By Craig Potter
Three Rochester pitchers shut out Pawtucket, 3-0, on a combined 1-hitter.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester Red Wings utilized stopper Jose Berrios to help end their 4-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory over the Pawtucket Red Sox on Tuesday night before 5,421 fans at Frontier Field.
Berriors (7-3) pitched 7 innings as he had a no-hitter going through 6 frames. Jantzen White broke up the no-hitter with a 1-out double in the seventh.
“I tried not to think about the no-hitter,” Berrios said with a smile. “I did great.”
Berrios also likes being in the position of being the stopper when the team needs one. He struck out 6, all on off-speed pitches.
“When you throw off-speed for strikes you do better and you’ve got more confidence in your mind,” said Berrios.
“The off-speed game is going to be huge for him in the future because guys hit 95 like in their sleep,” said Red Wings manager Mike Quade. “The fact that you possess that makes them make decisions on the off-speed stuff a lot more.
“If you can’t get your off-speed stuff over when you’re behind in the hitter’s count, you’re asking for trouble.”
Even if Berrios had a no-hitter going into the eighth or ninth innings, because he had a 34-pitch fourth inning, Quade would not have let him finish the game because he wanted to keep his pitch count under 90.
In an effort the break routine in hopes of snapping the losing skid, the Quade canceled batting practice. It was a technique he learned while coaching with Lou Piniella in Chicago when the Cubs tried to break a losing streak.
“I’ve seen it done so many times,” Quade said. “Guys come, get dressed and play…Guys are fresh and ready to play.”
Eddie Rosario broke his 0-for-22 slump with a single in the third inning and gave a pumped fist while running down the first base line. Quade also changed his order in the lineup from fourth to fifth as he switched with Kennys Vargas.
Rochester took a 2-0 lead in the second when Vargas beat out a bunt. With one out, Tommy Field walked, and with 2 gone Logan Schafer walked to load the bases for John Ryan Murphy. The Red Wing catcher laced a single to plate Vargas and Field.
Minnesota Twins slugger Miguel Sano, who is here on a rehab assignment, belted his second solo homer in 2 days for the final run in the fifth.
Pitcher Marcus Walden hurled the eighth, and Trevor May, who also is here on a rehab assignment, threw in the ninth and retired all 3 batters, including 2 via strikeout, to earn his first save of his career.
“We played well defensively,” Quade said.
The victory keeps Rochester (46-32) 1 game behind Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (47-31) for first place in the International League North Division. Lehigh Valley (45-33) dropped out of a tie with the Wings for second place following the IronPigs loss on Tuesday.
*NOTES – Just prior to the start of the game, a squirrel scurried across the ledge in front of the press box, which startled everyone as we all wondered where did it come from? We also took it as an omen that the losing streak may end, which it did…Minnesota Twins INF/OF Miguel Sano played his fifth game of a rehab assignment, playing third base and going 1-for-4 at the plate with the homer and two strikeouts…The series concludes with a matinee game on Wednesday before Syracuse come in for a twinbill Thursday starting at 6:05 p.m…Aquinas graduate Chris Bostick of Chili belted his first Triple-A home run, a 2-run shot for the Chiefs Tuesday night as he will be playing his first pro game against the Red Wings on Thursday.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – redwingsbaseball.com
Videos
Jose Berrios interview – https://youtu.be/WtgKkNZvPrI
Manager Mike Quade interview – https://youtu.be/WtgKkNZvPrI