Rochester led 3-0 before the Bisons rallied for a 7-4 win to open the series.
By Caktus AI / Rochester Red Wings
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings squared off against the Buffalo Bisons Tuesday night for the opening matchup of a six-game series. Despite an early 3-0 lead, the Wings dropped the series opener to the Bisons, 7-4. It marked the beginning of the second series Rochester has played against Buffalo, and now fell to a record of 4-3 against Buffalo this season.
The Red Wings took advantage of erratic pitching from the Bisons, sending all nine batters to the plate while jumping out to a 3-0 lead. RHP Drew Hutchinson held the Wings to no hits, while walking four batters, through the first 2.1 innings. Then, after two straight walks to SS Richie Martin and 2B Darren Baker, LF Jake Alu crushed a one-run double to left field in the top of the third inning to put Rochester on the board in his first game back with the club since 5/7. 1B Travis Blankenhorn *then followed up a walk by 3B *Carter Kieboom with a two-run double to left field.
Buffalo first got on the board in the fourth inning after a balk from RHP Wily Peralta with 2B Davis Schnider at bat to score RF Jordan Luplow. Peralta would go on to force a Schnider fly out, but DH Wynton Bernard tagged up to score. SS Otto Lopez scored on the same play following an error by Baker, tying the game at 3-3 in the fourth inning.
Peraltadidn’t allow a Buffalo base runner until the start of the bottom of the third inning, when he walked Schnider on seven pitches. Though he walked the bases loaded, he forced a fly out to left field from 1B Spencer Horwitz. Peralta coughed up a fourth-inning double to Luplow, marking the first hit for a Rochester opponent since the second inning of Sunday’s win over the Worcester Red Sox.
The Bisons took their first lead of the game in the next inning after Bernard grounded out into a fielder’s choice to second base, scoring 2B Ernie Clement when Baker couldn’t complete the double play in time. Buffalo added four more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning off singles from C Tyler Heineman and CF Cam Eden, extending the Bisons’ lead to 7-3. The Wings added another run in the top of the ninth after a double from Alu drove in Martin. It wasn’t enough, as Rochester fell in the series opener, 7-4.
After a strong start that saw him shut down Buffalo’s first six batters, Peralta (0-3, 4.97) ended up allowing three runs through 4.2 innings, striking out two batters while walking five. Three Wings pitchers helmed the final 3.1 innings, allowing three earned runs. Hutchinson finished with a career-high six walks for Buffalo, turning in five innings of work and allowing three runs in the win.
Jake Alu was named the Diamond Pro Player of the Game after going 3-for-5 while driving in two RBI and scoring a run in his first game back with the club. Tuesday night stood as the fifth multi-hit game for Alu with the Wings this season.
Rochester returns to the field tomorrow for the second game in the series against the Bisons. RHP Paolo Espino is set to make his fifth start of the year for the Wings. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.