STAFF REPORTS
The Red Wings beat Lehigh Valley 5-2 Thursday night at Frontier Field. The victory pulled the Wings to within 3.5 games of the IronPigs for the wild card playoff spot. The Wings return home to host Columbus on Monday August 7 at 7:05 p.m. – when the first 500 kids 12 and under get a free hot dog, drink and snack.
Fans with tickets to Thursday’s game can use them as a bonus rain check and may be exchanged for any remaining 2017 home game. All exchanges must be made in person at the Ticket Office.
After a two-hour rain delay, both Lehigh Valley and Rochester struggled offensively in the early innings. After just two innings of work, IronPigs starter Joey DeNato was pulled and replaced by Zach Eflin.
In his two innings of work, DeNato allowed just one hit and allowed no runs or walks while striking out one on 24 pitches, 17 for strikes.
The Red Wings took the lead in the top of the third. After a Tommy Field walk to lead off the inning, two batters later J.B. Shuck doubled into left to give Rochester two runners in scoring position with one out. On the first pitch of the next at bat, Daniel Palka homered to left for his 10th home run of the season, giving the Red Wings a 3-0 lead.
ByungHo Park singled to lead off the top of the fourth, extending his current hitting streak to seven games. The Red Wings were unable to advance Park however, keeping their lead at 3-0.
Lehigh Valley cut into the Rochester lead in the top of the sixth as a J.P. Crawford solo home run off Hector Santiago left Rochester with a two-run lead, 3-1.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Santiago’s night was finished and he was replaced by Michael Tonkin. Santiago pitched 5.2 innings, allowing five hits and one run (earned) while walking one and striking out nine on 92 pitches, 62 for strikes.
Rochester was able to get their lead back up to three in the bottom of the sixth. After a Park single and a Mitch Garver walk, Niko Goodrum singled in Park, giving the Red Wings a 4-1 lead. A sacrifice fly in the next at bat from Leonardo Reginatto allowed Garver to score, further adding on to the lead, 5-1.
Tonkin allowed a run on an RBI single in the top of the eighth, making the score 5-2. He was pulled after 1.2 innings on the mound, allowing two hits and the one earned run while striking out a batter. John Curtiss came into the game with one out in the inning, and despite giving up a walk, kept the Rochester lead in place.
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