Adon Deals In Game One, Red Wings Split Doubleheader with Saints

The Rochester Red Wings split their doubleheader against St. Paul on Tuesday, winning game one 6-2 before dropping game two by a score of 4-1. In the first half of the twin bill, RHP Joan Adon turned in his second consecutive quality start en route to his fourth win of the season, and RF Travis Blankenhorn launched his International League-leading 14th home run of the season. In game two, a contest that was rescheduled from April 28, 3B Trey Lipscomb and C Brady Lindsly each roped a double, and RHP Luis Reyes delivered 2.0 hitless innings in relief.

GAME ONE:

Rochester jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, kicked off by a 366-foot solo home run to left field off the bat off 1B Juan Yepez. This is his seventh homer of the season, and he is now tied with CF Alex Call for the third-most home runs on the Red Wings.

The Red Wings extended their lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third. With two outs, RF Travis Blankenhorn crushed a 425-foot solo home run to center field, his third straight homer in the past three games. The Pennsylvania native now leads the International League with 14 home runs.

With no answer from the Saints in the top of the fourth, the Red Wings went back to work in the bottom half. With a runner on first, 2B Jackson Cluff grounded into a fielder’s choice and came around to score from a double off the bat of LF Darren Baker to increase the lead to 3-0.

Travis Blankenhorn worked a walk to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning and advanced to second base when 3B Trey Lipscomb laced a single to right field. In the next-at-bat, Alex Call launched a double to left field that scored Blankenhorn, extending the lead to 4-0. After a pitching change, DH Carter Kieboom ripped a single to center field that brought both Lipscomb and Call around to score, giving the Red Wings a six-run lead heading to the sixth.

St. Paul punched back and broke into the run column in the following half-inning. DH Austin Martin singled to left field and advanced to second on a CF Will Holland hit-by-pitch. With two runners on and two outs, SS Michael Helman hit a single that allowed Martin to cross the plate. The next batter, RF Matt Wallner, launched a double that scored Holland and cut into Rochester’s lead, 6-2.

The score remained the same heading into the top half of the seventh. St. Paul was able to put a runner on first base, but no further as Rochester sealed a 6-2 victory in the first half of the doubleheader.

RHP Joan Adon took the ball first for Rochester, marking his ninth start of the season and second quality start in a row. The right-hander tossed 6.0 innings, allowing two earned on five hits while striking out two. RHP Adonis Medina entered in relief in the seventh inning and turned in a scoreless frame with a walk to finish the contest.

Game One’s Diamond Pro Player of the Game goes to RHP Joan Adon. The Dominican Republic native logged 6.0 innings and allowed two earned on five hits with two strikeouts for his ninth start of the season. This marks his second quality start in two consecutive games, the first time he has turned in back-to-back quality starts since August 17th and 27th, 2021, with High-A Wilmington (8/17) and Double-A Harrisburg (8/27).

Find the box score for game one attached here.

GAME TWO:

Playing as the road team in game two, the Red Wings jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first, led off by a CF Jack Dunn single and stolen base. He then advanced to third on a single off the bat of DH Travis Blankenhorn and came around to score on a 1B Juan Yepez fielder’s choice to give Rochester a 1-0 lead.

The Saints answered in the bottom of the first, kicked off by back-to-back singles from LF Austin Martin and CF Michael Helman. RF Matt Wallner reached first on a fielding error, leaving the bases loaded for 1B Yunior Severino. He proceeded to ground into a double play that allowed Martin to cross the plate and tie the game at one.

St. Paul took the lead in the bottom of the third when Matt Wallner smashed a 398-foot solo home run to the Red Wings’ bullpen to make the score 2-1. Rochester's pitching was able to escape the remainder of the inning unscathed, sending the contest to the fourth with a one-run deficit.

After no answer from Rochester in the top of the fourth, St. Paul increased their lead to 3-1 in the following half inning. After a single off the bat of 3B Anthony Prato and a walk from 2B Diego A. Castillo, both runners advanced a base via a wild pitch. Prato came around to score from an Austin Martin sacrifice fly to shallow right field, extending the lead to two.

St. Paul's pitching continued to hold the Wings to one run through the top of the fifth. After the bases were loaded by walks in the bottom half, SS Will Holland worked the fourth walk of the inning that scored Matt Walner, adding an insurance run to make the score 4-1 going into the sixth.

Rochester came to bat in the top of the seventh, still trailing by three runs. SS Jackson Cluff reached base with a single, but the rally fell short, and the Red Wings fell in game two, 4-1, securing a split in the doubleheader.

RHP T.J. Zeuch took the mound first for the Red Wings in game two of the doubleheader, his first start of the season. The University of Pittsburgh product worked 3.0 innings and allowed an earned run on four hits, striking out one before he turned the ball over to RHP Robert Gsellman. The California native allowed an earned run on one hit while walking three and striking out one across 1.0 innings of work. RHP Luis Reyes entered in relief in the bottom of the fifth

3B Trey Lipscomb is game two’s Diamond Pro Player of the Game. The former Tennessee Volunteer finished 1-for-3 with a double, extending his hitting streak to four. The righty is hitting 7-for-14 (.500) since the streak began and has posted a .390 (16-for-41) batting average since he returned to Rochester on May 18.

Rochester and St. Paul will square off again Wednesday night in the third game of the series. RHP Spenser Watkins takes the mound for the Red Wings against Saints RHP Adam Plutko. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

Find the box score for game two attached here.