The tarp came off at 4 p.m., the gates opened at 5:30, and by first pitch there was not a seat to be had. The home team opened its Triple-A season Thursday night with a 7–2 win over Rochester in front of 11,071 fans — the first sellout home opener since 2019.
The game turned in the sixth. Trailing 2–1, the home side sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs on four hits, a walk and a Rochester throwing error that brought the loudest cheer of the night.
New faces, new food
The offseason brought changes beyond the roster. The ballpark’s left-field concourse has been rebuilt with a widened family section, and the concession lineup now includes three local vendors selected by fan vote over the winter.
“We wanted opening night to feel like the whole city showed up to the same backyard cookout,” general manager Terri Okafor said. “Judging by the salt potato line, I think we got there.”
Season attendance projections are up 12 percent over last year, driven partly by a new downtown shuttle running on game nights. The team plays a six-game homestand before heading to Buffalo at the end of next week.
