Scranton/Wilkes-Barre scored three runs in the 8th inning and rallied for an 11-9 win over Rochester on Saturday night at PNC Field.
The Red Wings (43-66) led 5-0 in the 1st inning, 8-2 in the 3rd inning, and 9-8 into the bottom of the 8th but couldn’t hold on and lost for the 11th straight game. The Wings have not won in their last 13 games, last winning on August 27. The team lost on August 28 and ended up tying on August 29 in a rain-shortened game.
Rochester scored four different ways in a five-run opening inning. Raudy Read was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Tres Barrera walked with the bags full, Derek Dietrich reached on catcher’s interference, and Jecksson Flores delivered a two-run single to make it 5-0 before Scranton/Wilkes-Barre came to bat.
Two batters into the bottom of the 1st, it was 5-2 after Chris Gittens hit a two-run homer.
Victor Robles delivered his second double of the game in the 3rd to drive in a run and Jake Noll’s 26th double of the season plated two more runs as the Red Wings led 8-2.
The RailRiders scored five runs in the 4th as Armando Alvarez doubled home two and Estevan Florial hit a three-run homer to make it 8-7. Rob Brantly homered one inning later to tie the game at 8-8.
Mike Ford led off the 6th with a solo homer as the Wings regained the lead at 9-8.
Andrew Lee (0-1) took over in the 8th and walked Greg Allen to start the inning. Allen stole second base and scored to tie the game on Cristian Perez’s double. Florial followed with a bunt single that put runners on the corners with nobody out. Gitten grounded out moving Florial to second and Lee struck out Ryan LaMarre for the second out. Brantly then delivered the go-ahead two-run single to give Scranton/Wilkes-Barre its first lead of the night.
The Red Wings and RailRiders wrap up the six-game series Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. Rochester returns home for a six-day, seven-game series against Buffalo on Tuesday, September 14. Only 11 more home dates remain in 2021.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].