The Buffalo Bisons keep their slim playoff hopes alive with win over Rochester.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings are on the brink of elimination from the Governor’s Cup playoffs following a 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Bisons at Sahlen Field Tuesday night.
A Red Wings loss or a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre win will eliminate Rochester from this year’s postseason.
Buffalo’s Anthony Kay worked into the seventh inning and struck out 5 to lead the Herd to their third straight victory over the Red Wings. Socrates Brito and Santiago Espinal each hit homers as the Bisons made the most of their 5 hits on the night.
Kay was brilliant for the Herd as he threw 6.2 shutout innings. The southpaw started the game by retiring the first 6 Rochester batters and faced just 3 over the minimum over his first 6 frames.
Kay erased Red Wing Zander Wiel’s lead-off single in the third with an around-the-horn doubleplay. The same goes for Alejandro De Aza’s one-out single in the fourth, thanks to a twin-killing off the bat of Wilin Rosario.
The Red Wings didn’t advance a runner into scoring position until two reached against Kay in the seventh. Zach Jackson got the Herd out of that jam when he induced a fly ball from Ronald Torreyes.
Buffalo used the longball and some small ball to take a 2-0 lead in their half of the fourth against Rochester starter Kohl Stewart.
Espinal’s blast was a 3-run shot in the sixth, and proved to be the game-winning hit.
Rochester scored 3 runs in the top of the ninth, all with two outs. Wiel contributed a 2-run shot, his 22nd round-tripper of the season.
Barnes named IL All-Star
Rochester Red Wings outfielder Brandon Barnes has been named an International League Post-Season All-Star, the league office announced Tuesday.
Barnes, 33, spent most of the season with Columbus before being acquired for cash considerations on August 2. He has combined to hit .252/.317/.504 with 29 doubles, 29 homers, 92 RBI, 76 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 115 games between the Clippers and Red Wings. Barnes leads the league in RBI while ranking second in home runs, extra-base hits, and total bases. The 29 homers and 92 RBI are both career-highs. He has hit .167/.231/.393 with four doubles, five home runs, 15 RBI, 12 runs scored and two stolen bases in 21 games since joining the Wings after he batted .271/.336/.529 with 25 doubles, 24 home runs, 77 RBI, 64 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 94 games this season with the Clippers.
This is the second straight post-season All-Star selection for Barnes after earning the honor with Columbus last season. He was also named a mid-season All-Star each of the last two seasons with the Clippers. Since the start of 2018, Barnes leads the IL with 247 games played, 173 RBI (42 more than the next closest player), 68 doubles, 113 extra-base hits, 453 total bases, and 151 runs scored. His 43 homers over that span rank second.
*NOTES — Scranton/Wilkes-Barres regained sole possession of first place with a win in Pawtucket Tuesday while Syracuse dropped out of first with a loss at home to Lehigh Valley. Buffalo remained in third place 3 games out as the Wings are in 4th, 6 games behind SWB with 6 to play…Game 3 of the 4-game series is Wednesday night in Buffalo as the Wings close out the regular season with 4 games at Frontier Field against Syracuse, beginning Friday night.