The Rochester Red Wings jumped out to an early lead but couldn't hold on, falling 6-3 to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Thursday night at ESL Ballpark.
It was a promising start for the home team. In the first inning, Dylan Crews worked a one-out walk before Yohandy Morales ripped a double to left field, putting two runners in scoring position. Andres Chaparro then delivered a two-run single up the middle, giving Rochester a quick 2-0 advantage.
But the lead didn't last long. In the second inning, IronPigs' Dylan Carlson drew a leadoff walk and came home on Paul McIntosh's line-drive double to center. Then Stewart Berroa crushed a two-run homer to right field, putting Lehigh Valley ahead 3-2 and chasing Red Wings starter Trevor Gott from the game.
Rochester showed resilience in the third, tying the game without a hit. Morales walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Andrew Pinckney's groundout brought him home to make it 3-3.
The IronPigs regained control in the fourth. Christian Cairo beat out an infield single, swiped second, and scored on Berroa's RBI single to right, giving Lehigh Valley a 4-3 lead they would never relinquish.
From there, the Lehigh Valley bullpen took over. Michael Mercado, Grant Holman, and Seth Johnson combined for six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out seven. The Red Wings' best chance came in the fifth when Chaparro walked and Pinckney doubled him to third, but a groundout, flyout, and strikeout stranded both runners.
Lehigh Valley added insurance in the eighth. Cairo singled and moved to third on McIntosh's single, then Otto Kemp lined an RBI single to center. After a pitching change, Liover Peguero's ground-ball single to left scored McIntosh, making it 6-3.
Berroa starred for the IronPigs, going 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and a stolen base, while Kemp finished 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Lehigh Valley went 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position, a stat that proved decisive. Morales led Rochester with two hits in the loss.