Given a chance to immediately rewrite the script from the night before, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre authored a happier ending.
For the second straight game, the RailRiders burst out for three runs in the top of the first inning. On Thursday, that led to a humbling defeat to Rochester on a walk-off home run in the ninth.
No such heartache on Friday.
This time, the RailRiders were able to add to that early lead and squash a late rally to beat the Red Wings 6-3.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has yet to lose consecutive games in this opening month of the season, improving to 12-4 to lead the Northeast Division.
First-inning home runs by Rob Brantly and Armando Alvarez provided the 3-0 lead on Friday, matching their lead after one on Thursday.
A day earlier, the RailRiders were blanked the rest of the way in a 5-3 loss on a two-run homer by Luis Garcia.
Once again, three runs would not be enough to secure the win.
The decisive run actually came in the top of the third when Scranton/Wilkes-Barre loaded the bases, allowing Socrates Brito to score on a wild pitch that made it 4-1.
Rochester hung around, using a solo shot by Rafael Bautista in the home half of the third to pull within 4-2.
But Cristian Perez provided an important cushion in the top of the seventh, smacking an 0-1 pitch for a line drive to left for a two-run double and a 6-2 lead.
Looking to rally for the second straight night, the Red Wings threatened in the bottom of the eighth and pushed a run across on a sac fly off the bat of Yasmany Tomas.
But it could have been much worse for the RailRiders, who faced a bases-loaded situation with no outs in the frame.
An error by Hoy Jun Park at short allowed the leadoff man to reach in the eighth, and Thursday’s hero, Garcia, followed with a single. Carter Kieboom drew a walk to load them up against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre reliever Nick Nelson.
Nelson stayed in the game and got Tomas to fly out to right to bring home the run.
And Nelson settled in from there, striking out both Daniel Palka and Brandon Snyder swinging to end the threat.
RailRiders closer Luis Garcia made sure there would be no ninth-inning drama this time.
Garcia needed just nine pitches in the final frame to retire the side, getting two ground balls and a line out to right to end the game and earn his fifth save.
Mike Montgomery picked up just the second win by a starting pitcher this season for the RailRiders. Wins figure to be at a premium for starters in the early going, as teams are cautious not to overtax pitchers, many of whom lost all of last season to the pandemic and must work back into a normal routine.
Montgomery went five innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out eight and walking three.
Alvarez and Thomas Milone had two hits apiece to lead the offense.
The RailRiders have won three of the first four against Rochester with the series set to continue at 5:05 p.m. Saturday.