Rochester Runs Away With An 11-4 Win At Worcester
The Rochester Red Wings picked up their 30th win of the season in the series-opening game against the Worcester Red Sox, 11-4. Rochester scored seven unearned runs for the first time since May 5, 2015, and 2B Jackson Cluff homered and doubled to propel the offense. RHP Spenser Watkins picked
The Rochester Red Wings picked up their 30th win of the season in the series-opening game against the Worcester Red Sox, 11-4. Rochester scored seven unearned runs for the first time since May 5, 2015, and 2B Jackson Cluff homered and doubled to propel the offense. RHP Spenser Watkins picked up his second win of the season on the mound, allowing two earned across 5.2 innings of work.
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The Red Wings started things off early in the top of the first, with CF Alex Call lining a 0-1 changeup down the line for a sharply hit double. A walk and an error then loaded the bases for the Red Wings with two outs. DH Carter Kieboom then hit a shallow fly ball to left that resulted in a fielding error, allowing Call and RF Travis Blankenhorn to score and give Rochester an early 2-0 lead.
Worcester answered in the bottom of the second, as 2B Eddy Alvarez doubled on a sharp line drive to center field to bring in LF Matthew Lugo for the Red Sox first run of the game. With two outs and a runner in scoring position, CF Mark Contreras singled to score Alvarez and tie the contest.
Leading off the top of the fourth, Carter Kieboom reached base via a throwing error. SS Jack Dunn laid down a bunt single that trickled along the third baseline to put runners on second and first with no outs. 3B Erick Mejia grounded into a fielder’s choice, advancing Kieboom to third with one out. Jackson Cluff hit a deep fly ball to center field that was caught on the warning track, allowing Kieboom to cross the plate for his ninth RBI of the season and the Red Wings third run of the game to regain the lead, 3-2.
Alex Call led off the top of the fifth with a walk, and Travis Blankenhorn proceeded to single a sharp line drive to left field to put the Red Wings in business. Another walk from 1B Juan Yepez loaded the bases with no outs. After two quick outs, Jack Dunn hit a 1-1 slider to the shortstop, leading to the Red Sox fourth error of the game, bringing in Blankenhorn to make it a 4-2 Red Wings lead. A bloop single by Erick Mejia in the next at-bat brought in two more runs to cushion the Red Wings lead at 6-2.
The Red Wings got going early in the top of the sixth as LF Darren Baker hit a ground ball to third and reached on an error. With a runner on first and two outs, Travis Blankenhorn drew a walk, putting Baker in scoring position. Juan Yepez then singled to center and brought in the Red Wings' seventh unearned run of the night to make the score 7-2.
For the fourth consecutive inning, the Red Wings struck again. After back-to-back walks to Jack Dunn and Erick Mejia, Jackson Cluff launched a monster three-run home run to push the lead to eight runs. This was Cluff's third home run of the year, just four shy of his career-high set in 2023. The ball traveled 424 feet, which is his farthest home run of the season and the seventh farthest by a Red Wing.
With one out in the bottom of the eight, WooSox C Nathan Hickey drew a walk, followed by a double from Matthew Lugo. The next batter, Eddy Alvarez, grounded out softly to first base to push across a run, making the score 10-3. 1B Niko Kavadas roped a double down the right field line that plated another, cutting the lead to 10-4.
Rochester led off the top of the ninth with two runners on thanks to a Carter Kieboom single and a Jack Dunn hit-by-pitch. With two outs and a runner on third, Kieboom crossed home on a wild pitch, ballooning the Red Wings lead to seven runs, 11-4. Worcester PH Dalton Guthrie drew a walk in the bottom half of the ninth but was stranded there, and Rochester sealed a series-opening victory.
Spenser Watkins took the mound first for Rochester, making his 12th start of the season. The Arizona native worked 5.2 innings where he allowed two earned on five hits while striking out four with no walks. LHP Tim Cate entered in relief in the bottom of the sixth inning and tossed 1.0 hitless inning while walking one and striking out two before handing the ball to RHP Adonis Medina. The right-hander allowed two earned on two hits, walking two and striking out one across 1.1 innings. RHP Amos Willingham came in and closed the game for Rochester with a hitless inning and a walk.
Tuesday’s Diamond Pro Player of the game is 2B Jackson Cluff. The Colorado native went 2-for-4 at the plate, with a home run, a double, a career-high four RBI, and a run scored. This is his third career game with multiple extra-base hits and the first time that he’s homered and doubled in the same contest.
Rochester looks to take Game two of the series in Worcester on Wednesday night. RHP Jackson Rutledge toes the rubber for Rochester against Worcester’s RHP Grant Gambrell. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
Find the box score attached here
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