IronPigs Snap Red Wings Five-Game Winning Streak Behind Berroa's Big Night

By Christopher Drummond

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings’ five-game winning streak came to an end Thursday night as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs used timely hitting and late insurance runs to secure a 6-3 victory at Innovative Field.

After Rochester jumped out to an early lead, Lehigh Valley steadily took control behind standout performances from Steward Berroa and Otto Kemp, who combined for six hits, a home run, and five RBIs in a balanced offensive attack.

The loss dropped Rochester to 2-1 in the six-game series, but not before the Red Wings battled through adversity after a late pitching change forced the club to improvise on the mound.

Rochester struck first in the opening inning when Andrés Chaparro ripped a two-run single to give the Red Wings a quick 2-0 advantage. The hit continued Chaparro’s productive season, driving in his 17th and 18th RBIs of the year and energizing the home crowd early.

But the lead disappeared almost immediately.

Lehigh Valley answered in the top of the second with a three-run inning that shifted momentum for good. Paul McIntosh got the rally started with an RBI double before Berroa launched his fourth home run of the season, putting the IronPigs ahead 3-2.

The back-and-forth battle continued in the bottom half of the inning when Andrew Pinckney tied the game with an RBI groundout, evening the score at 3-3.

Once again, however, the IronPigs had an answer.

In the third inning, Berroa delivered again with an RBI single — his third hit of the night — restoring Lehigh Valley’s lead at 4-3. The outfielder was relentless at the plate all evening and proved to be the catalyst for the IronPigs offense.

From there, the game settled into a tense pitcher’s duel.

Both bullpens traded scoreless frames over the next four innings, keeping Rochester within striking distance while preventing either lineup from gaining momentum. Despite several opportunities, the Red Wings were unable to deliver the timely hit they needed, managing just one run after the first inning.

Andrew Pinckney and Yohandy Morales each collected two hits in the loss, continuing to provide consistency in the middle of Rochester’s lineup, but the offense struggled to string together rallies late in the game.

The turning point came in the eighth inning.

With Rochester still trailing by just one run, Lehigh Valley broke the game open with back-to-back RBI singles that extended the lead to 6-3 and silenced a Red Wings comeback attempt.

Rochester was also forced to navigate unexpected challenges before first pitch after scheduled starter Andrew Alvarez was scratched late due to what is believed to be a potential call-up opportunity. The sudden change left the Red Wings short-handed on the mound for much of the night.

Despite the circumstances, manager Matthew LeCroy praised his team’s effort after the game.

“Well, I thought it was a battle,” LeCroy said. “We obviously had a pitching shortage here, and we had to make do with what we had. We battled, but they got us for two in the eighth inning, and that gave them some cushion.”

LeCroy emphasized the resilience his club showed despite having its back against the wall throughout the night.

“I’m really proud of how the guys responded,” he said. “I thought we played good. We had our backs against the wall, and we gave them everything we had but just came up short tonight.”

Even with the loss, Rochester remains ahead in the series and will look to bounce back Friday night in Game 4 of the six-game homestand against Lehigh Valley.

Friday’s matchup will feature a special 6:45 p.m. first pitch followed by postgame fireworks at ESL Ballpark.