The Rochester Red Wings erased an early three-run deficit and defeated the Charlotte Knights 7-5 Sunday afternoon at ESL Ballpark, clinching a 4-2 series victory and improving to 71-47.
Charlotte took an early lead against Rochester starter Zak Kent. Junior Perez drove in the first run with an RBI double in the first inning, followed by Edgar Quero's run-scoring ground-rule double, making it 2-0. Riley Unroe extended the lead to 3-0 with a solo home run in the second.
Rochester Red Wings respond
Rochester responded in the bottom of the second. After Riley Adams was hit by a pitch, Maxwell Romero Jr. doubled home the Red Wings' first run and advanced to third on a throwing error. Leandro Pineda then tied the game with a two-run homer to right field, his fifth with the team.
The Red Wings grabbed the lead in the third. Phillip Glasser opened the inning with a double before Trey Lipscomb launched a two-run homer to left, his 25th of the season, putting Rochester ahead 5-3.
Bullpen holds lead
Jack Sinclair entered with two outs in the third and helped stabilize the game, retiring Korey Lee to end the inning before tossing a scoreless fourth. Sinclair earned the win after allowing one hit and two walks with two strikeouts in 1⅓ innings.
Charlotte narrowed the gap in the sixth when Joey Wiemer scored on Mario Camilletti's RBI single, cutting Rochester's lead to 5-4. The Red Wings responded in the bottom half when Seaver King hit a solo homer to right field off Jaden Woods, restoring a two-run cushion.
King finished 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, an RBI and a run scored. Pineda also collected two hits, including his two-run homer, while Glasser went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Lipscomb drove in two runs with his third-inning blast.
Insurance run
Rochester added an insurance run in the eighth. Pineda singled, King walked and Glasser lined an RBI single to left to score Pineda, making it 7-4.
Charlotte scored once in the ninth against Red Wing reliever Kyle Nicolas, but the right-hander recorded the final out to earn his first save of the season and secure the win.
Rochester totaled 10 hits, including three home runs. The Red Wings finished 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.
Information gathered from milb.com.
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Three homers power Red Wings to series-clinching win
