Rochester holds off Syracuse, 5-3, remain in the thick of the Wild Card chase.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings ended their 4-game losing sterak with a 5-3 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs on Thursday night.
Rochester (66-53) moved to within 5 games of Lehigh Valley (70-47) for the International League Wild Card berth, pending the outcome of the IronPigs game against North Division leader Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (74-43). The RailRiders come to Rochester to start a weekend series on Friday night.
The Wings scored their first two runs on solo homers, the first by Daniel Palka in the first inning, with Logan Schafer getting his blast in the seventh.
However, the Chiefs tallied twice in the home seventh to tie the game, 2-2, against starting pitcher Nick Greenwood (4-2).
In the top of the eighth, Byron Buxton led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Tommy Field. He took third on Palka’s single, and scored on a groundout to second baseman Chris Bostick, an Aquinas graduate, by Reynaldo Rodriguez to put Rochester back in front, 3-2.
The Wings made it 5-2 in the ninth when Schafter singled and scampered home on a double to center by Mitch Garver. He later crossed the plate on Leonardo Reginatto’s base hit.
The Chiefs responded with one run against reliever Pat Light, who picked up his ninth save.
Bostick finished the game 2-for-4 for Syracuse.
Byungho Park was a late scratch from the game with a left wrist injury. According to Josh Whetzel’s pregame report on Wednesday, Park may have to be placed on the disable list.
The Pawtucket Red Sox entered the night just 2 games behind Rochester to put the PawSox also in contention for the Wild Card spot.