Mejia. His sacrifice flyout scored Adams and gave Rochester a 2-0 lead.
Syracuse answered in the top of the third when DH Nick Meyer’s RBI single drove in CF Lorenzo Cedrola and made it 2-1. The run would stand as the lone tally for the Mets until the top of the seventh inning, as RHP Wily Peralta shut down Syracuse in his second quality start of the season.
To begin the fourth inning, Adams and Torrens collected consecutive singles for the second time of the night. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Blankenhorn brought Mejia to the plate with runners on the corners. A hit-and-run allowed Adams to score on a ground ball single through the right side of the infield, giving Mejia his second RBI of the game and extending Rochester’s lead to 3-1.
In the seventh inning, Syracuse came back to tie the game at 3-3. 3B Jonathan Arauz hit an RBI triple into the right field corner to score RF Jaylin Davis from first base. In the next at-bat, CF Lorenzo Cedrola scored Arauz on a game-tying, RBI single.
The game remained knotted at three until the top of the 12th inning, when an error set up a sacrifice fly from Arauz that scored the automatic runner, SS Luis Guillorme, to give Syracuse a 4-3 lead.
CF Derek Hill began Rochester’s response in the bottom half of the inning, hammering a double to left field, scoring the automatic runner to tie the game, 4-4. Kieboom finished off Syracuse when he smacked a game-winning, two-run home run to left field to give the Wings a 6-4 win.
LF Travis Blankenhorn extended his on-base streak to 20 games, and CF *Derek Hill *extended his hit streak to 15 games in the win.
Rochester went 2-for-4 on ABS challenges in Friday night’s contest.
RHP Wily Peralta picked up his second quality start of the season, working a season-high 6.1 innings, allowing three runs while walking one and striking out two Syracuse batters. RHP Tyler Danish, RHP Alberto Baldonado, RHP Jordan Weems, and LHP Jose Ferrer held off the Mets until the 12th inning, working a combined 4.2 innings of scoreless pitching while walking one and striking out five. RHP Luis Reyes (3-0, 6.33) worked the 12th inning, allowing one unearned run and picking up the win, his third of the season.
3B Kieboom earned Friday night’s Diamond Pro Player of the Game award after he delivered the final blow in the 12-inning win. Kieboom finished 1-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a walk.
The Red Wings look to extend their winning streak to seven games, and take a 5-0 series lead, tomorrow against the Mets. RHP Paolo Espino is set to make his eighth start of the season for Rochester, while RHP Alex Valverde goes for Syracuse. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m.