Wings top PawSox in series opener

The Rochester Red Wings defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox 6-4 Friday night at Frontier Field. The win helped the Wings maintain their two-game lead over Lehigh Valley for the wild card playoff spot, with three games remaining for both teams. The Red Wing host Pawtucket again Saturday at 6:05 p.m., with fireworks after the game.

The Red Wings jumped out in front in the bottom of the first inning off PawSox starting pitcher Brian Johnson. ByungHo Park hit a two-run shot over the left field fence to give the Wings an early 2-0 advantage. It was Park's 14th home run of the season.
The Wings added to their lead in the bottom of the second inning. Matt Hague ripped a double down the left field line scoring Leonardo Reginatto and J.B. Shuck. Levi Michael added a sacrifice fly to score Tommy Field which pushed the lead to 5-0.
Pawtucket answered back in the top of the third. Back-to-back singles by Jake Romanski and Tzu-Wei Lin set the table for Brian Bogusevic who delivered a three-run home run off Wings starting pitcher Aaron Slegers trimming the lead to 5-3.
Johnson worked six innings, allowing seven hits, five earned runs and a walk while striking out four. He threw 102 pitches, 64 for strikes. In the bottom of the seventh against reliever Kyle Martin, a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with Wings. Martin struck out Daniel Palka, but Park's sacrifice fly allowed Field to slide home with the sixth run of the game. On the play, pinch-runner Engelb Vielma slipped trying to evade a tag advancing to third base; Vielma was helped off the field with an apparent ankle injury.
Slegers pitched 6.2 innings, allowing six hits and three runs. He walked one, and struck out 10 for the second consecutive start. Slegers threw 92 pitches, 66 for strikes. Mason Melotakis finished up the seventh inning, and Dietrich Enns pitched two innings as part of his rehab assignment with the Red Wings. Enns struck out three and allowed a home run to Matt Dominguez that made the score 6-4. Alex Wimmers came on with two outs and one on in the ninth inning,  
The Wings out hit the PawSox 9-8. 
The Wings are an IL-leading 56-15 when scoring first this season.
Winning Pitcher: Slegers (15-4)
Losing Pitcher: Johnson (3-4)
Save: Wimemrs (7)
Box Score - Click here for the box score and play-by-play narrative.

NEXT HOME GAME

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 (6:05 PM) vs. PAWTUCKET RED SOX (Red Sox)

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UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHERS
9/2 vs PAW 6:05 pm RHP Felix Jorge (0-1, 4.60) vs RHP Hector Velazquez (8-4, 2.23)
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9/4 vs PAW 1:35 pm TBA vs LHP Jalen Beeks (6-6, 3.66)
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THIS DAY IN RED WINGS HISTORY

2005 - The Red Wings dropped both ends of Thursday night's doubleheader against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, losing 2-1 in the opener and 6-5 in the second game. Todd Dunwoody had two hits and the lone Rochester RBI in the first game, and Luis Rodriguez and Brian Buchanan homered for the Wings in game two.

2006 - Glenn Williams had a homer and two RBI, and Mike Smith combined with two relievers on a shutout to lead the Rochester Red Wings to a 3-0 win over the Buffalo Bisons Friday night at Frontier Field, in front of a crowd of 10,385. The win, combined with Toledo's loss Friday night, gave the Red Wings their first playoff berth since 1997.
THIS DAY IN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE HISTORY

2003 - The playoff-bound Louisville Bats look to end the regular season on a high note against their division foes from Columbus. The Bats do just that - scoring a franchise record 21 runs on the final afternoon of the season. Louisville, who finishes 79-64 (3.5 games ahead of 2nd place Columbus) trounce the Clippers 21-4 in front of 8,612 fans at Louisville Slugger Field. Outfielder Michael Coleman, who had split most of his season between the Mexican League and independent baseball before being signed by the Reds in mid-August, is the hero on this day for Louisville. Coleman goes 3-4 with a double, a homer, 3 RBI, and four runs scored. First baseman Calvin Pickering, signed from the Mexican League August 4, adds a homer and 3 RBI. Despite the strong finish, Louisville would be knocked out in the first round of the Governors' Cup Playoffs by Durham.
BORN ON THIS DAY
1923 - Rocky Marciano, American heavyweight champion boxer (1952-56)... 1957 - Gloria Estefan [Fajardo], Cuban-American singer (Miami Sound Machine-Conga) ... 1981 - Clinton Portis, American football player
IT HAPPENED THIS DAY
1989 - Eight days after banning Pete Rose from baseball for life, Commissioner Bart Giamatti dies suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 51.
1998 - Mark McGwire broke Hack Wilson's sixty-eight year-old National League record for home runs in a season, hitting his 56th and 57th in the St. Louis Cardinals' victory over the Florida Marlins.
NUMBER ONE SONG ON THIS DAY
1942 - Kay Kyser, "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle" 1956 - Elvis Presley, "Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog" 2001 - Alicia Keys, "Fallin'"