The PawSox score 4 runs to pull out a 6-5 victory over Rochester.
By CRAIG POTTER
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings bullpen was unable to record the final third strike and yielded a pair of 2-run hits in the ninth inning as the Pawtucket Red Sox pulled out a 6-5 victory on Wednesday night before 11,898 fans at Frontier Field.
“We don’t have closers here,” said Rochester manager Joel Skinner. “This is what these guys are doing down here; they’re supposed to get stretched out.
“We lost the game but it wasn’t from a lack of effort. We just didn’t get the last out.”
The Red Wings broke up Jalen Beeks perfect game with a 2-out single by Gregorio Petit in the fourth inning. Kennys Vargas followed with a 2-run, 375-foot homer over the left field fence for a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, Cameron Rupp blasted a 382-foot homer for a 3-0 advantage.
Rochester starter Stephen Gonsalves scattered 3 hits over 6 innings, walking 1 and striking out 6 hitters.
“I’ve been in a little fluster the last month,” Gonsalves said.
“It’s hard not to think about throwing strikes when you have (Byron) Buxton out in center and a big-league infield behind you. You can just think about throwing to contact.”
The PawSox got on the scoreboard off reliever Nick Anderson with a 2-run home in the eighth by Mike Miller.
The Wings answered with a pair of runs in the home half. Buxton walked and scored on LaMonte Wade’s triple to right-center. Wade trotted home on Petit’s sacrifice fly to center for a 5-2 margin.
After giving up a leadoff walk, reliever John Curtiss struck out the next two batters. However, a single and walk loaded the bases. Pinch-hitter Rusney Castillo delivered a 2-run single to pull within one at 5-4, with runners on first and third.
How often does a catcher simply drop the ball as he goes to lob it back to the pitcher, especially with the game on the line?
“You stay around long enough, you see everything,” said Skinner as the play by Rupp allowed the go-ahead run to move into scoring position.
Tzu-Wei Lin then ripped a hit to right to plate the tying, and what proved to be, the winning run.
The Wings went down in order in the home half.
The series, and short homestand, conclude Thursday with a 5:05 pm start.
*NOTES — In roster moves, RHP Trevor May was reinstated from the disabled list on Wednesday and LHP Adalberto Mejia is active after being optioned by the Minnesota Twins on July 2. Catcher Jordan Pacheco was reinstated from the disabled list Tuesday…Chris Carter has hit 20 combined home runs this season between Rochester and Triple-A Salt Lake, tied for fourth among all minor leaguers…Rochester is 36-for-the-last-222 (.162 average) with runners in scoring position since June 2…Gregorio Petit collected his second straight multi-hit game Tuesday night, finishing 3-for-5 with a double and a RBI. It marked his first 3-hit game this season. Petit has reached base safely in 13 of his last 14 games since June 17, and hit safely in 5 of his last 6 since Game 2 on June 28…LaMonte Wade increased his hit streak to 8 games after a sixth inning single…In the top of the ninth inning, a gorilla – or a human dressed as a gorilla – jumped on the field and ran from the left field corner across the outfield to the right field berm, then disappeared in the grounds crew area…The Red Wings had not hit multiple homers in a game at Frontier Field since May 25, when they hit 4 round-trippers. The Wings have just 3 multiple home run games at home thus far this season.