The RailRiders score 4 runs over the last 3 innings to take a 4-2 over Rochester.
By CRAIG POTTER
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings let the game slip away from them on Batman Night as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders rallied for a 4-2 victory Saturday before 8,450 fans at Frontier Field.
“All games are tough to lose,” said Red Wings manager Joel Skinner. “It’s a situation where we had a one-run lead. Again, to ask our guys to go out there and be perfect is a lot. Again, it was a tight game and we came up short on the score.”
The Red Wings broke on top first in the third inning when Zack Granite beat out a bunt single, took second on Nick Gordon’s hit. With one out, Chris Carter grounded to third baseman Bruce Caldwell, who threw to second baseman L.J. Mazzilli for the force out on Gordon. However, Mazzilli’s relay to first was wide of the bag, allowing Granite to cross the plate.
Red Wings starter Aaron Slegers worked out of a couple of jams to keep the visitors off the scoreboard for 5 innings. In the sixth, after a 1-out double, Brandon Drury blasted the ball 403 feet over the center field wall for a 2-1 lead.
“A starting pitcher’s job is to give the team a chance to win, and he did everything he possibly could there,” said Skinner. “He made a pitch that I’m sure he’d want back. Give them credit, they put a nice a swing on it. Again, he gave us more than an ample opportunity to win that ballgame.”
Shortstop Gregorio Petit made a couple of fine plays on consecutive batters in the fourth inning to get force outs.
“That’s his MO,” Skinner said. “He’s a veteran guy. He’s been up and down in the major leagues in his whole career. He’s a guy who’s been able to do that and that’s why he continues to play because he can do those types of things.”
In the seventh, the RailRiders loaded the bases with one out. Rochester manager Joel Skinner replaced Slegers with Luke Bard, who gave up a sacrifice fly for a 3-1 SWB advantage.
Billy McKinney’s drive to left-center was lost in the lights as the RailRider scampered around to third for a triple. He scored on Caldwell’s safety for a 4-1 lead.
The Wings answered in the home half when Gordon recorded his third single of the contest. He scooted around the basepaths on Willians Astudillo double. However, the Wings were unable to take advantage as Chris Carter and Jake Cave both struck out, and LaMonte Wade flew out to end the threat.
SWB pitchers struck out 12 hitters in the game, 9 over the final 4 innings.
“They came in and they threw the ball and made pitches, and we weren’t able to put the ball in play much,” Skinner said. “We were able to score the one run in the eighth, but then they held us down.”
The series and homestand conclude with a game Sunday afternoon starting at 1:05 pm.
*NOTES — OF Byron Buxton was not in the lineup Saturday, after playing 4 straight days as part of his major league rehab assignment…Rochester had not hit a home run in 6-plus home games, spanning 54 innings, or in 7-plus games overall, spanning 69 innings, before Byron Buxton’s 3-run homer in the 5th inning Friday night. The Red Wings have hit 42 homers this season, second-fewest in the International League ahead of Syracuse (34)…Gregorio Petit had 3 of the 8 hits for Rochester.