Rochester fails once again to gain ground in the Wild Card playoff chase.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings lost their fourth consecutive game with a 6-4 defeat by the Syracuse Chiefs on Wednesday night.
The defeat kept the Wings (65-53) 5.5 games behind the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (70-47) for the International League Wild Card berth.
The Wings grabbed the in the first when Bryon Buxton walked and stole second, then scampered home on a double by Tommy Field.
Rochester upped the lead to 2-0 in the second as Reynaldo Rodriguez drew a leadoff base on balls, took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on new catcher Mitch Garver’s single, and scored when James Beresford singled.
The Chiefs knotted the game 2-2 in the home half on a 2-run double from Zach Collier against starting pitcher Adalberto Mejia (0-2).
Rochester loaded the bases in the third on a leadoff double by Byungho Park and a pair of walks. But with Beresford batting and two outs, the Chiefs uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Park to score the go-ahead run.
Syracuse bounced right back in the bottom of the inning with a 2-out, 2-run homer from Matt Skole to forge ahead, 4-3, for the first time in the game.
Trailing 5-3 in the sixth, Beresford stroked a 1-out single and advanced to second on a hit from new third baseman Leonardo Reginatto. He scurried home on Field’s second RBI hit of the game.
The Chiefs tacked on a run in the seventh to complete the scoring.
In another roster move on Wednesday, RHP J.T. Chargois was recalled by the Minnesota Twins.