Allentown, PA - The Rochester Red Wings split their sixth season doubleheader Tuesday afternoon against Lehigh Valley. In Game 1 of the doubleheader the Red Wings won by a score of 4-1 and in Game 2 the Red Wings lost 16-3.

Rochester Red Wings record is now 22-21 heading into the second half of the week.

Game 1 highlights.

RHP Thaddeus Ward picked his second win of the season in game one, allowing one earned across 5.0 innings pitched. Offensively, RF Travis Blankenhorn drove in his 31st and 32nd RBI of the season, while C Drew Millas picked up a pair of hits, including a double. The Iron Pigs got off on the right foot with an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

SS Jack Dunn led off the top of the third inning with a walk and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from 2B Darren Baker. The next batter, CF Alex Call, worked the Red Wings’ second walk of the inning, and RF James Wood reached on a fielding error in the following at-bat. Travis Blankenhorn followed suit with a single up the middle that scored Dunn and Baker to give Rochester a 2-1 lead.

In the top of the sixth, the Rochester Red Wings were able to add two more runs thanks to back-to-back doubles from Drew Millas and Carter Kieboom and an RBI single from Darren Baker. Red Wings RHP Rico Garcia retired all three batters he faced to secure the save in the bottom of the ninth.

Thaddeus Ward took the mound for the Red Wings in what was his ninth start of the season. The right-hander delivered 5.0 strong innings, allowing one earned on four hits while striking out one and walking three. RHP Amos Willingham followed in relief and pitched a scoreless sixth, allowing a hit while striking out one before giving the ball to Rico Garcia for the home half of the seventh. Amos induced a strikeout, fly out, and ground out en route to his team-leading sixth save of the season.

He is one of six relievers in the International League with at least six saves this season.

The Nats Report Minor League Edition: May Farm Report

Richard, Haden Raymer • May 21, 2024

Welcome to the first Washington Nationals Minor League Report at the Nats Report. We will do this every month, rounding up the latest stats, news, and more. Here are highlights from the first half of May in the Nationals farm system. Be sure to follow

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Game 2 highlights.

Lehigh Valley, playing as the road team in game two, jumped ahead early in the top of the first. DH David Dahl led off the inning with a triple to left field, his second of the season. The next batter, RF Jordan Luplow, laced a double to right field to score Dahl and put himself in scoring position. He came around to score on a single off the bat of 3B Weston Wilson, immediately followed by a CF Cal Stevenson walk. LF Matt Kroon continued the hit parade with a double that scored Wilson. 2B Esteban Quiroz then singled to score two more runs, swelling the IronPigs lead to 5-0 before the Red Wings first turn at-bat.

The Iron Pigs wouldn’t ease up on the gas pedal as they coasted to a 16-3 win against the Rochester Red Wings. RHP Robert Gsellman took to the mound first in game two, marking his third start of the season (10th appearance). R Gsellman pitched 2.1 innings, allowing eight earned on eight hits while walking two and striking out three. RHP T.J. Zeuch entered in relief during the top of the third and tossed 2.2 innings. The former IronPig allowed five earned on six hits while striking out one before handing the ball to RHP Stephen Nogosek. The right-hander allowed three earned on one hit, with two strikeouts and three walks over the final 2.0 innings.

RHP Joan Adon takes the ball for the Rochester Red Wings tomorrow night, facing off against Lehigh Valley’s RHP David Buchanan.

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