Red Wings crush IronPigs in home opener
- Victor Menendez
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
By: Victor Menendez
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- On a chilly 40 degree Tuesday afternoon at Innovative Field, the Rochester Red Wings won their first home game of the 2025 season against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs by a score of 10-1.
"The weather was brutal," Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy said. "For us to come out and play the way we did, we did a lot of good things on the bases, our at-bats were good and obviously we pitched well. To win on opening day, it makes it a little bit sweeter."
Japanese left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara made his first start in Minor League Baseball for the Red Wings after being signed by the Nationals in January. The 27-year-old was an NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) all-star in 2023 and played nine seasons in Japan. Ogasawara is the first player in Nationals history to be signed directly from Asia.
Ogasawara went six innings, allowing just one run, striking out six, and walking none.
"He pitched extremely well," LeCroy said. "He had a rough spring training. To see him come out here and do what he did with the baseball... it was pretty impressive and hopefully he can build on it."
"The weather was really cold, something I've never experienced," Ogasawara said through a translator. "I just tried to pitch my way and my style."
Rochester struck first in the bottom of the first inning. After Robert Hassell III and Juan Yepez reached base, catcher Drew Millas drove both in with a triple down the right field line that just got past the diving attempt of IronPigs right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. to give the Red Wings a 2-0 lead.
Video Credit: @RocRedWings on X.
Rochester added onto that lead in the bottom of the third. Nationals No. 3 prospect Brady House followed up a leadoff double from Hassell by hammering a sinker from Lehigh Valley starter Nabil Crismatt 111.1 mph into left-center to drive him in. Red Wings DH Franchy Cordero drove in House with a single soon after and eventually came around to score on another triple from Millas to make the score 5-0. 111.1 mph is the highest exit velocity House has recorded in his professional career.
"I don't think [House] will be here that long," LeCroy said. "Last year he got a little taste of Triple-A and now it's his time and hopefully he'll continue to get hot and put some pressure on people in the big leagues."
The IronPigs got a run back in the top of the fourth. Phillies No. 3 prospect Justin Crawford led off the inning with a triple and scored on a sac fly from Payton Henry.
House drove in another run for the Red Wings in the bottom of the inning. Shortstop Nasim Nunez reached base with a walk and scored from second on an ground ball single between the shortstop and third baseman from House.
Drew Millas' big day continued in the bottom of the fifth. After Cordero led off with a single, Millas drilled a homer into right field to put the Red Wings up 8-1. Millas became the first Red Wing since at least 2004 with two triples and a home run in the same game.
"That's cool," Millas said regarding the statistic. "That's really cool with all of the great players that have come through here."
IronPigs reliever John McMillon lost control of the strike zone in the bottom of the seventh inning walking four of the first five Red Wing batters. McMillion, who usually sits in the upper 90s with his fastball struggled to hit 90 in this inning, leading to two more runs for Rochester to make the score 10-1.
That score would hold for the last few innings as the Red Wings bullpen combined for three innings of shutdown pitching behind Ogasawara.
With the win, Rochester improves to 2-1 on the year. The IronPigs fall to 2-2 with the loss.
The Red Wings will be in action again tomorrow for game two of this series. Right-hander Hyun-Il Choi will get the ball for Rochester. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
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