STAFF REPORTS
The Rochester Red Wings topped the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 7-4 Sunday afternoon at Frontier Field, winning the series against the first place IronPigs. The Wings return home on July 4 to host the Pawtucket Red Sox at 7:05 p.m.
Red Wings pitcher Tim Melville cruised through the first inning with three strikeouts, allowing only one runner on base by an error.
Zack Granite started the Wings off in the first with a leadoff 337-ft home-run off Jake Thompson. It was Granite’s third homer of the season. Mitch Garver crushed a double, followed by a single by J.B. Shuck to put Wings on the corners with no outs. Garver scored on a double play ball grounder by Matt Hague to put the Wings up 2-0 in the first.
After a hit-by-pitch and a walk to start the second, Melville let up a three-run home-run to Andrew Pullin and the IronPigs led 3-2.
Melville got back into a groove in the third inning by striking out the first two batters. He walked Rhys Hoskins, then picked him off on the very next pitch.
The Red Wings had a big inning in the fourth. It started with a double from Hague who now has a 13-game hit streak. Park followed with another double to score Hague, tying the ball game up at 3-3. Niko Goodrum picked up an RBI with a single scoring Park and giving the Wings the lead. The Wings continued to tack on another run from a double by Leonardo Reginatto allowing Goodrum to score, making it 5-3 Red Wings.
Phil Hughes entered the game for the Wings in the sixth. Hughes yielded a one-out homer to Nick Williams, bringing the ‘Pigs to within a run at 5-4.
Drew Rucinski pitched a three up three down inning in the seventh for the Wings.
Granite opened the bottom of the seventh inning with a single. Hague drove in Granite on a 412-ft two-run home run off of Michael Mariot to increase the Wings lead to 7-4. It was Hague’s sixth home run of the season.
Rucinsk set down all six batters he faced, and Michael Tonkin worked the ninth for the Wings – striking out the side around one walk.
