Rochester belts 2 solo homers in the 3-1 win against the PawSox.
By Mike Monaco
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Rochester Red Wings starter Aaron Slegers carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Red Wings downed the Pawtucket Red Sox, 3-1, on Saturday afternoon at McCoy Stadium.
Slegers eventually allowed a run on three hits over 7.1 innings, as the Red Wings (17-14) won a third straight game in the four-game set and handed the PawSox (15-17) their fourth consecutive loss. Pawtucket, which brought the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth but could not convert, has scored seven combined runs during the four-game skid.
The 6-foot-10 Slegers (W, 3-3) used his sinker-slider mix to stymie the PawSox. The former Indiana Hoosier struck out five and didn’t allow a hit until Pawtucket first baseman Steve Selsky smacked an opposite-field single with one out in the bottom of the seventh.
Pawtucket starter Héctor Velázquez (L, 2-1) took the hard-luck loss. The righty from Mexico allowed a pair of runs in seven innings of seven-hit ball with no walks and three strikeouts. Velázquez extended his streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 21.1 before he allowed a solo home run to begin the fifth. He threw 96 pitches (69 for strikes), and his season ERA now sits at a meager 1.55.
Rehabbing Red Sox INF/OF Brock Holt (vertigo) played third base for a second consecutive game. After logging five innings Friday, Holt played the entire game Saturday. He went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts and a couple of groundouts to second base, while making four routine plays at third (including a trio of popups).
Rochester right-handed reliever Alan Busenitz (S, 1) secured the save in the bottom of the ninth.
Both teams traded zeroes into the fifth, when Red Wings catcher Mitch Garver led off the top half of the inning by launching a towering solo home run to left field.
The bottom of the Rochester order produced back-to-back doubles in the seventh inning, as third baseman Leonardo Reginatto plated left fielder Ben Paulsen to make it 2-0.
In the eighth, Red Wings designated hitter ByungHo Park teed off on his first long ball of the season – a solo blast to left-center that extended the gap to 3-0.
The PawSox, however, threatened in the eighth. Second baseman Ryan Court, who was activated off the disabled list before the game after missing the last two weeks with a right foot fracture, clobbered a solo home run to left-center to trim the margin to 3-1. Then right fielder Bryce Brentz (lineout to short), catcher Dan Butler (ground-rule double) and center fielder Rusney Castillo (line drive off the pitcher) all made hard contact, but the PawSox couldn’t inch closer.
In the bottom of the ninth, PawSox designated hitter Sam Travis and left fielder Allen Craig both worked two-out walks, but Court struck out to end the comeback bid.
The PawSox conclude their seven-game homestand against Rochester on Saturday at 1:35 p.m. at McCoy Stadium. Rehabbing Red Sox lefty David Price (left elbow strain) is scheduled to oppose Red Wings righty Kyle Gibson (0-1, 4.50).