Rochester kept rolling Saturday afternoon, knocking off Buffalo 7-3 to make it back-to-back wins and take four of five in the series. The Red Wings got enough from the mound early, a big day from Cayden Wallace, and just enough late breathing room to turn what looked like a comfortable win into a final line that felt closer than it really was.
Zak Kent handled the first four innings, giving up one run on a solo homer and four hits overall. He struck out three, walked one, and was tagged with the lone earned run.
Joe Glassey then earned the win with a clean inning of work, allowing one hit while punching out three and not issuing a walk. Five relievers came after him, with Jake Bird giving up two runs in the ninth to make the score look tighter at the end.
Wallace powered the offense, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, three RBI, a walk, and a stolen base, his 10th of the season. Max Romero Jr. also chipped in with a 2-for-4 day that included a double and an RBI, while Trey Lipscomb finished 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. That gave him 147 hits, a career high.
The game also came with a few roster notes: right-hander Andry Lara was moved off the Development list, and right-hander Chandler Champlain was placed on the T.I.L.
Saturday’s result also had bigger playoff implications in the International League second-half race. Rochester’s win knocked out both Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Bruford/Wakeman/Howe and Worcester, while Indianapolis fell 2-1 to Gwinnett. Syracuse stayed alive too, erasing a 4-3 deficit with one out in the ninth when Zack Short launched a two-run homer to walk off Lehigh Valley and stretch the club’s winning streak to five.
That leaves the path clear: if Rochester wins, it gets in. If the Mets lose, they’re in.
If the opposite happens, Syracuse reaches the playoffs. The only wrinkle, according to the source material, is that the Nationals may end up turning to an MLB rehab start from Connolly Early rather than their best available reliever, while Buffalo is leaning on a similar setup with Josh Winckowski making his sixth appearance after spending most of the season on the I.L.
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Jake Irvin gets the ball in a game that carries more than the usual end-of-season weight, because Washington is still sorting out how pieces fit beyond this stretch run. The Nationals have a modest run differential and a pitching staff that has not matched the bats, but a win here would keep them in control of their own path over the final week. For a team trying to show progress while avoiding the basement in the NL East, that kind of opportunity is worth paying attention to. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Clinch Series In A Thriller Fans Wont View Quietly
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Jorbit Vivas was right in the middle of it for much of the night, piling up four hits while driving in a run and scoring once, even as one rough defensive play gave the opposition a path back into the game. Riley Cornelio picked up the win and Will Dion finished it off, leaving Washington at 73 wins with another reminder that this team is still finding ways to survive the tight, messy games that September often serves up. [Read more 🡒]