Six outs from another championship, the Rochester Red Wings saw their dream season end Saturday night as the Oklahoma City Comets rallied for a 5-3, 10-inning victory in the Triple-A National Championship Game at Las Vegas Ballpark.
Rochester carried a 2-0 lead into the eighth inning before Oklahoma City scored twice to force extra innings. The Comets then broke through for three runs in the top of the 10th, denying the Red Wings a second championship in as many nights.
Red Wings strike early
The Red Wings opened the scoring in the first inning when Leandro Pineda delivered an RBI single that brought home Cayden Wallace for a 1-0 lead.
Rochester added to its advantage in the second when Liover Peguero launched a solo home run to left field, extending the lead to 2-0.
Behind that offense and a strong pitching effort, the Red Wings held Oklahoma City scoreless through seven innings.
Oklahoma City rallies late
The Comets finally broke through in the eighth inning. Mike Sirota drove in Oklahoma City's first run with an RBI single before Ryan Fitzgerald lined a game-tying RBI double to left field, evening the score at 2-2.
Neither team scored in the ninth, sending the winner-take-all championship game to extra innings.
Comets deliver in the 10th
Oklahoma City loaded the bases with an automatic runner and back-to-back walks before Alek Thomas cleared them with a three-run double to center field. The hit gave the Comets a 5-2 advantage and ultimately proved to be the difference.
Rochester scored once in the bottom of the 10th, but Oklahoma City reliever Seth Halvorsen recorded the final out to secure the title.
A season to remember
While the Triple-A National Championship slipped away, the defeat does little to diminish one of the most memorable seasons in recent Red Wings history.
Just two nights earlier, Rochester secured its first International League championship since 1997 with a 3-2 victory over the Memphis Redbirds in the best-of-three league championship series. The title was the franchise's 20th league championship and the first since becoming the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Red Wings had not reached the International League postseason since 2013 before capturing the second-half division title and then ending a 29-year championship drought.
The organization's previous International League title came in 1997, when Rochester defeated the Columbus Clippers to win the Governors' Cup. This year's club carved out its own place in franchise history, delivering Rochester's first International League title since 1997 and carrying the season through the Triple-A National Championship Game. Rochester finished the season 90-59 after recording a Minor League Baseball-best 90 regular-season victories.
Information gathered from milb.com.
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Championship thriller ends Red Wings' unforgettable season
