Zander Wiel scores the game-winner in the 10th inning.
By Nick Sciarratta and Ben Blakely / Rochester Red Wings
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings (Plates) topped the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, 4-3, in 10 innings Thursday afternoon. The Pawtucket Red Sox come to town for a 3-game series that begins Friday at 6:35 pm.
Plates starter Zack Littell struggled in the top of the first inning, walking the first two batters and after a double-steal, Scranton had runners on second and third. However, with two outs in the inning, LaMonte Wade made a great catch, slamming into the left-center wall and holding on to end the inning.
Scranton took the first lead of the game in the top of the third on a solo home run by Cliff Pennington, making the score 1-0.
Rochester had an early scoring opportunity in the bottom half of the third against RailRiders starter David Hale. Adam Rosales started the inning with a single to center. Ronald Torreyes grounded into a fielder’s choice to second base, recording Rosales out. Torreyes advanced to second on a groundout by John Andreoli, giving Rochester their first runner in scoring position with two outs. Wade struck out looking, and was ejected from the game by home plate umpire Ryan Additon for contesting the call.
In the top of the fifth, Scranton threatened to extend their lead. After two straight singles, Littell forced a double play to Torreyes, who touched second base and threw to Zander Wiel at first. On the next play, Wiel caught a pop fly, almost diving into the first base line seats by the tarp, ending the threat.
Rochester made a call to the bullpen in the sixth, bringing in Jake Reed. Littell finished with 5.0 innings pitched, giving up five hits and one earned run. He walked three and struck out four, throwing 87 pitches, 52 for strikes.
Reed ran into some trouble in the sixth, allowing runners on first and third with two outs. But, the right-hander got out of the jam with a nice play on a bunt by Billy Burns, throwing to first and ending the inning.
The Plates battled back in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Andreoli ripped a double down the third base line. After Brent Rooker struck out swinging, Randy Cesar smashed a two-run home run to left field, giving Rochester a 2-1 lead. The homer was Cesar’s third of the season.
After Reed recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh, the Plates gained another run. Luke Raley started the inning with a line drive that was mishandled by right fielder Matt Lipka. A batter later, Jordany Valdespin hit a RBI double into the left field corner, giving Rochester a 3-1 lead. Hale exited after the double, lasting 6.1 innings, giving up five hits, two earned runs and striking out nine. He threw 109 pitches, 72 for strikes.
Reed allowed a hit and a walk in two scoreless relief innings. Preston Guilmet came on to pitch the eighth inning, and the first two batters he faced reached base; Guilmet responded by striking out the side and ending the scoring bid.
Gabriel Moya worked the ninth inning for the Plates, and issued a walk to the first batter he faced. Pennington’s RBI double made it a one-run game at 3-2. Pinch-hitter Trey Amburgey followed with a single, to give the ‘Riders runners at first and third with one out. Third baseman Adam Rosales threw out the tying run at the plate when Pennington tried to score on a groundout, preserving the lead and leaving runners at first and second with two out. But pinch-hitter Ryan Lavarnway lined a single to left field on the first pitch he saw, knotting the game at 3-3.
With two out in the bottom of the ninth, Zander Wiel launched a long flyball that was caught on the warning track by center fielder Omar Carrizales and the game went to extra innings.
DJ Baxendale came on top pitch the 10th inning. With a placed runner at second base as part of Minor League Baseball’s pace of play initiative, Baxendale got a flyout and a strikeout before Wiel made a nifty play at first base, taking away a potential hit for the third out.
Wiel was the placed runner at second in the Plates’ half of the 10th inning. With one out, Rosales snuck a single through the right side to give the Plates a first and third with one out scoring threat. Torreyes hit a chopper to first base, and when Wiel slid home safely the Plates had the 4-3 win.
*NOTES — LaMonte Wade, Jr. went 0-for-2 before his ejection, ending his six-game hit streak…Wade’s 14 walks was tied for fourth in the league entering play Thursday….Randy Cesar’s home run was the 26th of the season for the Rochester offense; that compares to just 7 homers hit for the entire month of April last season.