Red Wings take first game of Doubleheader against Worcester; second game postponed

By: Elias Vega-Diaz ROCHESTER, NY - Fresh off a win Wednesday night, the 39-25 Rochester Red Wings faced off in a doubleheader Thursday afternoon against the 33-29 Worcester Red Wings, with Game Two being postponed. Rochester would fight back after going down early in Game 1, pulling out the win after timely home runs gave them the spark they needed to pull through.

Designated hitter Abimelec Ortiz delivers a leadoff hit in Game 1. June 11, 2026. (Photo Credit: Grant Bush-Resko/Rochester Red Wings)

"I thought, you know, they jumped out early..." said manager Matt LeCroy postgame. "...then obviously we grabbed a lead late, and the pitcher (Cole Henry) did a good job finishing the ball game." On the mound in Game 1 for the Red Wings would be starter Luis Perales in his 11th appearance this season, entering the game with a 3.02 ERA and a .176 batting average against. In his last three games, he's posted a 0.82 ERA over 11 innings, striking out six and walking four. His most recent outing against Lehigh Valley on June 5 lasted 3.1 innings, during which he struck out three and walked two. "I thought he flew the fastball well, established it," commented LeCroy on Perales's start. "(and) threw some really good secondary pitches." Game 1 - Rochester 6, Worcester 4

Starter Luis Perales fires off a pitch in Game 1. June 11, 2026. (Photo Credit: Grant Bush-Resko/Rochester Red Wings)

Worcester would make their mark early at the top of the first, jumping out 3-0. Second baseman Mikey Romero would get on base on a fielder's choice, followed by third baseman Anthony Seigler walking to occupy first, setting up catcher Matt Thaiss, who would crush a cutter 434 feet out of the ballpark to drive them in with two outs. Rochester would strike back in the bottom of the frame to dent the lead 3-1. With one out, star shortstop Yohandy Morales would deliver a towering shot to right field on a 2-0 pitch to get the Red Wings on the board.

First baseman Yohandy Morales delivers the first run for Rochester. June 11, 2026. (Photo Credit: Grant Bush-Resko/Rochester Red Wings)

"I was in a hitters count," said Morales postgame. "he (Worcester starter Patrick Sandoval) was running a fastball up in the middle of the zone and put the barrel to it." Morales' homer would be the latest in what has been a spectacular season in Rochester, hammering in his 15th on the season. In his last 10 games, Morales produced an impressive .340/.511/.911 line, with 11th RBI's in as many hits and four homers in that stretch. The Red Wings would resume the comeback in the bottom of the third, evening the ballgame three a piece. With Morales at third and designated hitter Abimelec Ortiz at first off a bloop single to shallow left field, third baseman Brady House would drive in Morales on a floater to left. The tying run would come in courtesy of left fielder Joey Weimer delivering an RBI groundout, allowing Ortiz to score from third. Worcester would take the lead back in the next frame, going up 4-3 at the top of the fourth. With right fielder Allan Castro at third off a leadoff single and a stolen base and one out, designated hitter Nathan Hickey would take advantage by delivering a looping RBI double that snuck through a defensive window in left-center. Rochester would fight back to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth, tying the game at 4-4. Situated on a 2-1 count, catcher Riley Adams would take a changeup on the outside border of the zone, sending 401 feet to center as a tying shot. The Red Wings would finally take the lead quickly at the bottom of the 5th. Ortiz would lead off the inning with a single, followed by House with one of his own. Center fielder Andrey Pinckney would move both over with a groundout, before Weimer would sky a ball to center, giving Ortiz space to run in to take the lead. Rochester would add another insurance run, as right fielder Robert Hassell III would take advantage of a quirky hit that bounced off the first base bag to drive in House for an RBI double, solidifying their lead for the win, 6-4. Getting the win would be right-hander Zak Kent, who relieved Perales to pitch a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout. The save would be awarded to righty Cole Henry, who pitched a shutout inning to end the game. Other top performers for Rochester would be Morales, who logged a hit and a homer, and Adams, with a walk and his tying shot in the bottom of the fourth. "We knew he was capable of this," said LeCroy about his first baseman. "And hopefully he can maintain it because if he does, I'm sure he'll get a chance to go to the next level." Rochester exited Game 1 tied first in the International League, and in firm control of the International League East with an improved 40-25 record, and seeks to sweep their first doubleheader at home against Worcester since 2009. Worcester starts their day with another loss and falls to 33-30. Game 2 - Postponed, TBD Game 2 was scheduled for a 4:00 pm start, before a rain delay came into effect. The game would be officially postponed around 5:15 pm, with a make-up date to be determined. The second game of the day was originally scheduled to be a makeup game for the postponement on May 24th during Rochester's series in Worcester. "Hey, we didn't get to play the second game, we'll see what happens," said LeCroy about the postponment on Game 2. "Luckily, we won the first one and expect to win the second one." Rochester finishes the day atop the International League East with a 40-25 record, only half a game back behind the Nashville Sounds and 1-seed Memphis Redbirds. Worcester stands at fourth in the International League East and ninth overall in the league with a 33-30 record. Both teams will meet for game four of their series on Friday, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:45 pm.