Red Wings ten game winning streak ends against Syracuse

By: Elias Vega-Diaz ROCHESTER, NY - Coming off a red-hot 10-game win streak, the 32-20 Rochester Red Wings faced off against the 27-25 Syracuse Mets on Thursday evening. Sitting atop the International League in first place and with a ten-game win streak, Rochester failed to extend it as they fell 8-4 after a competitive first half against the Mets. "These kids, they battled all year to win ten in a row," Manager Matt LeCroy said postgame after the loss. "Hopefully, we start another streak tomorrow." The Mets would jump forward at the top of the second, to a score of 2-0. Rochester's Erik Tolman would walk Ryan Clifford for Syracuse before being relieved by RHP Chandler Champlain. After back-to-back singles from Andy Ibañez and Yonny Hernandez to fill up the bases, Champlain would give up a 2-run single courtesy of the Mets' Ben Rortvedt. Champlain would end the inning by striking out center fielder Nick Morabito. The Red Wings poised themselves to strike back in the bottom of the frame, tying the game 2-2. Shortstop Seaver King would walk off a pitch to the elbow before a Joey Wiemer blooper to center field, followed by a center fielder Robert Hassell III working another walk to load the bases. Facing Mets' pitcher Kodai Senga, catcher Riley Adams would walk, scoring the Wings 2-1. With bases still loaded and one out, Philip Glasser would pull a ball to left field, giving Wiemer enough time to run in to score 2-2. "We made him work, you know, we just couldn't get that big blow when we needed it," LeCroy commented on his lineup against Senga. "It's got to be fun for the guys to go out and face the guy that's pitching in the big leagues, in an environment like New York, we just didn't do enough offensively." Weimer, coming down from the Washington Nationals, would log his first hit against the Syracuse Mets. He initially started the year in Washington, playing in 32 games to a line of .286/.398/514, with 12 RBI's before being optioned to Rochester on May 19. Syracuse would hit back in the top of the fourth, loading the bases on the backs of Ibañez and Hernandezs' second singles of the day, aided by missed plays in the infield for Rochester. Cristian Pache would deliver a defining blow with a gap-shot triple to the wall, clearing the bases and taking the lead 5-2. Jackson Cluff would score Pache right after with a sac-fly to left field, adding insult to injury to make it 6-2. Faced with the possibility of a home run from the Mets' Morabito, right fielder Christian Franklin would pull off an athletic leap to steal the homer over the right field wall, helping to end the inning. The Red Wings would chip away at Syracuse's lead in the bottom of the fourth, making it 6-3. With runners on the corners and two outs, Franklin would slice a ball through the infield to score Hassell III, halving the score of Syracuse. Rochester returned in the bottom of the sixth, adding another run. With Weimer situated at third off an earlier single and steal, Franklin would deliver another sharp hit down the middle with two outs to drive him in, inching closer to Syracuse, trailing 6-4. Syracuse would respond right at the top of the seventh, extending their lead to 7-4. Leading off the inning, Clifford would deliver a moonshot right over the corner of the right field wall and onto the foul pole patio. The Mets would pile on at the top of the ninth by adding some insurance to make it an 8-4 ballgame. Singling with one out and moving to second off a passed ball, designated hitter Christian Arroyo would score after an RBI line drive by Ibañez that dropped in shallow center. Rochester's Chandler Champlain (4-1) took his first loss on the season today, with Syracuse's Ryan Lambert (2-0) earning the win. Champlain pitched to the tune of 4.0 innings, giving up seven hits and five earned runs while striking out three. On the offensive side, right fielder Christian Franklin lead the team with two hits and two RBI's.

"We want to win every series," said LeCroy. "That's the goal, and we got to take care of business tomorrow to make sure we got a chance to win that series (against Syracuse)." The series now remains tied at one a piece, with the Red Wings drop to 30-21, still good for first in the International League. The Mets improve to 28-25, and leapfrog the Charlotte Knights for 3rd in the International League East. Both teams will play on Friday for their fourth game of the series, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:45 pm.