Rochester arrived at AutoZone Park with two chances to secure the International League championship. By the end of a nine-run third inning Wednesday night, one chance had vanished beneath a pile of hits, walks and errors, leaving the Red Wings with one game to rescue the series.
Memphis pounded out 15 hits and capitalized on three Rochester errors in a 15-4 rout, evening the best-of-three championship series at one game apiece and forcing a decisive Game 3.
The pitching path Rochester manager Matt LeCroy outlined before the game depended on Isaac Lyon carrying the Red Wings through the middle innings and handing a lead to a rested bullpen.
“I think so. Lyon gives us, you know, if Lyon can give us five innings, six innings, or, you know, just five, I think Eddie Yean can come back. I got Bird, I got Schultz, we got plenty of people and guys that are deserving to pitch and I feel pretty good about if we can get a lead, we can hold it.”
— Matt LeCroy, Rochester Red Wings Manager
Lyon never got that far. He lasted 2 1/3 innings, allowing five earned runs, and Rochester never held a lead.
The first crack came with two outs in the second. Brody Moore floated a soft liner into left to score Zach Levenson, and, after Lyon walked Colton Ledbetter, Jimmy Crooks drove a changeup over the wall in right-center. What had been a one-run inning became a 4-0 deficit on Crooks’ three-run homer.
The game came apart completely an inning later.
Chase Davis reached on catcher Riley Adams’ throwing error to begin the third. Sam Petersen’s fielding error later allowed Noah Mendlinger to take second, putting two runners in scoring position, and Trey Paige immediately lined a two-run single into center. Petersen’s misplay was Rochester’s third error in two innings.
Lyon allowed another bunt single before LeCroy turned to Jared Simpson with one out. Simpson got a force play from Ledbetter, but the inning kept rolling. Crooks lined a two-run single to left, two walks loaded the bases, and Davis sent a grounder past Cayden Wallace’s diving attempt at third and into left for two more runs.
Simpson was charged with five earned runs while recording one out. Paxton Schultz inherited the inning and allowed run-scoring hits to Mendlinger and Paige before finally ending it with Rochester behind 13-0.
Memphis sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine times in the third. Crooks finished 2-for-3 with a homer and five RBIs, doing most of his damage before the Red Wings had their second hit.
The margin grew once more in the fourth, when Bligh Madris hooked a two-run homer down the right-field line and around the foul pole. That completed Memphis’ scoring and left Rochester in a 15-run hole.
Mason Molina ensured there would be no early response. As LeCroy had noted pregame, the left-hander brought a strong fastball and enough secondary pitches to complicate the Red Wings’ approach.
“You know, he’s got a pretty good fastball, you know, he can mix up some pitches, he’s having a pretty good September, so hopefully we can work him a little bit and take advantage of some mistakes.”
— Matt LeCroy, Rochester Red Wings Manager
Molina instead worked five scoreless innings, striking out six and walking two. Rochester managed six hits for the night and remained scoreless through seven.
Ben Grable and Andry Lara at least stopped the game from spreading further. They combined for four scoreless relief innings, with Lara covering three and striking out three.
The Red Wings finally broke through in the eighth. Maxwell Romero Jr. walked, Liover Peguero singled and Johnathon Thomas reached on catcher interference before Wallace drew a bases-loaded walk. Leandro Pineda followed with Rochester’s strongest swing back, lining a two-run single into right-center to make it 15-3.
Cortland Lawson’s ninth-inning single brought home Petersen for the final run. Pineda finished 2-for-4 and drove in two, but Rochester’s late four-run response could only trim the wreckage.
The championship opportunity remains. The margin for another inning like the third does not.