Omaha knocks Rochester out of a tie for first with a 4-1 victory.
By Andrew Westbrook / Rochester Red Wings
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings fell to Omaha in game five of the series by a score of 4-1. Rochester’s offense was held to just five hits, the 14th time this season the Wings have been held to five hits or less.
The loss dropped Rochester out of a 4-way tie for the International League East Division lead and into a 3-way, with Durham and Worcester, one game behind co-leaders Jacksonville and Lehigh Valley.
Omaha opened up the scoring in the second, when 2B Gabriel Cancel plated two with a two-out single. After beginning the series 0-for-10, he has picked up four hits in the last two contests. The score would remain at 2-0 until the 6th, when LF Josh Palacios poked his ninth homer of the year, a solo shot to cut the lead in half.
With the home run, Palacios extended his on-base streak to 23 games including 10 straight with a hit, the most of any Red Wing since September 2, 2019 (Zander Wiel).
The Storm Chasers added two more runs in the eighth, one unearned to bring the score to its eventual final of 4-1.
Wings starter Logan Verrett delivered an impressive performance, working six full innings, allowing just three hits on two earned while punching out five. This gives him his fifth quality start on the season which is most on the club. In his previous two starts, Verrett has a combined 13 innings pitched, allowing just two earned runs (1.38 ERA).
RHP Mason Thompson, LHP Alberto Baldonado, and RHP Victor Arano followed Verrett in relief, combining for the final three innings allowing an earned run while punching out six combined.
With a Wings win in the series finale tomorrow, Rochester would clinch their first series win since June 5 (Buffalo) in the final game before embarking on the All-Star break. The Wings will face off Omaha for a final time at 1:05.