The Toledo Mud Hens built a seven-run lead and held off a late rally to defeat the Rochester Red Wings 9-6 Sunday at ESL Ballpark.
Toledo used a three-run second inning and a two-run third to take control early. The Mud Hens finished with 14 hits to Rochester’s seven, handing the Red Wings their 28th loss of the season.
The Mud Hens broke through in the second inning when Tyler Gentry’s RBI single scored Corey Julks. Andrew Navigato followed with a two-run single to left to make it 3-0.
Toledo added on in the third when Eduardo Valencia singled and Max Anderson, a top prospect for the Detroit Tigers, hit a two-run homer to right, pushing the lead to 5-0.
Rochester answered in the fourth with back-to-back solo homers against Toledo right-hander Troy Watson. Andrew Pinckney got the Red Wings on the board with a drive to right-center, and Riley Adams followed with another shot to right-center to cut the deficit to 5-2.
Watson worked 4.1 innings of relief and earned the win despite allowing four runs (three earned) and two of Rochester’s homers.
Toledo kept adding on against the Rochester bullpen. In the sixth, Julks doubled to left and scored on Gentry’s second RBI single of the day to restore a four-run lead. In the seventh, Ben Malgeri singled and Clark drove a two-run homer to center off Cole Henry to make it 8-2.
Toledo’s final run came in the eighth when Max Burt and Navigato singled against Jack Sinclair and, after an intentional walk to Clark, Valencia lifted a sacrifice fly in foul territory near first base to score Burt for a 9-2 advantage.
Rochester reliever Erick Mejia then worked a scoreless ninth to keep the deficit at seven heading to the bottom half.
Rochester Red Wings ralley late
The Red Wings mounted a serious comeback try in the eighth. Trey Lipscomb reached on a throwing error by Jace Jung, Pinckney walked and Adams was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with none out against Watson and reliever Nick Sandlin. Phillip Glasser cleared them with a three-run double to center, trimming Toledo’s lead to 9-5 and giving the second baseman three RBI on the day.
Rochester could not get closer than three in the ninth. After Abimelec Ortiz grounded out and Brady House struck out against closer Tanner Rainey, Lipscomb crushed a two-out solo homer to left for his 13th of the year, but Rainey retired the side to seal the 9-6 final.
Offensive standouts for Rochester Red Wings
Lipscomb finished 2-for-5 with two runs and his ninth-inning homer. Pinckney scored twice and homered, while Adams also scored twice and homered as part of a 1-for-2 day with a walk and hit-by-pitch. Glasser’s three-run double highlighted a 1-for-3 effort with a walk as Rochester went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
Kent took the loss for Rochester after allowing five runs on six hits in three innings.
Did the Rochester Red Wings make the playoffs?
With Rochester’s loss, Memphis clinched first place the first half of the International League by beating Nashville. The Red Wings can still make the playoffs by winning the league’s second half, which starts Tuesday. Rochester did finish on top of the International League East division in the first half with a 45-28 record.
Information gathered from milb.com.
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Red Wings fall short against Toledo and miss first half playoff shot
Reporting by Staff reports, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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