Red Wings walloped by Redbirds in game two of I.L. Championship Series
By: Mateo Ortiz
MEMPHIS, T.N. — The Rochester Red Wings were looking to clinch their first International League title since 1997 on Wednesday night, as they faced the Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park in game two of the best-of-three series. A poor pitching performance by the Red Wings and a lack of offense early on would be the downfall for Rochester as they dropped game two to the Redbirds by a final score of 15-4.
On the mound for the Red Wings was Issac Lyon, who posted a 2-0 record in four appearances in Rochester along with a 1.53 ERA. Overall on the season in all four levels of the minors (A, A+, AA, AAA), he posted a 10-7 record with a 3.41 ERA. For the Redbirds, it was Mason Molina who went 5-2 in 13 starts along with a 4.45 ERA. Across AA and AAA, he combined for an 8-4 record with a 3.57 ERA.
Lyon, after getting the first Redbirds batter, Colton Ledbetter, out, proceeded to hit the next two hitters, Jimmy Crooks and Ramon Mendoza. The right-hander did get the next two Redbirds hitters, Bligh Madris and Chase Davis, to fly out and pop out, respectively, to keep the game scoreless after one. In the top half of the second, the Red Wings had catcher Riley Adams at third base, but left fielder Sam Petersen flew out to CF Ledbetter, which stranded Adams at third and kept the game scoreless.
The Redbirds had the same opportunity as the Red Wings in the bottom half of the inning. Unlike Rochester, however, they were able to capitalize as shortstop Brody Moore singled to left field, driving in LF Zach Levenson to give Memphis an early 1-0 lead. The next batter, Crooks, drilled a three-run home run to right-center field, giving the Redbirds a 4-0 lead through two. This was the catcher’s 16th home run of the season in AAA; he spent a majority of the summer with the Redbirds’ MLB affiliate, the St. Louis Cardinals, where he hit six home runs.
Memphis had runners at second and third in the bottom of the third inning. Both runners would be driven in as 1B Trey Paige singled to center field, giving the Redbirds a 6-0 lead. After a bunt single by the next batter, Moore, the Red Wings starter Lyon would end up being pulled from the game just one out into the third. In 2 1/3 innings of work, Lyon gave up six hits, eight earned runs, one walk, and two strikeouts, along with the two hit batters in the first. Before tonight’s game, Lyon had only given up one earned run in his AAA career, which came in his previous start on Sept. 17, against the Buffalo Bisons.
Red Wings RP Jared Simpson would allow two more runs to score after Crooks drove in his fourth and fifth runs of the game, giving the Redbirds an 8-0 lead. Simpson would end up loading the bases, and the Redbirds would end up driving in two more runs after RF Davis singled to left field, driving in Crooks and Mendoza. The next batter, Levenson, doubled to right-center field, tacking on one more run for the Redbirds, giving them an 11-0 lead. Simpson would be taken out of the game after allowing the double and would be relieved by Paxton Schultz. Simpson’s night ended with a stat line of three hits, five earned runs, and two walks allowed.
Redbirds 2B Noah Mendlinger would drive in another Redbirds run after driving a base hit into center field. The following batter, Paige, would drive in the ninth run of the inning after hitting a base hit into right field. The ninth hitter in the Memphis lineup, Moore, would strike out, ending a miserable inning for the Red Wings, who trailed 13-0.
Two more runs would be allowed by Schultz in the bottom half of the fourth as the Redbirds DH Madris hit a two-run home run down the right-field line, giving the Redbirds a 15-0 lead through four innings of play. The southpaw Schultz would not pitch past the fourth inning; he ended his night allowing four hits and two earned runs, while also striking out one.
The Redbirds starter Molina would be pulled from the game after pitching five scoreless innings. The 22-year-old southpaw allowed only one hit and two walks, while also striking out six Red Wings batters. Before tonight in the month of September, Molina pitched three shutouts. His scoreless appearance tonight caps his month off with a combined 0.35 ERA in 25, 2/3 innings of work.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Red Wings were able to load the bases and score their first run of the night as 3B Cayden Wallace drew a walk, which drove in the DH Maxwell Romero Jr. The scoring would continue as the RF Leandro Pineda lined a single to right field, driving in two more runs and trimming the Redbirds' lead to 15-3.
The Red Wings would drive in one more run in the ninth inning as Cortland Lawson, who pinch-hit for SS Seaver King, singled to left field, driving in Sam Petersen. This would not start a comeback for Rochester, however, as they would fall to the Redbirds 15-4.
Following the loss, Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy had one message for his squad in preparation for Thursday night's winner-take-all game.
"They know what's at stake here; they've fought all year long, and I love them, they're fighters, and I know we're going to go out as hard as we can," LeCroy said.
LeCroy also noted that there won't be much of a difference in the Red Wings lineup Thursday night; the one change that will be made will be at the catcher and DH position as Riley Adams and Romero Jr. will swap positions. LeCroy also announced that RHP Zak Kent will start for Rochester in the do or die game three.
The decisive game three of the International League Championship Series will take place on Thursday night at AutoZone Park with first pitch scheduled for 7:45 PM. The winner of the matchup in Memphis will advance to the Triple-A National Championship Game in Las Vegas, NV. The winner will face either the Las Vegas Aviators or the Oklahoma City Comets out of the Pacific Coast League.
Comments