Rochester withstands a 4-run 9th to win 10-9 over the Mets.
By Nick Grasso / Rochester Red Wings
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings, donning their iconic “Rochester Plates” jerseys, won their second straight game on Thursday evening, defeating the Syracuse Mets (Salt Potatoes), 10-9, to push the series record to 2-1, Wings. Rochester also claimed the esteemed “Golden Fork” with the win, coming out on top in the Duel of the Dishes.
RHP Cory Abbott had a great outing, striking out six batters and holding Syracuse scoreless through three. Abbott, after giving up four runs in 2 2/3 innings in his last start against Syracuse on May 25, set the tone early for a dynamic Wings performance.
Rochester scored in three of the first four innings, as RF Josh Palacios got things started with an RBI single, scoring 1B Joey Meneses for the 1-0 Wings lead. LF Andrew Stevenson contributed in the second with his own RBI single that brought home DH Nick Banks.
In the fourth inning, SS Ildemaro Vargas logged an RBI single, scoring CF Matt Lipka as Vargas ran his hit streak up to eight games. Meneses added to the lead with his 13th double of the season to right field and an RBI, as Vargas reached home to make it 4-0. Meneses tallied a run shortly thereafter thanks to Palacios’ second RBI single. An RBI from Jake Noll gave the Wings a 6-0 lead.
LHP Carson Teel got the ball in the fourth but allowed Mets C Nick Dini to hit a grand slam in the fifth to make it 6-4. Rochester made it 7-4 when Stevenson recorded his second hit and RBI of the night, bringing in Lipka on a single to center field. RHP Matt Brill came out of the bullpen and struck out three straight batters in the sixth before Rochester poured in more scoring. Banks scored Palacios on an RBI single that gave the Wings an 8-4 lead. It was Banks’ first game back since May 6, as he’s been working his way back from the injury.
Stevenson crushed a two-run homer in the seventh to put Rochester up 10-4. It was Stevenson’s 76th hit of the season, good for second in the International League.
LHP Luis Avilan and RHP Patrick Murphy saw the mound and allowed two late runs before RHP Jordan Weems entered the game. Weems allowed three runs on a deep triple as the Wings saw their lead drop to one run, but he ultimately closed it out.
Wings pitchers accumulated a whopping 17 strikeouts, just two shy of the team’s season high 19 strikeouts.
Rochester will look for their third straight win on Friday evening at 7:05 p.m., as they battle the Mets at Frontier Field in game four of the series.