Plates Use Big Fifth Inning, Take Back First Place From RailRiders

Playing as the Plates for a final time in 2026 Thursday night, Rochester (39-27, 84-55) scored five runs in the fifth and held on for a 7-3 win over the Scranton/WB RailRiders (37-27, 74-64). With the win, Rochester once again sits alone atop the International League in the second half pennant race. RHP Isaac Lyon turned in 5.0 hitless innings on the mound to kick things off in just his third Triple-A start. Offensively, 1B Buddy Kennedy drove in three and accounted for Rochester’s only extra-base hit of the night, while SS Seaver King turned in the lone multi-hit performance. The Plates offense as a whole drew 10 walks, while the pitching staff struck out 16 batters to set a season high.

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After four scoreless frames, the Plates broke through with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. DH Maxwell Romero Jr. and 2B Liover Peguero opened the inning with back-to-back walks before CF Sam Petersen laid down a sacrifice bunt. A throwing error allowed Romero Jr. to score and put runners at the corners. After a strikeout, LF Trey Lipscomb reached on a fielder’s choice, and a throwing error by Rodríguez brought Peguero home. Buddy Kennedy followed with a two-run double to left, scoring Petersen and Lipscomb, and 3B Cayden Wallace added an RBI single to center to plate Kennedy and give Rochester a 5-0 lead.

The RailRiders cut their deficit to 5-2 in the sixth inning, scoring twice on three hits. 3B Max Schuemann led off with a triple and scored on RF Yanquiel Fernández’s single before SS Oswaldo Cabrera drove in 2B Marco Luciano with another base hit. Paxton Schultz entered with two runners aboard and one out, walked 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. to load the bases, then struck out DH Tyler Hardman and CF Duke Ellis to escape the inning.

Sam Petersen opened the bottom of the sixth with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on Seaver King’s single. King swiped second and Trey Lipscomb walked to load the bases, before Buddy Kennedy drew a run-scoring free pass and Cayden Wallace lifted a sacrifice fly to extend the Plates lead to 7-2.

In the ensuing half-inning, Max Schuemann walked and advanced to third on C J.C. Escarra’s single before scoring on a ground ball from Marco Luciano. That accounted for the RailRiders’ lone run in the inning as Rochester carried a 7-3 lead into the seventh inning stretch.

Neither team crossed the plate in the eighth, and Scranton/WB came to the plate in the top of the night in search of four runs. Despite putting runners on the corners, Rochester was able to preserve a 7-3 victory.

Isaac Lyon turned in 5.0 scoreless innings to start things off, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out seven. RHP Ben Grable was charged with two earned runs across 0.1 inning before RHP Paxton Schultz struck out two in 0.2 scoreless frames. RHP Max Kranick allowed one run in the seventh, and RHP Kyle Nicolas struck out the side in a perfect eighth. RHP Gus Varland Entered for the ninth, and finished things off with a scoreless frame while adding a pair of strikeouts.

RHP Isaac Lyon is the Plates Player of the Game Thursday night. The Utah native turned in 5.0 scoreless frames on four hits, while striking out seven and walking one. He now boasts a 1.32 ERA (2 ER/13.2 IP) through his first three starts at Triple-A, with 14 strikeouts and four walks.

Rochester will take the field as the Red Wings against Scranton/WB Friday night for game four of the series, looking to take a 3-1 series lead. LHP Kyle Carr will get the ball for the RailRiders, with the first pitch scheduled once again for 6:05 p.m.

The box score attached HERE.

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