Zeuch no-hits Wings in series opener

Buffalo Bisons right-hander T.J. Zeuch pitched a no-hitter in a 3-0 win over the Rochester Red Wings Monday evening at Frontier Field. The win puts second place Buffalo two games ahead of the Wings in the IL North Division standings, with Rochester now sitting in fourth place.
The Wings continue the second of the four-game series tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. as Food Week continues at Frontier Field along with a t-shirt giveaway.

Box Score: Click here for the box score and play-by-play narrative.

Wings starter Griffin Jax cruised through the top of the first with a 1-2-3 inning, picking up two strikeouts.
Rochester gained their first - and what turned out to be the first of only two - baserunner against Zeuch in the bottom of the third on a two-out walk by Mike Miller . Miller did not advance in the inning, as Ian Miller flew out to left to end the inning.
Jax continued to shut down the Bisons until Jonathan Davis recorded a lead-off single to start the top of the fourth. The single ended Jax's consecutive out streak at nine. After the hit, Jax composed another 1-2-3 inning to stop the scoring opportunity for Buffalo.
The Wings offense continued to stay silent in the bottom of the fourth, as the Zeuch recorded his third 1-2-3 inning of the evening.
Buffalo broke through in the top of the fifth off Jax on an RBI single by Santiago Espinal, giving the Bisons a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Buffalo loaded the bases with two outs, looking for more. Jax forced a Sócrates Brito ground out to first to keep the game 1-0.
Rochester still could not break through off Zeuch, going down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, continuing the no-hitter for the Bisons.
The Wings made a pitching change before the top of the seventh, bringing in Sam Clay . Jax finished with one earned run over 6.0 inning pitched. The start was Jax's best of the three he has made since being promoted from Double-A Pensacola, After giving up a lead-off single, Clay recorded two ground outs and a strikeout to keep the score 1-0.
Buffalo extended their lead off Clay in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by Andy Burns and a sacrifice fly by Beau Taylor, making the score 3-0. Fernando Romero came in for Clay after the sac fly, recording a strikeout and a fly out to end the inning. Clay finished with 1.1 innings, giving up three hits and two earned runs with one strikeout.
Zeuch continued to shut the Wings offense down in the bottom of the eighth, who came into the evening with an International League leading .279 batting average, recording two fly outs and a strikeout in the inning.
After Romero got out of a runner on third base with two outs situation, the Wings looked to avoid being no hit for the first time since September 3rd, 2006 against former Red Wings pitcher Jeremy Cummings, who pitched for Scranton/WB.
Mike Miller grounded out to third base for the first out of the bottom of the ninth. With a 3-1 count, Ian Miller ripped a line drive to center field that looked to be a sure single. Jonathan Davis had other plans, laying out to make a shoelace diving catch to preserve the no-hitter. Zeuch put his hands on his head after the miraculous catch. With one out needed, Drew Maggi bounced a weak grounder back to Zeuch, who took his time and flipped it to first basemen Jordan Patterson. Zeuch's no hitter is the first for the Bisons since Bartolo Colon on June 20th, 1997 vs New Orleans.
Zeuch walked one, hit a batter, and struck out three. He threw 114 pitches, 73 for strikes. The Blue Jays' first round pick in 2016, Zeuch made his 11th Triple-A start for Buffalo on Monday.

THIS DAY IN RED WINGS HISTORY
1976 - Four Red Wings shined in an 8-5 victory by the IL all-stars over the Houston Astros. Pitchers Dennis Martinez and Scott McGregor combined for 2 and 1/3 perfect innings, and SS Kiko Garcia hit a two run double in the eighth inning. Defensively, Garcia and 2B Rich Dauer were responsible for the IL stars only two double plays.
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