Pinto slam paces Wings' win
Josmil Pinto's grand slam broke open a pitcher's duel, as Kris Johnson and the Rochester Red Wings defeated the Indianapolis Indians 6-3 Sunday afternoon at Frontier Field. The Wings have now won five straight games, and moved back into a tie with Pawtucket for the wild card playoff spot.The series concludes Monday night at 7:05 p.m.; Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven will sign autographs before the game, and the first 500 kids eat free.
Johnson was an International League All-Star with Indianapolis last season, and came into Sunday's game in the top five of several league pitching categories. He had a 5-0 record in his six previous home starts at Frontier this season.
The Indians got an RBI single from Mel Rojas, Jr. to take an early 1-0 lead in an 18-pitch first inning for Johnson.
Brandon Cumpton was part of the Indians' rotation along with Johnson last season, and opposed his former teammate Sunday.
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The Red Wings took advantage of a walk and an error to put two runners on with one out in their half of the first inning, but couldn't cash in on the scoring chance.
A great defensive play by second baseman James Beresford helped out Johnson in the second inning. With one out and Tony Sanchez on first, Beresford flagged down a pop fly from Nevin Ashley in shallow right field. Beresford's back was to the infield when he made the catch, but he turned and fired a strike to Nate Hanson at first to double off Sanchez.
After walking Mel Rojas, Jr. in the top of the fourth, Johnson retired the next eleven batters he faced.
The Wings' offense provided some support in the bottom of the fifth, with Doug Bernier and Eric Farris both hitting singles after Dan Rohlfing had been walked to load the bases with one out. Beresford struck out for the second out, but then Pinto connected and sent a ball sailing out over the left field fence, giving the Wings a 4-1 lead. Pinto's grand slam was the Wings' eighth of the season. Going into Sunday's contest, the Wings were responsible for 25% of the slams in the IL this season.
Josh Kinney took Cumpton's place on the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning. Cumpton (5-3) threw 89 pitches in his five innings and allowed five hits and four runs while striking out four.
Kinney struck out the first batter he faced before Daniel Ortiz welcomed him to the game by lofting a home run to right field, extending the Wings' advantage to 5-1 and notching his sixth homer of the season. Kinney then hit Rohlfing with a pitch and Bernier's third single of the game gave the Wings runners on first and third. Rohlfing scored on Farris's sacrifice fly, beating the throw to home to make it 6-1.
Wirfin Obispo came in to pitch the seventh inning for the Indians and also struck out the first batter he saw.
The Indians looked to mount a rally in the top of the eighth. Chris McGuiness scored on a force out and Robert Andino came home on Chase d'Arnaud's single to cut the Wings' lead in half.
Johnson (9-4) left the game to praise from the crowd, having thrown 112 pitches over 7 2/3 innings. He conceded two hits in the first inning and three in the eighth, bookending six hitless frames that included five strikeouts.
The Indians also made a pitching change in the eighth inning, sending Vin Mazzaro to the bump. Mazzaro faced the minimum, capping the inning with a strikeout.
A.J. Achter retired the final four batters of the game, earning his fifth save of the season.
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NOTES: Doug Bernier had three hits in Sunday's game, extending his hit streak to a season-high seven games and earning him his 23rd multi-hit contest this season...Class A Advanced Ft. Myers pitcher Tim Shibuya is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week...in two starts for the Miracle, he went 1-0, 1.29 ERA (14.0 IP, 2 ER) with 11 #istommywatkinscomingbacktotheroc hits allowed, three walks and 11 strikeouts...the 24-year-old has appeared in 26 games (8 starts) for the Miracle, going 7-3, 2.98 ERA (81.2 IP, 27 ER) with 10 walks allowed and 54 strikeouts...he wa drafted in the 23rd round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of California-San Diego |
7/28 vs. IND 7:05 pm RHP Mark Hamburger (2-1, 2.57) vs. TBA WHTK 1280 AM
7/29 vs. LHV 7:05 pm RHP Alex Meyer (5-4, 3.11) vs. RHP Brad Lincoln (5-6, 4.34) WHTK 1280 AM
7/30 vs. LHV 11:05 am RHP Trevor May (8-5, 2.94) vs. LHP Greg Smith (7-8, 4.41) WYSL 1040 AM/92.1 FM
7/31 @ LHV 7:05 pm TBD vs. TBD WHTK 1280 AM
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Pics of the Day |
1990- Mickey Weston struck out a season high 11 while walking only 1 in a 7-1 victory over Columbus. The win, which preserved Weston's perfect season at 10-0, was the Red Wings' 19th in 21 games and extended their IL east lead to 15.5
1937 - In a Tuesday night doubleheader in Buffalo, the Syracuse Chiefs are unable to score a single run. The star of the evening is Bisons hurler Ken Ash, who throws a complete game no-hitter in the first contest to beat the Chiefs 2-0. The curveball artist sails through all seven innings, allowing just two walks while two others reach by error. The victory is the 10 th for Ash on the season. In the nightcap, Buffalo wins 7-0, as Bill Harris defeats Syracuse pitcher Johnny Vander Meer. The doubleheader win is huge for the Bisons, who are battling the Chiefs for the all-important position of 4 th place. As it turns out though, Syracuse would finish the season in 3 rd place (78-74) while the Bisons finished in 5 th place (74-79) and out of the playoffs.
Triple H, 1969...Maya Rudolph, 1972...Alex Rodriguez, 1975.
1890 - Brooklyn's American Association club holds a 13-8 lead over Columbus in the eighth inning at Long Island Grounds on a Sunday game when they run out of baseballs and are forced to forfeit. Brooklyn will win only 26 of 100 games and will disband on August 25.
1978 - The Yankees win the first game of a doubleheader 11-0, but the Indians rebound to win the second game 17-5. Duane Kuiper ties the Major League record with two bases-loaded triples in the nightcap, only the third player (after Bill Bruton and Elmer Valo) to do so in the twentieth century.
1977- Barry Manilow, "Looks Like We Made It" ... 1983- Police, "Every Breath You Take" ... 2003 - Beyonce ft. Jay-Z, "Crazy in Love."