Littell, Wings blank 'Pigs

Zack Littell was sharp in his Triple-A debut, helping the Rochester Red Wings to an 8-0 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Saturday afternoon at Frontier Field. The homestand concludes with a 1:05 p.m. game Sunday, another Bark in the Park game, a Knot Hole Kids' Club game, plus kids can run the bases with Spikes and Mittsy after every Sunday home game.

Lehigh Valley threatened in the second after Wings starter Littell allowed a pair of walks to begin the frame. The righty then settled in, sitting down the next three batters to come to the plate to end the top half of the inning.
A two out rally in the bottom of the second against IronPigs starter Tom Eshelman allowed Rochester to jump out to an early lead. After Taylor Featherston and James Ramsey singled, Featherston stole third to put runners on the corners. Sean Miller blooped a single between first and right field, scoring Featherston to give the Wings an early 1-0 lead. Jermaine Curtis followed up by singling for the second time of the game, scoring Ramsey to extend the lead to 2-0 after the inning.
Littell, in his Red Wings and Triple-A debut, surrendered a two-out walk in the fourth after retiring the previous eight batters. Joey Meneses followed up with a double, putting runners on second and third. The two out rally was stopped short after Littell struck out Andrew Pullin to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, Featherston walked to begin the inning. After Ramsey singled, Featherston moved to third. The throw to third was cut off and thrown to second where Ramsey caught himself in a rundown. During the play, Joey Meneses was called for obstruction after running into Ramsey, which put men on second and third with no outs.
Two batters later, Curtis was intentionally walked, loading the bases with one away. Leonardo Reginatto singled, scoring both Featherston and Ramsey to give Rochester a 4-0 lead. With Jake Cave at the plate, a passed ball allowed both Curtis and Reginatto to move into scoring position. Cave wrapped a double around the first base bag, bringing the runners in to score, increasing the Rochester lead to 6-0. After Kennys Vargas singled, an error by Pullin allowed for both Vargas and Cave to reach scoring position. Brock Stassi was then intentionally walked, loading the bases for Willians Astudillo with one away. Astudillo flew out which allowed Cave to score, making it 7-0.
Littell went 6.0 innings, allowing no runs on two hits, while striking out six and walking four. Littell threw 98 pitches, 57 were for strikes. Alan Busenitz took over on the mound in the top of the seventh.
Featherston hit his second homer of the season in the seventh inning against Eshelman, making the score 8-0. Eshelman finished with a line of 6.1 innings pitched, with 12 hits and eight runs (six earned) allowed. Eshelman walked four, struck out two, and threw 102 pitches - 71 for strikes.
Busenitz struck out four and allowed a hit in two scoreless relief innings. John Curtiss pitched the ninth inning, allowing a hit, a walk, and wild pitch but worked around the jam to keep the shutout intact. 
Cave had three hits, and Curtis, Featherston, and Ramsey each had a pair of hits. 

VISUALS FROM THE BALLPARK


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
Follow the Wings on Twitter,Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat @RocRedWings


LISTEN/WATCH
LISTENRadio and Webcast information | WATCHMiLB.TV subscription information

THIS DAY IN RED WINGS HISTORY
1976 - the Wings beat the Tidewater Tides 6-2 in the first official meeting of the season between the two clubs. Their winning effort was led by back up catcher Jim Hutto, who belted a 2 run homer and an rbi double. Pitcher Bob Glasso pitched a complete game in the victory
2005 - Mark Malaska came in the sixth and held the Red Wings hitless through three innings, striking out a pair. Rochester had a chance to get back into the game in the top of the third, starting when Rob Bowen led off with a single to center. One out later, Tyner got on with a bunt single and Luis Rodriguez loaded the bases with a base hit that didn't reach the outfield grass. Brent Abernathy got the first Red Wing run across after coaxing a walk out of Narveson, but the tall lefty settled down and retired the next two batters without further damage 
THIS DAY IN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE HISTORY
2007 - Pawtucket scores five times in the top of the 9th inning at Buffalo, seemingly putting the contest out of reach at 14-6. Manager Torey Lovullo's Bisons have other ideas, sending 13 men to the plate in the bottom of the 9th. After the first seven batters reach base and score, a double by Hector Luna ties the game at 14-14. Mike Rose, who plated the first run of the inning when he was hit by a pitch with the bases full, draws a bases-loaded walk in his second at-bat to give the Bisons an improbable 15-14 comeback win. The winning pitcher is infielder Trent Durrington, who walked in two runs before getting the final out in the top of the 9th. In the aftermath, The Sporting News finds that the only nine-run 9th inning comeback in Major League history occurred when Cleveland beat Washington 14-13 in 1901.
BORN ON THIS DAY
1942- Tammy Wynette (American Country Singer) 1970- Juan Acevedo (American Baseball Player) , 1988- Adele (English Singer)
IT HAPPENED THIS DAY
1904 - Boston Pilgrims pitcher Cy Young hurls the second of his three no hitters, a 3-0 perfect game against the Philadelphia Athletics and Rube Waddell. Young will eventually complete 24 straight hitless innings, still the record, and 45 shutout innings in a row, a record until broken by Jack Coombs' 53 scoreless frames in 1910.
1925 - Ty Cobb is 6-for-6, including three home runs, in Detroit's 14-8 win over the Browns. Cobb's 16 total bases tops Joe Hauser's 14 of August 2, 1924.
1978 - Pete Rose singles off Montreal's Steve Rogers for career hit 3,000. The Expos beat the Reds 4-3.
NUMBER ONE SONG ON THIS DAY
1971- Three Dog Night -"Joy to the World ", 1985- Madonna- "Crazy For You ", 1999- Ricky Martin - "Livin' La Vida Loca"