Bernier hit keys Wings win
Doug Bernier's two-run double in the eighth inning rallied the Rochester Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees) RailRiders Sunday afternoon at Frontier Field. With Pawtucket's loss to Buffalo, those two teams are in a virtual tie for the wild card spot while the Wings are just 1 1/2 games out of the wild card spot.
The Wings close the series against the RailRiders on Monday evening with a 7:05 p.m. start. It's the final Season Seat Holder Redemption Game, and the final Kids Eat Free Monday - plus post-game fireworks. Complete promotions details below...
Tyler Duffey started on the mound for the Wings, coming in with with a 2-0 record and 3.00 ERA. The righty last appeared on Tuesday against Buffalo and recorded his second straight quality start. He allowed just two runs on six hits in six innings to pick up his second Triple-A win in as many starts.
His mound opponent, right-hander Zach Nuding, was making his second start against Rochester this season. In his first appearance on May 24, he tossed eight scoreless innings and alllowed just three hits with six strikeouts. In his seven Triple-A starts, however, Nuding has compiled a 1-3 record with a 5.45 ERA.
The RailRiders took an 3-0 early lead in the top of the first inning. Jose Pirela singled to left field then Ramon Flores homered to the Wings' bullpen in right field. Duffey walked Rob Refsnyder, who later scored on a double to the left-center field gap.
Pedro Florimon started the Wings' offense in the first inning by beating out a groundball to shortstop. It looked like the Wings would put two runs on the scoreboard, but Pirela held onto a Josmil Pinto flyball as he ran into the left-center field wall.
Daniel Ortiz closed in on the RailRiders' lead with a solo home run, also to the Wings' bullpen, to make it 3-1 in the second inning. It was Ortiz's eighth homer of the year. Eric Farris and Aaron Hicks strung together two singles, but James Beresford left the pair on base by striking out looking.
The Wings set up another chance to catch up to the RailRiders in the third inning. Pinto started a two-out rally with a walk and Chris Colabello followed up with a single to center field. Ortiz, however, popped out to center field to end the inning and that opportunity.
Since the four-hit, three-run first inning, Duffey settled down, holding the RailRiders to one hit with three walks and three strikeouts through the fourth inning. Lester Oliveros came in to replace Duffey on the mound at the top of the fifth inning. Oliveros also didn't get off to a great start, allowing a double down the right-field line and a walk, but then he retired three in a row, including two strikeouts.
Oliveros gave up just one hit in the top of the sixth inning before Chris Herrmann made a good defensive play in right field, throwing out Pirela, who was aggressively running for home. That would be the extent of Oliveros' time on the mound for the day. In two innings, he allowed three hits and one walk with two strikeouts.
Chase Whitley came in to pitch for the RailRiders in the bottom of the sixth. Ortiz sparked the Wings' offense with a single to right field and Farris continued the trend with a single of his own to center field. Hicks and Bernier, however, both struck out and Beresford grounded out right back to the pitcher. The RailRiders still led 3-1.
It was a quick 1-2-3 top of the seventh when Aaron Thompson took the mound. The southpaw struck out Refsnyder, but allowed a single. The Wings then turned a double play. Both pitchers retired three straight opponents from the bottom of the seventh to the top of the eighth.
The RailRiders sent in Nick Rumbelow in the bottom of the eighth. Colabello led off with a single to right field that landed in front of a diving Flores. Colabello made it around the bases after an Ortiz groundout, and a Farris single up the middle. Hicks walked, and Bernier drilled a double over the head of Pirela in center - bringing home Farris and Hicks for a 4-3 Wings lead. Beresford doubled off the wall in right field, bringing in Bernier to make it 5-3.
The RailRiders took Rumbelow out after the Beresford hit, replacing him with Edgmer Escalona. Florimon flew out to left for out number two, then Escalona walked Herrmann to put runners at first and second with two out. Escalona caught Pinto looking at a third strike to end the inning.
Stephen Pryor came in the top of the ninth to close for the Wings. With two outs, Flores homered to right field, but the Wings persevered, winning 5-4.
|
NOTES: The 2014 Frontier Field Walk of Fame class was honored on the field before Sunday's game... The Wings starters who have allowed at least one home run in 13 of the last 15 games...Single-A Cedar Rapids pitcher Jake Reed is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week...Reed made three appearances for the Kernels, tossing 4.0 shutout innings with no hits allowed no walks and six strikeouts while earning two saves...the Twins fifth round pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft has made 18 appearances for Cedar Rapids and Elizabethton combined, going 3-0, 0.32 ERA (28.0 IP, 1 ER) with two walks and 37 strikeouts...The Rookie-level Appalachian League named its 2014 All-Star Team Friday night, and Elizabethton Twins' Nick Gordon was named the shortstop, Max Murphy was named an outfielder, Felix Jorge was named right-handed pitcher and Ray Smith was named Manager...Minnesota-native Murphy hit .378 (45-for-119) with 10 home runs and 26 RBI in 35 games and also earned Appy League Player of the Year honors...Jorge went 4-2, 2.29 ERA (63.0 IP, 16 ER) with 13 walks and 56 strikeouts in 11 starts and also earned Appy League Pitcher of the Year honors. |
8/25 vs. SWB 7:05 pm RHP Alex Meyer (6-6, 3.43) vs. RHP Bryan Mitchell (4-2, 4.15) WHTK 1280 AM
8/27 @ SYR 7:00 pm LHP Kris Johnson (9-7, 3.60) vs. TBA WHTK 1280 AM
8/28 @ SYR 7:00 pm LHP Logan Darnell (6-6, 3.66) vs. TBA WHTK 1280 AM
Messenger Post Media presents THE PICS OF THE DAY.
Click here for batting practice shots, pre-game on-field promotions like the Zweigle's Honorary Coach and Toyota Play Ball Kid, Anthem and first pitch, and in-game action shots from our talented staff of photographers.
Instagram: Follow RocRedWings on your smartphone.
Web: check us out on Webstagram RocRedWings
MORE COVERAGE:
DemocratandChronicle.com Sports
"Extra Bases" - beat writer Jim Mandelaro's blog
CONNECT WITH THE CLUB:
Official Facebook | Official Blog "Wings Things" | Official Twitter
Mon. Aug. 25 - 7:05 p.m. vs. Scranton/WB (Yankees)
New Plymouth Ave. Ticket Office open for this game at 5:30 p.m., click here for more information on the new Plymouth Ave. Ticket Office
Post-Game Fireworks presented by ESL Federal Credit Union...FREE Cooler Bags (1st 1,000 fans) presented by Your Local Toyota Dealers...FREE Francisco Liriano Magnets (1st 2,500 fans) presented by WARM 101.3...Mascot Night a wild and wacky assortment of area mascots will team up for a fun kickball game on the field before the game...Food Special: Chicken Parm Dinner at Black Angus...Kids Eat Free...Find out more about the new DD Perks rewards program from Dunkin' Donuts at the concourse information table....Final Season Seat Holder Redemption Game last chance for unused season seat tickets to be exchanged for Reserved seat tickets ...Pre-Game Autograph Booth, presented by Hillside Family of Agencies. 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.
Click here to order tickets online for this game.
Click here for group, picnic and party suite information for this game.
HOME GAME PROMOTIONS - RedWingsBaseball.com/Fun
Complete updated 2014 home game promotion info and ticket links anytime at RedWingsBaseball.com/Fun
LISTEN Radio and Webcast information | WATCH MiLB.TV subscription information
| QUICK LINKS |
|
Pics of the Day |
2005 - J.D. Durbin tossed five scoreless innings in his first start since June 29, part of a five-pitcher shutout in the Red Wings' 4-0 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Wednesday night. Luis Maza had a pair of doubles to pace the Rochester offense. The Wings finished the eight-game road trip with a 4-4 record, and head home for four games starting Thursday night at Frontier Field. Rochester trails first place Buffalo by two games in the IL North Standings.
1971 - Outfielder Chris Coletta spent over a decade in professional baseball, though he would play only 14 games in the Major Leagues (coming in 1972 with California). The highlight of his long Minor League career occurred on August 25, 1971, as the veteran established a Louisville baseball record that has never been broken. Coletta has a field day against Winnipeg pitching, scorching the Whips for six hits to lead the Colonels to victory. His club record of six hits would eventually be equaled by Mark Budzinski on June 6, 2003 in an 18-inning game.
Rod Redwing, 1904...Cal Ripken Jr., 1960...Rupert Grint, 1988.
1957 - The Dodgers use eight pitchers in one game, tying a major league record. Johnny Podres gives up three home runs in the third, including Hank Aaron's first grand slam.
2006 - Sean Casey probably becomes the first player in baseball history to ground out to left field. The unique 5-7-3 play is the result of the batter starting to head back to the dugout, believing he was robbed of a hit, when the ball actually glanced off White Sox third baseman Joe Crede's glove reaching left fielder Pablo Ozuna, whose throw to first base just beats the runner to the bag.
1954 - Crew-Cuts "Sh-Boom"... 1979 - Knack "My Sharona"... 2004 - Terror Squad, "Lean Back".