Rochester ties the game with a 3-run 8th inning.
By Nick Sciarratta and Ben DiCrasto / Rochester Red Wings
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings topped the Buffalo Bisons, 5-4, in 10 innings Friday night at Frontier Field.
Following a pitcher’s duel through the first two innings, Rochester notched the first run of the game off Bisons starter Shawn Morimando in the bottom of the third inning. Nick Gordon’s sacrifice fly scored Jordany Valdespin who previously singled and advanced to third off a wild pitch and fly ball. The sacrifice fly put the Wings up 1-0.
Wings left-handed starter Lewis Thorpe came out hot, throwing three scoreless innings before Buffalo broke free with two home runs in the fourth inning. Patrick Kivlehan’s two run shot and Richard Urena’s solo home run put the Bisons up 3-1.
Kivlehan continued Buffalo’s power hitting in the top of the sixth inning, going deep for his second time of the night and making the score 4-1 Bisons.
Andrew Vasquez came on in relief for Thorpe to begin the seventh inning. Thorpe exited the game having thrown 6.0 innings. He allowed six hits, four runs, walked one, and struck out five on 83 pitches, 55 of which were strikes.
Vasquez threw a perfect seventh inning for the Wings before being replaced by Jake Reed.
Rochester began their rally in the bottom of the eighth, starting with Drew Maggi’s 11-pitch at bat resulting in a walk. The Wings’ next batter John Andreoli blasted a two- run home run over the wall in left to cut the lead down to one run, 4-3. Bisons starting pitcher Morimando exited after the home run with a line of 7.1 innings, four hits, three runs, three walks, and four strikeouts. Morimando threw 68 strikes on 103 pitches.
The Wings immediately went to work on relief pitcher Kirby Snead as Gordon walked and LaMonte Wade Jr. doubled to put men on first and third. Zander Wiel came through for Rochester with a clutch RBI single, scoring Gordon to tie the game at 4-4. .
A double play turned by Valdespin and Gordon helped Reed get through the top of the ninth inning unscathed. Reed pitched a near perfect eighth and ninth inning as he retired five of the six batters he faced, including two strikeouts.
DJ Baxendale pitched a brilliant top of the 10th inning for the Wings, putting away all three batters that he faced.
Having lost five out of six extra inning games this season, Rochester came to the plate with a chance to change this trend. The Wings loaded the bases with Wade being hit by a pitch and Wiel walking. Buffalo pitcher Buddy Boshers faced Jake Cave with the game on the line. Cave came through for Rochester, firing the game-winning line drive to right field and scoring the placed runner Maggi to make the final score 5-4.
Maggi reached base in all four of his at bats, walking three times and being hit by a pitch once. Rochester and Buffalo each tallied seven hits.
*NOTES — The teams meet again Saturday at 7:05 pm (gates open early at 5:30 pm), with former Yankees shortstop Bucky Dent signing free autographs and a post-game fireworks show…LaMonte Wade Jr. has successfully reached base in seven straight games…Jake Cave pushed his hitting streak to seven games and his on base streak to eight games on a seventh inning single…After being sidelined with a hamstring injury since April 13, Wynston Sawyer extended his on base streak to six games following his single in the fourth inning…With his hit in the third inning, Jordany Valdespin has recorded a hit in five consecutive games…John Andreoli’s on base streak is now five games after homering in the eighth inning.