Homer Happy Red Wings Win Fourth Of July Contest
On America’s 248th birthday, both sides of the ball for Rochester put on a show. RF Alex Call, 3B Carter Kieboom, and 1B Trey Lipscomb all blasted home runs to account for the first six of the 11 total Rochester runs. Lipscomb led the way on offense with a three-hit
On America’s 248th birthday, both sides of the ball for Rochester put on a show. RF Alex Call, 3B Carter Kieboom, and 1B Trey Lipscomb all blasted home runs to account for the first six of the 11 total Rochester runs. Lipscomb led the way on offense with a three-hit night, ending a triple shy of the cycle. The Red Wings pitching staff allowed just five hits and turned in 8.0 straight scoreless innings, allowing two total hits and striking out twelve across those eight innings. RHP Spenser Watkins earned his team-best sixth win and struck out seven across his 5.0 innings of work.
Buffalo started the fireworks show early with a pair of runs in the top of the first. SS Gabriel Cancel put the Bisons on the board when a first-pitch fastball exploded off of his bat at 101.6 mph into the Buffalo bullpen, making it 1-0. The next at-bat, 1B Riley Tirotta, pulled a curveball into the left-field corner for a double. RF Will Roberston replaced Tirotta at second when he roped a double of his own into the right-center field gap. Tirotta scored with ease, extending the Buffalo lead to two.
Rochester lit off fireworks of their own in the bottom half of the second inning. With two outs, C Drew Millas pounded a single through the left side of the infield. Then, SS Jackson Cluff beat out an infield single to put runners on first and second for Alex Call. Down to his last strike, the Minnesota native pulled a curveball that was down at his feet, barely over the wall in the left-field corner. Call’s 10th home run of the season gave Rochester a 3-2 lead.
The Red Wing bats picked up right where they left off in the bottom of the third. Carter Kieboom jumped on the third pitch of the inning and deposited it 373 feet into the Buffalo bullpen, his second home run in as many days. The Georgia native’s 60th career minor league home run gave Rochester a 4-2 lead.
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Rochester added on to their lead in their half of the fifth. DH Travis Blankenhorn worked a lead-off walk, and the next batter, Trey Lipscomb, rocketed the Red Wings’ third home run of the game 402 feet over the left-center field wall, making it 6-2. All of the Rochester runs to this point were scored courtesy of the long ball.
The Red Wings added on some insurance heading into the ninth inning. 2B Darren Baker roped a lead-off single into left, advancing to second base on a fielding error by the Bison left fielder. The second baseman then stole third, picking up his team-leading 27th stolen base of the season. Carter Kieboomworked a four-pitch walk, and then Travis Blankenhorn grounded into a fielder’s choice, allowing Baker to score from third without a throw, making it 7-2 Rochester. With two strikes, Trey Lipscomb lined a single into center for his third hit of the night, putting runners on first and second. The next at-bat, Drew Millas worked a four-pitch walk to load the bases for Jackson Cluff. The Colorado native worked a seven-pitch walk, bringing home Blankenhorn from third and extending the Red Wing lead to six. After eight pitches, LF Stone Garrett left a breaking ball off the outside corner for the third walk of the inning. Lipscomb trotted home, becoming the third Red Wing to cross the plate this inning. Then, CF Dylan Crews reached on an error when a pop-fly tipped off of the second baseman's glove. Millas and Cluff both scampered home, capping off the five-run eighth for Rochester and giving the Wings a nine-run lead.
Down to their last three outs and chasing nine runs, Buffalo could only muster one baserunner as Rochester takes a 3-1 series lead with an 11-2 victory on Independence Day at Innovative Field.
Spenser Watkins took the ball first for Rochester in tonight’s 4th of July contest. After a shaky first inning, the right-hander settled into a groove. The Arizona native struck out the side in the second, starting a streak of eight-straight batters retired before surrendering a hit in the top of the fourth. Watkins finished 5.0 strong innings with the only two runs surrendered coming in the first, allowing four hits while striking out seven and walking two en route to his sixth win of the season. LHP Joe La Sorsa was the first Red Wing out of the bullpen tonight as he toed the rubber in the sixth. The southpaw spun 2.0 scoreless innings, only allowing one baserunner and striking out two. RHP Amos Willingham was called upon for the eighth inning of this July 4th contest. The Georgia Tech product tossed a hitless inning, striking out one and walking one. RHP Orlando Ribalta was given the ball for the ninth. The right-hander spun a hitless inning of his own, walking one and striking out three to close out the game.
Independence Day’s Diamond Pro Player of the Game is 1B Trey Lipscomb. The University of Tennessee product finished 3-for-4 with a home run, double, pair of RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. This is Lipscomb’s third multi-hit performance in four games, holding an impressive .467 (7-for-15) batting average while adding two home runs and two doubles.
Rochester looks to take the series victory tomorrow night in the fifth game of the series. RHP Jackson Rutledge will toe the rubber for Rochester, and Buffalo counters with former Red Wing RHP Aaron Sanchez. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m.
Find the box score attached here.
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