Three Home Games Left. Everything Still To Play For.
A completely different energy surrounds ESL Ballpark when September baseball means something. Every at-bat feels bigger. Every pitching change gets a little more attention. And the out-of-town scoreboard suddenly becomes required reading. Your Rochester Red Wings are right in the middle of that kind of finish. After Wednesday’s loss tightened
A completely different energy surrounds ESL Ballpark when September baseball means something. Every at-bat feels bigger. Every pitching change gets a little more attention. And the out-of-town scoreboard suddenly becomes required reading.
Your Rochester Red Wings are right in the middle of that kind of finish.
After Wednesday’s loss tightened the race, the Wings answered Thursday with a 7-3 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Rochester is back alone in first place, one game ahead of the RailRiders with nine games remaining. That is exactly the kind of response you want to see from a team playing for September baseball.
Before we get into the matchups, one thing deserves to be front and center: Rochester has only three home games left on its 2026 regular-season schedule. Whatever happens in the playoff race, this weekend is your last chance to help the Wings finish their home schedule strong. Buy tickets now at RedWingsBaseball.com.
The Matchup: Rochester’s Bats Against Scranton’s Arms
Rochester’s ability to put runs on the board gives this team a chance to change a game in a hurry.
Thursday provided the latest example. Playing as the Plates, Rochester scored five runs in the fifth inning, with Buddy Kennedy driving in three runs on the night. Isaac Lyon supplied five scoreless innings, giving the offense time to break through. The win moved Rochester to 39-27 in the second half and 84-55 overall.
That followed the recent comeback in Syracuse, when the Wings hit six home runs and scored seven times in the eighth. Leandro Pineda went deep twice, and Kennedy delivered the decisive three-run shot. This lineup has shown it can turn a close game around quickly.
The opportunity for Rochester is to make that power even more valuable by getting runners aboard ahead of it. Work an at-bat. Take the walk. Force a pitcher to throw another difficult pitch. A solo homer helps; a swing with two men on can change the entire night.
Scranton, meanwhile, has shown why its pitching makes it such a difficult opponent down the stretch. Alexander Cornielle earned International League Pitcher of the Month honors after posting a 1.50 ERA in August. Brendan Beck followed with 5⅓ scoreless innings against Rochester on September 9.
And the RailRiders can hit, too. Their recent wins over Lehigh Valley included a three-homer performance and a 16-run outburst. But Thursday showed how quickly mistakes can undo good work: two costly errors helped Rochester put together that five-run fifth.
For the Wings, the approach is straightforward. Make Scranton earn its outs, take advantage of extra opportunities, and keep giving the pitching staff a lead to protect. Three head-to-head games remain, and each one gives Rochester a chance to create a little more separation.
Next Week: Can Jacksonville Make Scranton Work?
Scranton returns home to host Jacksonville for the final series, giving the RailRiders the comfort of their own ballpark with the race on the line.
Jacksonville has shown it can make that week uncomfortable. The Jumbo Shrimp hit three home runs in a win at Norfolk, then got homers from Brayden Taylor and Logan Driscoll in another victory there. They also showed they could win a pitching battle, taking a 1-0 game against Gwinnett.
The question is whether Jacksonville can bring enough offense consistently. Through Thursday, the Shrimp had scored just four runs in four games against Gwinnett, following Wednesday’s 8-0 loss with a 10-2 defeat. Taylor and Driscoll each had multiple hits Thursday, but Jacksonville still struggled to turn those opportunities into runs.
That gives Scranton an opening. If its starters keep Jacksonville quiet, the RailRiders can put the pressure on the Shrimp to play nearly perfect baseball. Jacksonville has enough power to change a game, but it needs more sustained offense to make that threat count.
Rochester fans will have a reason to follow that series. We just can’t count on it doing our work for us.
Up the Thruway: Rochester’s Final Test in Buffalo
The Red Wings finish the regular season in Buffalo, against a team they know well and recently found a way to beat.
Rochester took four of six from the Bisons in their late-August meeting, finishing with four home runs in a 9-7 win. That gives the Wings something concrete to build on: this lineup has already shown it can do damage against Buffalo pitching.
But that same game explains why nobody should expect an easy week. Buffalo scored seven runs and put together a four-run sixth inning. Sean Keys supplied a home run and two RBIs. The Bisons have enough offense to make Rochester pay if an inning gets away.
And Buffalo just supplied a fresh reminder, beating Charlotte 11-4 on Thursday. That kind of offensive night should get Rochester’s attention, regardless of where the Bisons sit in the standings.
The Wings’ best route is to keep creating pressure at the plate while making Buffalo earn its runs. Limit the free passes, get the out that ends an inning, and avoid giving the middle of the order extra opportunities.
We have already seen Rochester win a slugfest against this club. Coming down the stretch, pairing that offense with a cleaner night on the mound would make the job a whole lot easier.
The Daily Playoff Check
The numbers help explain the urgency. They don’t decide the outcome.
Updated through games played September 10
Team | Estimated chance to win the second half | <tr style="height: 25pt;">Rochester Red Wings | 51.6% | <tr style="height: 25pt;">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre | 31.7% | <tr style="height: 25pt;">Rest of the field | 16.7% |
Latest result included: Rochester’s 7-3 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on September 10.
Games remaining: Nine, including three at home against Scranton and six at Buffalo.
What changed: Thursday’s win restored Rochester’s one-game lead and moved the Wings back ahead in the updated projection.
Rochester now has the strongest position in the model, but there is still plenty of work ahead. Worcester and Indianapolis are both just two games back. International League standings
The Wings have the offense to make a run. Scranton has the pitching to keep the pressure on. And next week, both will face opponents capable of disrupting their plans.
Three More Chances To Be Part of It
We can spend the next week studying projections and refreshing scores. Right now, we can also show up.
Only three home games remain on the regular-season schedule. Three more chances to get to ESL Ballpark, settle into your seat, and give this team a crowd behind it before the race heads out of town.
The Wings still have work to do. So does everybody chasing the same playoff spot.
Let’s make these last three home games feel like they matter.
Because they do, buy tickets now at RedWingsBaseball.com.