Aaron Bates' single brought home Brian Dinkelman in the bottom of the 10th inning, as the Red Wings rallied to defeat the Charlotte Knights 5-4 Tuesday night at Frontier Field.
With two outs in the 10th and Dinkelman at first base, Bates sliced a hit to right field. Lastings Milledge made a diving attempt to catch the ball but fell short, and the ball skipped over him and rolled toward the right field corner.
Charlotte swept the Wings Monday night, and had a 15-2 record against Rochester over the last 17 games between the two clubs. On Tuesday the Knights jumped to an early 1-0 lead, on Tyler Flowers' RBI single off Scott Diamond.
But Rochester came right back, taking the lead in their half of the first against Charlotte starter Dylan Axelrod. Dustin Martin and Trevor Plouffe hit back-to-back singles, and both scored on Dinkelman's double. In the second inning, Plouffe doubled in Martin for a 3-1 Wings lead.
The Knights inched closer on an RBI single from Eduaro Escobar in the fourth inning, then took the lead in the sixth. Escobar added another run-scoring hit, and Alejandro De Aza's RBI hit put the Knights ahead 4-3 and prompted Diamond's exit from the game. Three of the four runs allowed by Diamond were earned, and he struck out five while walking just one in 5 2/3 innings pitched.
Kyle Waldrop pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief of Diamond, and rehabbing Twins reliever Joe Nathan worked the eighth for the Red Wings. Nathan allowed a bloop single, then got a pair of ground outs and a fly out to end the inning.
White Sox pitcher Tony Pena, with Charlotte on a rehab assignment, took over for Axelrod in the sixth after Axelrod had allowed a single to Jeff Bailey. Axelrod fanned seven in his 5 2/3 innings on the mound.
The Wings tied the game in the bottom of the eighth, when Plouffe recorded his third hit of the night - and his ninth homer of the year, coming on an 0-2 pitch from Pena.
Anthony Slama came on in the ninth for Rochester, and struck out the side.
Steve Holm pinch-hit for catcher Danny Lehmann in the ninth and appeared to either pull or strain his right hamstring muscle, which brought Toby Gardenhire into the game in the 10th inning as the Wings' emergency catcher.
Slama struck out his fourth straight batter to start the 10th inning, then allowed two straight hits to put the lead run at third base with one out. Slama struck out Andrew Garcia for the second out but the ball skipped away from Gardenhire. With Milledge racing home, Gardenhire scrambled for the ball, then threw from his knees to Slama covering home to tag out Milledge in an exciting and unusual double play.
COURTESY ROCHESTER RED WINGS
