By Craig Potter
Rochester drops its third straight game to the Bats, 7-4, on Sunday afternoon.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester Red Wings were swept at home by the Louisville Bats for the first time since 1988 following a 7-4 loss on Sunday afternoon before 4,642 fans at Frontier Field.
The loss dropped the Red Wings into a flat-footed tie with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, both with 45-32 records. Lehigh Valley made it a 3-way tie for the International League North Division lead, as well as the best overall records in the IL, as the IronPigs (45-32) won their game at Durham Sunday night.
The Red Wings have not lost 3 straight games since April when they dropped 5 in a row.
With humid 91° conditions at game time, the Bats jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after just five pitches from starter Jason Wheeler. Steve Selsky’s 1-out, 2-run double put Louisville in front.
“Wheels wasn’t as sharp as we’ve seen him, but he was fine,” said Rochester manager Mike Quade. “It was a tough day to pitch…On a day like this you’ve got to score more than four runs.”
The Bats sent top pitching prospect, and a former first-round pick, Robert Stephenson to the mound to start the game. Stephenson was roughed up by Buffalo in his last start (6 earned runs and 4 walks in 4 innings), and the Wings quickly got to him in their half of the first. James Beresford worked a lead-off walk, and came around to score on a 1-out triple by Jorge Polanco. It was Polanco’s sixth triple of the season, tying him for second-best in the International League.
The Red Wings grabbed the lead in the fourth when Eddie Rosario led off with a walk and Kennys Vargas doubled. With 1 out, Adam Brett Walker double in both runners for a 3-2 lead.
Louisville knotted the game 3-3 on Steve Selsky’s solo homer to left-center. The Bats regained the advantage with a solo run in the seventh off reliever Trevor May, who was making his first rehab appearance from the Minnesota Twins. A hit batsman, single, and groundout plated the go-ahead run.
Louisville secured the win with 3 runs in the eighth inning.
Rochester got 1 run back in the home half on Vargas’s 437-foot blast to right-center.
“You’ve got to put it behind you as quick as you can and get ready for Pawtucket,” Quade said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us with those guys coming in.”
The Red Wings will look to snap the losing streak when the Pawtucket Red Sox come to town for a 3-game series that begins Monday night at 7:05 p.m. It is a Kids Eat Free Monday for the first 500 kids, 12-and-under, will get a free hot dog, drink, and snack.
*NOTES –Miguel Sano will remain with the Red Wings on his rehab assignment for the next 3 or 4 days. He recorded his first-ever Triple-A hit in the 5th inning after going 0-for-7 with 2 walks. He also hit into 2 double plays, the second one that ended the game…The Red Wings have a double header on Thursday starting at 6:05 p.m. with the Syracuse Chiefs due to the game that was postponed here on May 15th…Kennys Vargas’s 445-foot homer sailed over the billboard in right field, which is next to the pavilion…Home plate umpire Robert Moreno, who took a foul bunted ball in the throat in the 6th inning of Saturday’s game and left the game, was back in uniform and performing his duties on Sunday at third base.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – redwingsbaseball.com
Videos
Miguel Sano interview – https://youtu.be/7rTwGChAdzY
Manager Mike Quade interview – https://youtu.be/WC-fqcHCLGQ