Ortiz Powers Red Wings Past Knights to Even the Series

On a muggy Friday evening in Charlotte, NC, the Rochester Red Wings (47-30, 2-2) evened the series at two games apiece against the Charlotte Knights (44-35, 2-2) with a final score of 6-2. LHP Zach Penrod provided a near-flawless 3.0 inning effort in his 27th appearance of the season, allowing no runs and giving up only one hit. CF Andrew Pinckney ignited the Red Wings' offense with a two-run homer in the fourth, and 1B Abimelec Ortiz kept the train moving with three hits that drove in three RBI over the course of the game.

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After three innings with no score, the Red Wings struck first in the fourth inning, with 3B Brady House sending a soft single to right field. CF Andrew Pinckney would then launch a two-run home run to right-center field to give the Red Wings an early lead. Pinckney's homer was his sixth over the course of the last two seasons in Charlotte and put Rochester up 2-0 entering the bottom of the fourth.

Rochester extended their lead in the fifth after 2B Seaver King drew a walk to get the inning started. 1B Abimelec Ortiz smashed a double to left field, sending King all the way home, making it 3-0 Red Wings. Shortly after, Brady House delivered with a double of his own to left field, allowing Ortiz to score, putting Rochester up 4-0.

Charlotte, as they have been doing all series, found an immediate response in the ensuing half inning when DH Korey Lee shot a double to left field. With a runner on second, LF Nolan Jones would lace a double to right field, sending Lee around to score and cutting into the Red Wing lead. Rochester was able to get out of the fifth inning by setting down three Charlotte batters to minimize the damage and went into the sixth up three runs, leading 4-1.

The Red Wings had an eventful seventh inning that began with DH Phillip Glasser walking, then stealing second base. Shortly after, Seaver King would bounce into a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners. With King and Glasser on base, King stole second, which was followed up by a single by Abimelec Ortiz, sending King and Glasser home to make it 6-1 Red Wings.

Korey Lee and Nolan Jones would once again play a part in Charlotte's second run of the game in the eighth inning. CF Dustin Harris and 1B Ryan Galanie drew consecutive walks, followed by Lee flaring a ball to center field, allowing Harris to advance to third and Galanie to reach second. Shortly after, Jones flew out on a sacrifice fly, sending Harris home. Andrew Pinckney ended the inning with a robbery of a snag, preventing what potentially would have been at least two runs driven in for the Knights, as the Red Wings entered the final inning up 6-2.

In the bottom of the ninth, RHP Eddy Yean entered the game to shut the door for the Red Wings. Although the Knights singled with one out in the inning, Rochester closed out game four, ending the night with a 6-2 victory.

In a bullpen night for Rochester, southpaw Zach Penrod started for the Red Wings. The former Boston Red Sox did not allow a run in 3.0 innings of work and allowed only one hit while logging two strikeouts. RHP Andre Granillo replaced Penrod in the fourth, allowing one run on three hits and striking out two over 2.0 innings. RHP Trevor Gott took over in the sixth, allowed no runs on one hit, while striking out one in 1.0 inning. RHP Robert Cranz replaced Gott late in the seventh. The Oklahoma State alum put in 1.0 inning of work and did not allow a run while giving up one hit and punching out one. RHP Jack Sinclair came in to pitch in the eighth, allowing one run on one hit and striking out one. RHP Eddy Yean came in to close it out for Rochester in the ninth. The Dominican Republic native allowed one hit and a strikeout to seal Rochester's 47th win of the season.

The Rochester Red Wings Player of the Game is 1B Abimelec Ortiz. The 24-year-old from Puerto Rico had an RBI single and a double that drove in three runs, maintaining the Red Wings' lead throughout Friday night's game. The former Texas Ranger now has a team-high 56 RBI and 16 doubles on the season.

The Red Wings will face the Knights once again tomorrow, with the first pitch slated at 6:05 p.m. LHP Jackson Kent (3-2, 5.27) will take the mound up against Charlotte's LHP Shane Murphy (3-1, 6.11).

Find the box score attached HERE.

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