The Rochester hurlers strike out a season-high 17 hitters in the loss.
By Nick Sciarratta and Ben DiCrasto / Rochester Red Wings
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings dropped a 3-2 decision to the Columbus Clippers Wednesday night at Frontier Field. The loss ended the Wings’ 8-game win streak.
Willians Astudillo put the Wings up 1-0 in the bottom of first inning, blasting a home run over the wall in left field off Clippers starter Mitch Talbot. It was Astudillo’s third long ball since joining the Red Wings on June 8, as well as his third game in a row with a homer.
With two runners on and two outs in the top of the third, Wings shortstop Luis Arraez made a stellar defensive play to end the inning. Running to his left he scooped the ground ball, spun and threw to first in time. Wings starter Lewis Thorpe impressed out of the gate, striking out five of the first six batters he faced.
Thorpe threw 5.0 innings, nine strikeouts, two walks, and allowing no runs on 88 pitches, 56 for strikes. DJ Baxendale replaced Thorpe to begin the sixth inning.
Baxendale’s night only lasted an inning after Columbus jumped into the lead off a Bobby Bradley sixth inning two-run shot, putting the Clippers up 2-1.
Zack Littell came into relief in the seventh and got himself out of a jam. With a runner at third Littell struck out his third batter of the inning to keep the score 2-1.
Clippers starter Mitch Talbot lasted 6.2 innings giving up four hits, allowing one earned run on eighty five pitches, fifty nine for strikes. In the top of the eight the Clippers extended their lead to 3-1 with a solo home run from Brandon Barnes.
The Wings cut their deficit to one when Nick Gordon doubled, allowing Jordany Valdespin to score from second.
Littell pitched 2.0 innings and striking out five. He kept Rochester within one heading into the bottom of the ninth, giving the Wings hope of extending their season-high 8-game win streak.
Columbus pitcher James Hoyt snuffed out any comeback, putting away the Wings in order to end the game.
Rochester pitchers struck out 17 batters, their highest mark in a single game this season. The Wings’ previous season high was 16 strikeouts on on April 4 at Lehigh Valley.
*NOTES — INF Nick Gordon extended his hit streak to 10 games and on base streak to 17 games…INF Drew Maggi singled in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to six games…INF Wynston Sawyer walked in the bottom of the seventh to extend his on-base streak to 12 games…The teams play a 12:35 p.m. game Thursday afternoon.