Wings win Friday night slugfest
Chris Colabello and Drew Butera homered to help the Red Wings to a wild 12-8 win over the Gwinnett Braves Friday night at Frontier Field. Dan Rohlfing had four of the 16 Rochester hits. The home series continues with a 7:05 p.m. game Saturday, with a cap giveaway and fireworks after the game; the gates open early for every Saturday home game at 5:30 p.m.
Pedro Hernandez took the hill for the Red Wings and made light work of the Braves in the first inning. After Hernandez took care of Gwinnett in the top of the first, the Red Wings faced off against Yohan Flande, who surrendered seven earned runs in just 2/3 inning one week prior against the Wings. Flande had no such trouble in the first inning this time, retiring the Wings in order.
Hernandez did the same, retiring the Braves consecutively in the top of the second inning. After an unsuccessful first inning against Flande, the Wings' bats suddenly sparked in the second inning. Consecutive singles from Colabello and Jeff Clement gave the Wings two runners on with no outs. After a sacrifice bunt by Rohlfing, Doug Bernier continued his recent hot streak with a two-run double to give the Red Wings the early 2-0 lead. Ray Olmedo then reached base via walk, giving the Wings more ducks on the pond. Antoan Richardson ripped a two-run triple down the left field line, giving the Wings a 4-0 lead and Richardson his second triple in as many nights. An RBI single from Eric Farris would cap the offensive explosion for the Wings, who claimed a 5-0 lead through two innings.
The Braves would respond with a run of their own in the third inning, as an RBI single to right field from Tyler Pastornicky put Gwinnett on the board. However, on the same play, Rohlfing made a noteworthy play as he ended the inning by throwing out Todd Cunningham from right field as he attempted to take third base.
With a 5-1 lead in hand, the Wings used a solo home run from Colabello, his 13th of the season, to push their lead to 6-1 through three innings. With the homer, Colabello improved to a scorching 9-for-14 in his last four games.
In the top of the fourth, a solo home run by Joey Terdoslavich cut the Braves' deficit to four, 6-2. A two-run single later in the inning from Jose Yepez cut into the Wings' lead, making the score 6-4.
Shairon Martis relieved Hernandez in the top of the fifth inning and immediately shut down the Braves' 3-4-5 hitters, striking out the side. After Rohlfing singled and Bernier walked to start the bottom of the fifth, Olmedo set down a sacrifice bunt to give Rochester two runners in scoring position with just one out. Flande was then relieved by Ryan Buchter, and the Red Wings didn't give Buchter a warm welcoming. On the first pitch from Buchter, Butera lifted a three-run home run to left field to give Rochester a 9-4 lead.
While the fifth inning was a dominant performance for Martis, the sixth inning didn't go quite as he would have hoped. A bases-clearing double from Yepez keyed a four-run inning for the Braves, who again battled back to cut the deficit to just one, 9-8. Aaron Thompson came on in relief for Martis with two outs in the inning, and while he was able to strike out Ernesto Mejia, it came on a passed ball that reached the back stop, allowing Mejia to reach first via dropped third strike. However, Thompson (1-1) proved resilient as he struck out Terdoslavich three pitches later.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Rohlfing picked up his third hit of the game in the most exciting fashion possible. In what was one of the most exciting plays for the Red Wings this season, Rohlfing looped a hit down the right field line and Terdoslavich attempted to make a diving play in the corner, but was unable to do so. Rohlfing was able to reach third on the play, and due to Terdoslavich having trouble picking up the ball in the right field corner, was able to continue to score score on a head first slide at home plate, giving the Wings an insurance run and a 10-8 lead. The play was scored a triple and an error.
Thompson allowed a leadoff double in the top of the seventh inning, but stifled the Braves after that, escaping the inning unscathed.
Joe Beimel came on in relief in the bottom of the seventh for the Braves, and like Buchter, was not greeted kindly by the Wings as Olmedo hit a leadoff double. Butera then flew out to right field, and Terdoslavich overthrew third base after making the catch. The throw went into the Braves' dugout and Olmedo was two bases on the play, scoring him and increasing the Wings' lead to 11-8.
Rohlfing picked up his fourth hit of the game in the bottom of the eighth, an RBI single that scored pinch runner Brian Dinkelman from second base. The score gave the Wings a four-run cushion going into the top of the ninth, where Michael Tonkin came on in relief to close out the game.
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WINGS, PARTNERS HELPING THE COMMUNITY
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NEXT HOME GAME:
Sat. June 15 - 7:05 p.m. vs. Gwinnett (Braves) GATES OPEN EARLY AT 5:30 P.M.
ESL Federal Credit Union Post-game Fireworks... Cap Giveaway (1st 2,000 fans), presented by Segar and Sciortino, Attorneys at Law... Post-Game Launch-a-Ball, presented by Warm 101.3 and Fickle 93.3 FM, benefitting The Open Door Mission... ... 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:
6/15 vs. GWN 7:05 p.m. RHP Kyle Gibson (6-5, 3.16 ERA) vs. RHP David Hale (1-3, 6.12 ERA) WHTK 1280 AM
6/16 vs. GWN 1:05 p.m. RHP Cole De Vries (1-2, 10.48 ERA) vs Sean Gilmartin (3-6, 5.40 ERA)WHTK 1280 AM
6/17 @ SWB 5:35 p.m. TBA vs TBA WHTK 1280 AM
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Pics of the Day |
This Day in Red Wings History: 1992 - Strong starting pitching paces Wings to comeback win...Despite being out hit by the home Syracuse SkyChiefs 8-7, Rochester was able to defeat Syracuse 4-3. Wings SP Pat Leinen (3-1) was stellar on the hill, allowing only two runs on six hits through seven innings. Offensively, the Wings used timely hitting from shortstop Ricky Gutierrez, who drove in two on an RBI single, and a mammoth 2-run home run off the bat of catcher Mark Parent to beat Syracuse. The Wings trailed 2-0 going into the top of the fifth, before putting two runs on the board to knot the game at 2-all. Then, in the top of the eighth, Rochester took the lead for good, and relievers Jim Lewis and Jim Poole held back the SkyChiefs bats. OF Scott Meadows enjoyed a three-hit game for Rochester, as the Wings improve to 27-32 with the win
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