The Rochester Red Wings overcame two deficits and used a two-run seventh inning to beat the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 6-4 on Sunday at ESL Ballpark, closing out the win behind a strong effort from the bullpen.
The win gave Rochester a 4-2 series victory and opened a two-game lead over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the International League second-half race with six games remaining. The Red Wings also held a one-game advantage over Indianapolis entering the final week of the regular season.
The Red Wings scored in five different innings and erased every Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lead.
Pineda starts scoring for Red Wings
Leandro Pineda gave Rochester a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI single that scored Seaver King.
After Scranton/Wilkes-Barre jumped ahead 2-1 on Oswaldo Cabrera's two-run
homer in the second, Rochester tied the game in the bottom half when Trey Lipscomb reached on a fielder's choice and a throwing error by Cabrera allowed King to score.
Cabrera's second home run of the afternoon, a solo shot in the fourth, gave the RailRiders a 3-2 advantage, but Rochester answered again in the bottom of the inning. Sam Petersen singled, stole second and eventually scored on Buddy Kennedy's sacrifice fly to even the score at 3-3.
Red Wings take control in the middle innings
Riley Adams started Rochester's fifth-inning rally with a double and came home on Liover Peguero's RBI single, putting the Red Wings in front 4-3.
The decisive seventh inning began when Lipscomb reached on an error and Adams walked. With two outs, Peguero lined a double to left field, scoring both runners and extending Rochester's lead to 6-3.
Bullpen shuts the door
After starter Zak Kent allowed two runs over three innings, Paxton Schultz entered following a rain delay and earned the victory by allowing one run over two innings.
Jake Bird, Joe Glassey, Kyle Nicolas, Gus Varland and Justin Lawrence followed Schultz, with Lawrence recording the final out for his second save.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre scored its final run in the eighth when J.C. Escarra singled home Kenedy Corona, but the RailRiders could get no closer.
What's next for the Red Wings?
The Red Wings now head into the season's final week with their playoff hopes in their own hands. Rochester opens a six-game series at Buffalo on Tuesday holding a one-game lead over Indianapolis and a two-game edge over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the International League second-half race.
By the numbers
- Rochester outhit Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 8-7.
- Peguero went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a double.
- Cabrera accounted for three of the RailRiders' four runs, homering twice and driving in three.
- Adams scored twice for Rochester.
- Schultz improved to 2-0 with the win, while Justin Topa took the loss.
Information gathered from milb.com.
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Red Wings win key series, head to Buffalo with with playoff hopes in their hands
