By: Mike Rose
In what was the 'Duel of the Dishes,' it was the Rochester Plates (Red Wings) taking down the Syracuse Salt Potatoes (Mets) by a final score of 4-3. Rochester has now won a season-high five consecutive games and eight of its last nine contests. Richie Martin thinks the team's depth has been important to its recent run.
"It seems like everybody is on the same page. It seems like there are a few different guys doing it every night which is important for a good team. So we're playing well right now and we got to keep it going," Martin said.
On this night Martin was one of those guys as he hit his first home run as a Red Wing as well as swiping his twelfth base of the year and scoring a run.
Syracuse got out to the early lead in the third. Red Wings starter Cory Abbott faced the minimum through eight batters before Michael Perez stepped to the plate and clubbed a 2-1 pitch for a 436-foot home run to make it 1-0. That would be the only hit Abbott would allow in the game as he worked five innings with five walks and six strikeouts.
Rochester was able to tie it up in the fourth with an RBI single from Travis Blanekenhorn that scored Nomar Mazara. Then it was Martin who gave Rochester their first lead of the night with his home run in the fifth.
"I saw a lot of pitches my first at-bat so I was just trying to get a pitch out over the plate. I got a good fastball and just tried to stay with my approach," Martin said.
Syracuse quickly responded in the top half of the sixth when Luis Guillorme went opposite field for his first home run of the season to even the game at two. Martin would create havoc in the seventh once again. He worked a walk, stole second, and then came in to score on an RBI fielder's choice groundout from Jake Alu to make it a 3-2 game.
In the eighth, the Red Wings would come up with what would prove to be a critical insurance run. Matt Adams worked a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Cody Wilson. Wilson's speed caused TJ McFarland to be called for a balk. Travis Blankenhorn cashed in with his second RBI single of the game to score Wilson and push the lead to 4-2.
In the ninth, Jordan Weems worked into some trouble allowing the first two batters to reach. However, he slammed the door shut ensuing a 6-4-3 double play from Danny Mendick, which saw Lorenzo Cedrola score, before retiring Ronny Mauricio to end the game. Manager Matthew LeCroy believes his team is finally starting to come together.
"Guys are playing well together well today that's the biggest thing. We're doing a lot of the team things that help us win some ball games. We gotta ride it out and hope to continue to this streak that we're on," LeCroy said.
With the victory, Rochester is now 25-27 on the season and up to sixth place in the International League East standings. They'll next be in action on June 2 in game four of the series against Syracuse back at Innovative Field.
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