By: Liam Hoffmann
ROCHESTER, NY-- The Rochester Red Wings had their hopes of a season sweep cracked by the Indianapolis Indians Saturday night in a 13-4 loss. A 4-0 Rochester cushion in the first wasn't enough, as Indianapolis scored 11 across the third and fourth innings and the Red Wing bats never quite came to life. Rochester swung 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left four such runners on base throughout the contest.
Rochester lefthanded pitcher Tim Cate's no earned runs streak was extended to six games through two innings of scoreless relief action. He struck out four in the appearance. Orlando Ribalta got two out on strikes in two relief innings. Jackson Rutledge started for the Wings and surrendered seven earned runs, fanning two across three innings pitched. Riley Adams' pair of doubles made him the only Red Wing with multiple hits.
"He (Cate) has got a really nasty breaking ball and a slider," Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy said. "Sometimes it's hard for a guy who's started most of his career to kind of abandon his heater, so to speak, but his value to us and to himself looking to get to the big leagues is to be a guy who can go in and drop you about 75-80% breaking balls, and they won't hit it."
The Wings scored four runs with two outs in the first for the early advantage. Darren Baker walked and stole second before Riley Adams' two-out double brought him across. Carter Kieboom singled to score Adams then Yepez sent a two-run homer 409 feet to center field.
"Offensively we came out hot but we just never really got back into it, the hole was just a little bit too big," LeCroy said. "The bats were not as good later, so we've just got to flush it and come back tomorrow and take care of business."
Indianapolis snapped back in the third inning; they crossed the plate six times on six base hits and a walk to go ahead 6-4. Ji-Hwan Bae and Matt Gorski both hit two-run doubles and Liover Peguero and Gilberto Celestino registered an RBI each. An inning later, they tacked on five more runs. Malcolm Nunez knocked deep a grand slam after Matt Frazier scored first in the frame.
Indianapolis starter Domingo German set aside nine consecutive Red Wings from the second to the fifth until Trey Lipscomb hit a two-out single to break the streak. Travis Blankenhorn then connected on a double that situated both Rochester runners in scoring position. But, Indians shortstop Peguero went on a long run for a pop fly and the third out of the inning shortly after.
Red Wings pitchers downed 12 straight Indianapolis batters across innings five through eight. But, their offense failed to capitalize. Rochester recorded only two base hits in the game's final four innings.
Indianapolis tallied two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Seth Beer drove in Nunez with a double before Beer found home on a single by Celestino.
The series ends tomorrow at Innovative Field where first pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. Josiah Gray, Washington Nationals starter who's currently on a rehab assignment, is set to make his second Rochester start on the mound. In his first start on June 25, he allowed just one earned run to the Indians across six innings pitched.
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