Ronald Torreyes, Wilin Rosario, and Randy Cesar all go deep for Rochester.
ALLENTOWN, PA. — The Red Wings used the long ball and some power arms on Thursday night to take down the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, 4-2, at Coca-Cola Park.
Rochester, which hit just 7 home runs all of last April, got homers from Ronald Torreyes, Wilin Rosario, and Randy Cesar in the Opening Night victory.
Torreyes’ blast came on the first pitch he saw in 2019 to give the Wings a 1-0 first inning lead.
After the ‘Pigs answered with two runs in the bottom half of the first, Rosario’s moon shot of a home run in the fifth tied things up, 2-2.
Cesar’s homer was a 2-run shot in the sixth frame that turned out to be the game-winner.
The Wings bullpen took over from there. Ryan Eades and Tyler Duffey combined to throw 4 scoreless innings allowing only 1 base runner (a HBP with one out in the ninth) with 8 strikeouts.
Kohl Stewart got the Opening Night start for the Wings and after a 2-run, 34-pitch first inning, settled down to allow just 3 base runners over his final 4 innings of work to pick up the win.
The 3 Wings pitchers combined to strike out 16 IronPig hitters.
After Friday’s game was rained out, the teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday.
WINGS THINGS: Rosario hit 28 homers for Colorado in 2018…Cesar had a 42-game hit streak in 2018 for double-A Corpus Christi – a Texas League record…Lamonte Wade Jr led the team with three hits Thursday…The Wings went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position…The Minnesota Twins selected RHP Chase De Jong contract from the Red Wings on Saturday.