In Rochester’s first game against the Norfolk Tides since 2019, the Red Wings fell 11-4 to extend their franchise-record losing streak to 18 games.
In his third start for the Wings this season, RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon allowed four runs on three hits through 1.2 innings. The Anaheim-native failed to log a strikeout in his loss, the first time he’s failed to do so in any appearance with the Wings this season.
After Ponce de Leon gave up a two-run RBI single to start the second inning, RHP Curtis Taylor walked two consecutive batters with the bases loaded to put the Tides up 4-0. They pushed the lead to 8-0 in the fourth when Kyle Stowers crushed a grand slam to right field. It was Stowers’ 19th long ball of the season.
Rochester got on the board when C Riley Adams logged his fourth home run of the season in the form of a two-run fourth-inning bomb that cut the lead to six runs.
LF Andrew Stevenson (9) gave Rochester hope with a fifth-inning homer to right-center, bringing the score to 8-3. Stevenson has homered in back-to-back games (8/7 @ COL) for the first time this year, running his season-hitting total to 105.
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Rochester’s two (eventually three) homers didn’t put a dent in Norfolk’s lead, as Jordan Westburg registered the Tides’ second deep ball of the game with a three-run homer in the sixth as the lead ballooned to 11-3.
Three Wings pitchers saw the mound before the end of the third, with Taylor and RHP Jefry Rodriguez toeing the rubber for 0.1 and three innings, respectively. Rodriguez’s seven surrendered runs were his most since May 19, when he also allowed seven against Lehigh Valley.
RHP Matt Brill took over in the sixth and held Norfolk hitless before RHP Tyler Clippard got the ball in the seventh inning. The rehabbing righty held the Tides scoreless until RHP Reed Garrett relieved him in the ninth.
CF Alex Call smacked a solo homer in the sixth to bring the Wings within seven. His long ball came in his Red Wings debut and was his first hit with his new squad.
The last time the Wings won a game was July 15 against Omaha, and their current 18-game skid puts them in danger of falling into ninth place in the International League if Syracuse wins on Tuesday.
The Wings will send RHP Joan Adon to the mound Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. with a chance to snap the losing streak against Norfolk at Frontier Field.