The Rochester Red Wings blasted four home runs and received seven strong innings from their bullpen in a 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Bisons at ESL Ballpark on Aug. 26. Rochester erased an early deficit with a four-run second inning and never trailed again.
Buffalo grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first when Sean Keys singled home Rudy Martin Jr., but the Red Wings answered immediately with a power surge. Cayden Wallace led off the second inning with his seventh home run of the season before Leandro Pineda followed with a solo shot to right field. Later in the inning, Liover Peguero launched a two-run homer that scored Sam Petersen and gave Rochester a 4-1 advantage.
The Red Wings added another run in the third after Trey Lipscomb was hit by a pitch,
stole second and scored on Wallace's RBI double to left.
Power fuels Rochester offense
Wallace finished 2-for-3 with a homer, double, walk and two RBIs. Pineda also drove in two runs while going 2-for-3 with two home runs and two runs scored. Peguero added a two-run homer as Rochester scored six runs on six hits.
Pineda's second homer of the game came in the eighth inning and provided valuable insurance. After Wallace worked a walk earlier in the frame, Pineda connected on a two-out drive to right-center field for his eighth homer of the season, extending Rochester's lead to 6-3.
Bullpen limits Buffalo
Buffalo chipped away with single runs in the fifth and eighth innings, but Rochester's pitching staff consistently escaped trouble.
Starter DJ Herz worked two innings, allowing one run on one hit with two strikeouts before turning the game over to the bullpen. Justin Lawrence, Ben Grable, Yovanny Cruz, Jack Sinclair, Eddy Yean and Gus Varland combined to cover the final seven innings.
Sinclair earned the win after striking out three and allowing one hit over two scoreless innings. Varland picked up his fifth save by retiring Buffalo in the ninth. The Rochester staff struck out nine batters and turned three double plays behind them.
The victory improved Rochester to 77-49 and is one game behind Indianapolis in the International League's second half standings. Buffalo fell to 63-64.
Information gathered from milb.com.
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Four homers power Red Wings past Buffalo
