Rochester Red Wings’ utility man Darren Baker, seen here playing in a previous game, went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday’s win. (Photo: JOE TERRITO/Rochester Red Wings)
BY DAN GLICKMAN
The Rochester Red Wings made it two straight against the first-half International League champion Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Wednesday, taking a 6-5 lead in the top of the ninth on a two-run Christian Franklin single and then holding the lead in the bottom half.
The two-out, bases-loaded grounder up the middle from the right fielder capped a back-and-forth night between the Wings and the Marlins AAA affiliate. Rochester had earlier taken a 2-0 lead with runs in the first and second, only to see Jacksonville tie it up in the bottom of the second. The Shrimp then took the lead on a Matthew Etzel homer in the third, 3-2.
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Rochester would give chase to Jacksonville for much of the rest of the game, but each time they’d score- in the fifth and eighth- Jacksonville would claw back to the lead again. It was only in the ninth that Rochester got ahead for good, loading the bases before Franklin’s game-winner.
Eduardo Salazar had some trouble in the ninth, allowing the tying run to reach second on a double, but was able to strike out Jack Winkler to end the game and earn the save, his fourth of the season.
Rochester was led offensively by Franklin (2-for-5, three RBI), left fielder Darren Baker (2-for-3, two runs scored, stolen base), and first baseman Yohandy Morales (2-for-4, double, two RBI). Catcher Francisco Mejia homered, his fourth with the Wings. Julian Fernandez earned his first Red Wings win in relief to move to 1-1 on the season.
The Wings return to action on Thursday in Jacksonville at 7:05 p.m.
