Rochester Red Wings Jackson Cluff
(Photo via Joe Territo)
ROCHESTER, NY- The Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are riding the rails into Rochester this week to Innovative Field. One of the first things I always look for when I see Rochester’s schedule in the winter is when Scranton will come to town.
There are several reasons that pique my interest in this series. One is that I am one of the few baseball fans in the Rochester and Western New York area that does not root for the Yankees. Western New York is a strong geographical area with a lot of Yankees’ fans! Innovative Field during this week will have many fans sporting their Yankees’ wardrobe, from hats, jackets, and shirts, while attending the games this week. Innovative Field seats 10,800 fans, but last year, when Garrett Cole pitched for Scranton, there was a Standing Room Only Crowd of 13,500 fans. The Saturday and Sunday games were also SRO. Fans of the Red Wings and their management know that if the games with the RailRiders are scheduled in June, July, or August when the weather is warmer, it means big crowds and lots of money to be made on concessions. This week, the weather looks very good with rain only predicted for possibly Friday night.
Scranton Wilkes Barre currently has a 2.5 game lead over Syracuse and an 8.5 over Rochester. It is important that Rochester wins this series. If they win four of the six games, the Red Wings can shave two games off Scranton’s lead. Scranton has a 17-3 record and are riding an 11-game win streak. However, after 20 games, in the second half, they have played 15 games at home and only five on the road.
One Scranton player that is really hot right now is their #2 prospect Spencer Jones with a hitting line .426/.481/1.422. Jones was promoted three weeks ago and has played only 16 games in AAA. Joining him in being promoted recently is #30 prospect catcher Jesus Rodriguez .313/.413/.824. Everson Pereira (#12) traverses the outfield along with Jones. Scranton’s roster has a couple of players trying to make their ways back to the majors. Pitcher, Carlos Carrasco, and infielder and ex-Nats infielder Jeimer Candelario are now playing for the RailRiders.
Rochester Red Wings are 9-12 in the second half and are in 7th place. The first series of the second half, they played like they did in the first half, which was not good, winning only one game against Syracuse. They have played four series, losing the first one, splitting the next two, and winning the last series against Lehigh Valley. Their bullpen, led by Konnor Pilkington, has been very much improved. Pilkington had been “lights out” coming out of the pen, and I believe Washington needs to give him a shot in DC. Rochester has rediscovered the long ball with Andrew Pinckney and Nick Schnell leading the current roster with 11 round-trippers. Yohandy (YoYo) is making better contact, raising his batting average from the .160s to .243, and has been driving the ball consistently with hard contact.
Robert Hassell III is an excellent lead-off hitter, leading the team with a .301 batting average while increasing his walks and decreasing his strikeouts and improving his On-Base Percentage(OBP) to .373. Jose Tena has been really delivering at the plate and getting on base hitting .294 with a team leading .384 OBP. Jackson Cluff flashes the leather, no matter where he plays, while getting on base anyway he can with a .373 OBP. The team is starting to play well.
The starting pitching for the first four games this week will be on Tuesday-Chase Solesky, Wednesday-Andrew Alvarez, Thursday- Bryce Conley, and on Friday, if he’s still in Rochester, Cade Cavalli.
Of all the games on the schedule for Rochester during the year, this is the series that is marked on the calendar more than any other one. I am predicting that Rochester will win at least four of the six games. I may not be right on that prediction, but on these predictions I WILL be right! I predict big crowds and at least two sellouts. I predict seeing many Yankees’ jerseys and hats which will disgust me. I predict many beef on wecks, Rochester’s own Zweigles Red and White hots, and Garbage Plates to be sold. I predict I will buy a beverage from Conehead, the beer man. This series, which starts Tuesday at 6:45 and is going to be a lot of fun at Innovative Field.