By CRAIG POTTER
Rochester strands 17 runners in a 6-4 extra inning loss to the Tides.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Sometimes baseball can be so frustrating. And it is unfortunate that when 13,281 fans, the second largest crowd for a regular season game at Frontier Field, the Rochester Plates were unable to secure a victory in honoring 100 years of the Garbage Plate.
“What an unbelievable night. Who would have thought that a garbage plate could conjure that much enthusiasm and excitement and put those kinds of people in the ballpark,” said Rochester manager Mike Quade.
The team assumed the Plates nickname for this one game, including uniforms and caps with the Plates name and logo.
“There is nothing more Rochester than the Garbage Plate,” said Plates General Manager Dan Mason. “There isn’t another food item that Rochesterians are prouder of or that is more celebrated in our city than the Garbage Plate.”
The Plates took a 4-2 lead into the eighth inning, but the bullpen yielded solo runs in the eighth and ninth to force extra innings. Rochester left the winning run on third base in the eighth, ninth, and tenth frames before finally falling 6-4 in the 12th. The Plates stranded 17 runners on base for the game.
“We weren’t without opportunities,” said Quade. “We had plenty of chances.”
The game started out well for the Plates as rookie pitcher Stephen Gonsalves made his Triple-A debut with Rochester.
“Gonsalves’ effort was tremendous in his debut and still when he took that line drive, he was still able to get through it and do a fine job,” Quade said.
Gonsalves was hit in the back on a ball hit by Pedro Alvarez in the fourth inning. He recovered to throw out Alvarez at first base and stayed in the game. He hurled 7 innings, scattering 4 hits while allowing 2 runs. He also struck out 7 hitters.
“I heard it was going to be a big crowd, and it gets you excited to produce,” Gonsalves said. He added that a little bit of every pitch was working for him.
“I was working my curveball, slider, change-up worked behind the count but my fastball was established early.”
The Plates gave him a 2-0 lead in the first. However, the Tides were able to even the count with solo runs in the fourth and sixth.
Rochester regained the lead with 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth. ByungHo Park and Niko Goodrum reached on a single and an error, respectively, and both scampered home on Leonardo Reginatto’s base hit.
But the Rochester bullpen, which has been so good this season, were tagged for solo runs off Michael Tonkin in the eighth and John Curtiss in the ninth to send the game into extra innings.
“We don’t give up runs late in the game, like we did,” said Quade. “You have those nights but you have a choice. Do you let it bother you…or do you turn the page and go on? It’s one that got away, absolutely.”
The Plates had runners on third base in the eighth, ninth, and tenth frames, but could not get the key hit to drive one home. Rochester stranded 17 runners in the game.
One good news was the Lehigh Valley also lost so Rochester remains 1 game behind in the chase for the wild card berth. Rochester needs to finish at least one game better as the IronPigs won the season series, 13-9.
*NOTES – Daniel Palka had two hits, extending his hit streak to six games…The loss dropped Rochester to 50-14 when scoring the first run of the game…In roster moves, LHP Dietrich Enns was supposed to start for the Plates but was recalled by Minnesota to start versus Milwaukee on Thursday night. INF Kennys Vargas was optioned back to Rochester after spending just one day with the Twins after he was recalled on Wednesday…The series resumes Friday night at 7:05 pm.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – www.redwingsbaseball.com
Videos
Stephen Gonsalves interview – https://youtu.be/U1uO4uF9Gg8
Mike Quade interview – https://youtu.be/HVJY6Br3hFc