The Rochester Red Wings are headed to the postseason for the first time since 2013.
Rochester erased an early three-run deficit and blasted eight home runs Sunday, rallying past the Buffalo Bisons 15-8 at Sahlen Field to clinch the International League second-half title, secure a playoff berth and reach 90 wins for the first time since 1953.
Red Wings rally from 3-0 hole
Buffalo built a 3-0 lead through three innings.
The Bisons scored three runs in the second inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Rhylan Thomas, and added two more in the fourth on Yohendrick Piñango's two-run homer.
Rochester got on the board in the fourth when Leandro Pineda launched a solo home run to center field.
The comeback arrived in full force an inning later.
Liover Peguero opened the fifth with
a solo homer before Seaver King singled and Trey Lipscomb doubled. King later scored on a Cayden Wallace groundout. Pineda then hit a two-run homer to tie the game at 5-5. Andrew Pinckney followed with a go-ahead solo shot that put Rochester in front for good.
The five-run inning flipped a game that had belonged to Buffalo through the first half.
Home-run barrage powers Rochester offense
The Red Wings finished with 19 hits and eight home runs.
Seaver King added an inside-the-park home run in the sixth inning to stretch the lead to 7-5.
Rochester blew the game open with a five-run seventh. Riley Adams doubled and Pineda singled before Pinckney launched a three-run homer. Later in the inning, Maxwell Romero Jr. connected on a two-run shot that increased the advantage to 12-5.
The Red Wings added three more runs in the ninth to cap their biggest offensive outburst of the season's final week. Rochester scored 15 runs on 19 hits despite striking out 13 times.
Pineda, Pinckney lead the attack
Pineda paced the offense, going 4-for-6 with three runs scored and three RBIs. He homered twice, giving him 11 total bases on the afternoon.
Pinckney finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs, highlighted by two home runs, including the go-ahead blast in the fifth and a three-run shot in the seventh.
Adams went 2-for-6 with two runs and two RBIs, Lipscomb scored twice, and King collected two hits, including his inside-the-park homer.
Bullpen steadies game after rough start
After starter Connelly Early allowed the early unearned runs, Rochester's bullpen settled the game down.
Jack Cebert earned the victory after allowing two runs over 2⅓ innings. Erick Mejia and Eddy Yean each worked scoreless innings before the remainder of the bullpen carried Rochester to the finish.
Buffalo managed eight runs on eight hits but could not keep pace with Rochester's offensive explosion. Piñango drove in four runs for the Bisons.
A championship of the second half
The win improved Rochester to 90-58 (45-30 in the second half) and clinched the International League's second-half title. More importantly, it locked up a playoff berth as the Red Wings prepare to face Memphis in the opening round of the postseason.
Information gathered from milb.com.
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Eight homers send Red Wings to postseason for first time since 2013
