Wings wallop Herd 14-5
Clete Thomas drove in five runs, and Chris Colabello had four hits to lead the Red Wings to a wild, windy 14-5 win over Buffalo Sunday afternoon at Frontier Field. The two teams combined for 93 hits in the season opening, four-game series. The Wings travel to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Pawtucket for eight days starting Monday, and return home to host those teams beginning Monday, April 15.
Rochester starter Virgil Vazquez was making his first Triple-A start since 2010, after spending the past two seasons pitching in independent leagues. Vazquez, who brought a career 37-23 career Triple-A record into Sunday's game, allowed just a single in a scoreless first inning against the Bisons; Buffalo came into the game as the league's best hitting team so far.
The Wings jumped out to an early lead against Tyler Brummett. Brian Dinkelman, batting leadoff for the first time this season, singled off Brummett (0-1) to begin the bottom of the first. It was the start of an inning in which the Wings batted around, racking up just three hits and taking advantage of three walks, a wild pitch and an error. It all added up to a 5-0 lead, and a a first inning exit for Brummett after he threw 38 pitches.
After getting two quick outs in the second inning, Eugenio Velez connected off Vazquez (1-0) for a long home run over the Power Alley Grille party suite to get the Bisons on the scoreboard. Jim Negrych followed with a homer, to make it a 5-2 game
The Wings continued their great start in the bottom of the second inning when Brandon Boggs singled and Oswaldo Arcia doubled to score Boggs from first. Colabello hit a two-run home to deep center field which brought in Arcia, making the lead 8-2. The Wings added two more runs and batted around again, to take a 10-2 lead.
Through five innings, Vazquez had allowed five hits but three were solo home runs. Andy LaRoche connected in the fourth inning, which made the score 10-3.
Boggs hit his first home run of the season off Mickey Storey in the bottom of the fifth inning, a shot off the ESL Federal Credit Union sign on the right field scoreboard.
Vazquez went six innings, giving up eight hits and four runs which were all home runs, the last coming in the top of the sixth by LaRoche, his second of the game.
Mike O'Connor came in to replace Vazquez in the top of the seventh, giving up a run to make the score 11-5.
The hits kept coming for the Wings when Colabello got his fourth hit of the day in the bottom of the seventh. The next batter, Thomas, hit a three-run home run to right center field extending the lead to 14-5.
O'Connor struck out three in two relief innings, and Anthony Slama pitched a scoreless ninth for Rochester.
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NOTES: The Wings won Sunday to avoid starting the season 0-4; the last Rochester club to begin the season with four straight losses was the 1978 team...The Twins optioned LHP Tyler Robertson to Rochester after their game Saturday night...C Drew Butera (DL, left hand) will head to the Twins' complex in Fort Myers Monday to continue his rehab...Former Wings player and coach Floyd Rayford was in attendance as a guest. Check out the Pics of the Day, presented by Messenger Post Media, to see Floyd with Wings players and other photos from today. |
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UP NEXT:
Mon. April 15 - 7:05 p.m. vs. Scranton W/B (Yankees)
Basch & Nickerson LLP Kids Eat Free (1st 500 kids 12 & under will receive a hot dog, soda & snack item)... Hillside Family of Agencies Pre-Game Autograph Booth Meet a different Red Wings player each game, signing free autographs... 6:25 pm-6:45 pm prior to 7:05 pm games; 5:25-5:45 p.m. prior to 6:05 games; 2:55 pm- 3:15 pm prior to 3:35 pm games; 12:25 pm-12:45 pm prior to 1:05 pm games.
PROBABLE STARTERS:
4/8 @ SWB 6:35 pm LHP Andrew Albers (First Appearance) vs. RHP Chris Bootcheck (2-5, 4.06 ERA with TOL in '12) WHTK
4/9 @ SWB 6:35 pm RHP P.J. Walters (0-1, 11.25) vs. LHP Vidal Nuno (0-0, 3.86) WHTK
4/10 @ SWB 6:35 pm RHP Kyle Gibson (0-0, 1.80) vs. RHP Dellin Betances (0-0, 4.50) WHTK
4/11 @ PAW 7:05 pm RHP Shane Martis (0-1, 6.00) vs. TBA WHTK
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Pics of the Day |
This Day in Red Wings History: On April 7, 1976, the Baltimore Orioles broke training camp with a 5-2, seven inning victory over the Red Wings in Miami, Fl. All five Orioles runs were scored in a fifth inning explosion against pitcher Ross Grimsley.
This Day in IL Baseball History: In 2005, Red Sox ace and former Red Wing Curt Schilling opens the 2005 campaign with Pawtucket, rehabbing from an injury. The team unlucky enough to face him on Opening Day is the Indianapolis Indians. The Tribecounters with their own ace, lefty Zach Duke. To the surprise of the 10,150 fans at Victory Field, it is the Indianapolis offensive attack that steals the show. Schilling is tagged for seven earned runs oneleven hits in 6.0 IP, including home runs off the bat of DH Edwards Guzman and C Ryan Doumit. Duke, while not dominant, holds the PawSox to three runs in 5.0 IP, good enough to earn the victory in his Triple-A debut. Schilling takes the loss in the 7-5 affair, and all told he would go 0-2 with a 6.63 ERA in six appearances with Pawtucket in 2005. Duke would finish the year 12-3 with a 2.92 ERA and was named IL's most valuable pitcher.
Born on This Day: 1964 - Russell Crowe... 1954 - Jackie Chan.
It Happened This Day in Baseball: 1969- After throwing the first two pitches of the season, Don Drysdale finds himself and his team trailing the Reds, 2-0. The L.A. right-hander, after giving up back-to-back homers to Pete Rose and Bobby Tolan, settles down and the Dodgers come back to win the game, 3-2. 1973 - The Indians set an Opening Day American League attendance mark. A crowd of 74,420 watches Gaylord Perry go the the distance when the Tribe trim the Tigers at Cleveland Stadium, 2-1.
#1 Song on This Day: 1971 "Wooden Heart" Elvis Presley... 1980 "Another Brick in the Wall (part II)"Pink Floyd... 1964 "Can't Buy Me Love" The Beatles.