Rochester overcomes a 6-0 deficit, and 4 miscues, to beat SWB, 8-6.
By Nick Sciarratta and Ben Blakely / Rochester Red Wings
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings defeated the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 8-6 Monday night at Frontier Field. The series continues Tuesday night at 6:05 pm.
The Red Wings had an early scoring opportunity against RailRiders starter Drew Hutchinson in the second inning. Luke Raley was hit by a pitch and after Zander Wiel and Jordany Valdespin each forced a walk, the bases were loaded with two out. However, Ronald Torreyes swung at the first pitch, grounding out and ending the rally.
In the top of the third, Wings starter Justin Nicolino struggled on the mound. A walk and a hit-by-pitch gave Scranton runners on first and second. Trey Amburgey hit a three-run home run, making the score 3-0. After the homer, the Yankees had runners on first and second again with one out, but Nicolino forced a double play to end the threat.
Scranton extended their lead in the top of the fourth on a Billy Burns RBI double, making the score 4-0.
Rochester made a call to the bullpen in the top of the fifth, bringing in Ryan Eades. Nicolino finished with 4.0 innings pitched, giving up four hits and four runs (three earned). He walked two and struck out four, throwing 90 pitches, 57 for strikes.
The RailRiders added two runs in the fifth, as two errors by Red Wings second basemen Valdespin allowed Ryan McBroom and Mandy Alvarez to score, making the score 6-0.
Rochester’s offense came to life in the bottom half of the fifth. Torreyes started the inning with a hit by pitch. After John Andreoli singled to left field, Randy Cesar ripped a two-RBI double to deep right center, making the score 6-2. Wilin Rosario followed Cesar with an RBI double of his own, cutting the RailRiders lead to 6-3. The Wings were not finished in the inning, as an RBI single by Wiel and a sacrifice fly by Tomas Telis trimmed Scranton’s lead to 6-5.
After a 1-2-3 top of the sixth inning by Eades on the mound, the Wings tied the game in the bottom half, as Cesar recorded his third RBI of the game by plating Torreyes on a groundout making the score 6-6.
Rochester gained their first lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh. A Raley single started the inning. After Raley stole second base, Telis hit a RBI single to center, making the score 7-6.
Cesar picked up his third hit of the game with an RBI double in the eighth inning, bringing home John Andreoli with an insurance run to make it 8-6 Wings.
Matt Magill took the mound in the top of the eighth inning, part of his major league rehab assignment. Magill struck out a pair in a perfect eighth inning, then struck out two more in the ninth inning as part of a spotless two-inning relief stint.
Cesar had three hits and drove in four runs as the Wings out-hit the RailRiders11-5.
*NOTES — LHP Gabriel Moya joined the Red Wings Monday as part of his rehab assignment, after appearing in 2 games for Double-A Pensacola.