Franklin homers, but Rochester falls 3-2 on Syracuse walk-off

Christian Franklin gave Rochester an early spark, but Syracuse had the last swing and the louder finish in a 3-2 walk-off loss Thursday night at NBT Bank Stadium.

Franklin’s 357-foot homer in the third inning, his first of the 2026 season, put the Red Wings in front 1-0 and capped a three-hit night for the outfielder. Rochester looked poised to add on when Harry Ford singled, but the inning ended abruptly with Ford and Dylan Crews both thrown out at second on consecutive pitches, a wasted chance that loomed larger as the game tightened.

The Red Wings briefly regained control in the sixth. Dylan Crews stole third, Andrew Pinckney followed with a sacrifice fly, and Rochester moved ahead 2-1. But Syracuse answered right back when Christian Arroyo lined a tying RBI single in the bottom half, turning what had been a one-run edge into a deadlock that held all the way to the ninth.

Andry Lara did his part to keep Rochester in it. The right-hander worked 5.2 innings and allowed only one run before handing over a game that still felt there for the taking. Rochester could not preserve the lead once the bullpen took over, and the Red Wings were forced to watch Syracuse keep turning close at-bats into pressure.

The final inning unraveled quickly. Ben Rortvedt was hit by a pitch and Jackson Cluff walked, then a wild pitch pushed both runners into scoring position. A.J. Ewing followed by singling to left, bringing home pinch-runner Kevin Villavicencio for the winning run and giving Syracuse a 3-2 victory. It was Ewing’s first walk-off hit in Triple-A, and it came against a Rochester club that had already dropped a 3-1 game in Syracuse the night before.

Jihwan Bae had given Syracuse its first breakthrough with an RBI double in the fourth, setting up the Mets’ ability to keep answering every Rochester push. The win lifted Syracuse to 20-15, while Rochester fell to 17-19, a record that reflects how thin the margin has been in the series and how costly each late mistake can be.

The Duel of the Dishes, with its Salt Potatoes and Plates alternate identities and the eight-foot Golden Fork on the line, has already turned into a branding-friendly rivalry with real bite. For Rochester, though, the takeaway was simpler: Franklin’s first homer of the season and Lara’s steady start were not enough to finish off a game that slipped away in the final swing.