STAFF REPORTS
You can’t blame Red Wings fans if they needed a scorecard for Monday night’s game against first place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Frontier Field. With 15 transactions since the team’s last home game, it was two rookies who made the game – and their Frontier Field debuts – memorable in an 8-6 Wings win. Brian Schales and Jaylin Davis each hit their first Triple-A homer, with Schales’ hit tying the game and Davis providing the winning margin with an eighth inning blast. RelieversAdam Bray and Ian Krol also made their home debut, as the Wings came back from two different deficits to earn the win.
The teams meet again Tuesday afternoon at 12:35 p.m., another another Fan 4-Pack game with four tickets, hot dogs, drinks and a yearbook for $44 ($48 day of game).
Red Wings starter Sean Poppen cruised through the top of the first with a 1-2-3 inning, throwing seven pitches.
In the bottom half, the Wings offense who lead the International League in average (.294) for the month of June, picked up right where they left off against Scranton starter Randall Delgado. Nick Gordon reached on an error to start the inning.
With one out, LaMonte Wade Jr, , ripped an RBI double to right center giving Rochester a 1-0 lead. Wade brought a .321 batting average over his last ten games into Monday’s contest.
The Wings were not finished in the inning, as Zander Wiel plated Wade with an RBI single for an early 2-0 lead.
Scranton pulled within a run in the top of the second on a RBI double from Tyler Wade. After the double, Poppen threw consecutive swinging strikeouts to end the inning.
Rochester had another scoring opportunity in the bottom of the second. Consecutive singles by Wynston Sawyer and Schales with one out gave Rochester momentum. Gordon grounded into a 1-6-3 double play, ending the scoring chance.
Poppen ran into trouble in the top of the fifth inning, giving up a single and walk with one out to put the tying run in scoring position. Poppen stuck it out, recording a flyout and groundout to get out of the jam.
The Yankees took the lead in the top of the sixth inning on a RBI double by Trey Amburgey with two outs, making the score 3-2. Adam Bray came in to relieve Poppen after the double. Poppen finished with 5.2 innings pitched, giving up six hits and three earned runs. He walked two and struck out seven, throwing 103 pitches, 63 for strikes.
The outing was Poppen’s sixth consecutive outing of five strikeouts or more and at least five innings pitched.
Rochester battled back in the bottom of the sixth inning. With a 3-2 count, Wilin Rosario cranked his eighth homer of the season, a 405-foot shot to left center field, tying the game 3-3. The home run was Rosario’s first since June 8th.
Scranton got to Bray in the seventh inning, on RBI hits from Mike Ford and Mike Tauchman. The runs put the RailRiders ahead 5-3.
The Yankees brought in Rex Brothers to relieve Delgado in the bottom of the seventh. Delgado gave up six hits and one earned run over 6.0 innings. He walked one and struck out six, throwing 100 pitches, 63 for strikes.
The Wings offense came right back against Brothers. After Sawyer hit a single with one out, Schales recorded the first Triple-A home run of his career. The two-run shot to right-center field, tied the game at 5-5. The homer traveled an estimated 416 feet.
Rosario worked Brothers for a walk to open the Wings’ half of the eighth inning, prompting a pitching change and Joe Harvey coming out of the Scranton bullpen. Wiel lifted a long flyball toward the right field wall, with Amburgey making a fine running catch to take away an extra base hit. Harvey hit Jordany Valdespin with a pitch, giving the Wings runners at first and second and giving an opportunity to Davis. Davis jumped on the first pitch he saw from Harvey for a three-run blast to dead center field. The homer – in Davis’ Frontier Field debut – put the Wings on top 8-5. Sawyer followed with a ground rule double,
DJ Baxendale struck out two in a scoreless relief inning, and Krol came on to work the ninth. Krol allowed a solo homer to Eric Kratz, recorded an out, then walked a batter to bring the potential tying run to the plate in Clint Frazier with only one out. Krol fanned Frazier, and Davis made a nice running catch in right field for the final out of the game.
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