Bats Come Alive In Wings Win Against RailRiders

The Rochester Red Wings picked up their second consecutive win against Scranton/WB Wednesday afternoon, 8-4. Rochester is now up 2-0 in a series for the first time since 6/15-G1, also against the RailRiders. 2B Luis García slashed his first career three-RBI double to propel a four-run fifth, while DH Travis Blankenhorn launched his team-leading 23rd homer of the season, tying Red Wings Hall of Famer Garrett Jones 2008 total.

CF Estevan Florial reached on an error to lead off the top of the first and stole his 23rd base of the season in the following at-bat. Florial successfully stole third two batters later and came around to score on a throwing error on the same play. Opponents have now scored first in 13 of the last 14 games against the Wings.

Scranton/WB added to their lead in the third on Florial’s 24th homer of the season, a solo shot that came off the bat at 105.8 MPH and gave the RailRiders a 2-0 lead. 1B Andres Chapparo logged a single with one out in the fourth and came around to score on a double down the line by 2B Jamie Westbrook to put the Wings in a three-run hole.

2B Luis García led off the bottom half of the fourth with a walk and promptly stole his second base of the season to put himself into scoring position. 1B Jake Noll roped a double down the third-base line a batter later, driving in García to trim the lead to 3-1.

Rochester loaded the bases in the fifth on two walks and an error, and Garcia cleared the bases on his sixth double with Rochester this season to give the Wings a 4-3 lead. Noll notched his second hit of the game two batters later, scoring García to push the lead to two. The Wings offense kept rolling in the sixth when SS Richie Martin drove in 3B Erick Mejia with his 21st double of the season to put Rochester up three.

Scranton/WB cut into the lead in the seventh, loading the bases for 2B Jamie Westbrook who notched a sacrifice fly to center field to make the score 6-4. Rochester answered in the bottom half of the inning, this time on DH Travis Blankenhorn’s team-leading 23rd home run of the season to push the lead to four runs. Both teams were held off the board the next three at-bats, and the Wings picked up their second-straight win, 8-4.

RHP Wily Peralta made his team-leading 24th start of the season Wednesday afternoon. The right-hander logged 4.0 innings, allowing two earned on three hits while striking out six. LHP Anthony Banda followed suit with a hitless inning, and RHP Junior Fernandez escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to solidify a scoreless frame of his own. RHP Tanner Rainey, making his first Major League Rehab appearance, allowed an earned run on one hit with a strikeout in an inning of work. RHP Hobie Harris finished the job with 2.0 hitless innings with a strikeout.

The Diamond Pro Player of the Game honors for Wednesday’s matineé is 2B Luis García. The lefty went 2-for-3 with his first career bases-clearing double, a walk, while matching a career-high with three runs scored. He has now reached safely in 17 of his 20 games with the Wings this season.

Rochester will look to take a 3-0 series lead for the third time this season Thursday night, as RHP Cory Abbott makes his 11th start of the season against Scranton/WB RHP Randy Vasquez. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m.

Find the box score attached here.