Monday SportsROC Report
Rochester Red Wings began a 7-game road trip with a 7-0 victory over the Indianapolis Indians on Memorial Day.
Red Wings starting pitcher Jason Wheeler (4-1) worked 8 shutout innings to guide Rochester to the easy victory over the Tribe.
Jorge Polanco plated the Red Wings’ first run in the third on a base hit that deflected off Duncan before heading to Gift Ngoepe at short.
Polanco added another RBI in the fifth on a lined single to center as Rochester scored two in the frame. He went 3-for-5 in the game.
Max Kepler returned to the Wings lineup and was 2-for-4. Wilfredo Tovar also has 2 hits for the Wings.
Rochester (29-22) moved into a tie for first place in the International League North Division with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (29-22) as the Yankees lost to Durham.
Additionally, Rochester outfielder Byron Buxton has been named International League Batter of the Week, the league office announced Monday.
Buxton led the league with eight runs scored, seven extra-base hits, 23 total bases, a 1.045 slugging percentage and a 1.564 OPS in six games during the period. The Baxley, GA native also tied for the IL lead with three home runs and finished tied for third with six RBI. In 22 games this month, Buxton is batting .372 (32-for-86) with seven doubles, a triple, six home runs, 23 runs scored, 14 RBI with a .443 on-base percentage.
Buxton reached base safely leading off the first inning in all six games during the week and also scored in the opening inning of each game. He homered in all three games of the Indianapolis series that began Tuesday, the first time he’s hit home runs in three straight games in his career. The second overall pick in 2012 also collected at least one RBI in five of the six contests.
With the Red Wings, Buxton is batting .333 (38-for-114) with nine doubles, two triples, six home runs, 26 runs scored and 14 RBI in 28 games this season. He’s also reached base at a .402 clip and has a 1.007 OPS.
Buxton is the third Red Wing in a row to earn a league award after outfielder Adam Brett Walker and left-hander Andrew Albers were honored the last two weeks. Rochester had eight players receive weekly league awards last season.
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A late goal in stoppage time allowed the Rochester Rhinos to salvage a 2-2 tie against Bethlehem Steel to extend their unbeaten streak at Rhinos Stadium to 24 games. It was the first meeting in history between the two clubs.
The 9-minutes amount of stoppage time due to the unexpected Rochester heat on Saturday. In the fifth minute of stoppage, Joe Farrell managed a header that found its way into the back of the net.
The Rhinos’ home unbeaten run is 20-0-4, that also includes last year’s 3 postseason wins.
Rochester moved to 4-2-3 (15 points) and 3-0-2 at home, while Bethlehem is to 3-3-4 (13 points).
In the first 13 minutes, the Rhinos came out strong with a goal by defender Joe Farrell on Steel’s goalkeeper Samir Badr who has not played since pre-season.
Bethlehem tied the game 1-1 with a penalty kick taken by Richter.
In the 38th minute the Rhinos had an aggressive attack that ended in Dos Santos finding the back of the net, but it was called off sides and the score remained 1-1.
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The Rochester Rattlers (1-3) took on the Chesapeake Bayhawks (3-2) in their first home game in their new home field, Wegman’s Sports Complex at Aquinas Institute, on Sunday.
Playing in front of nearly 1,200 fans at Wegman’s Sports Complex in close to 90 degree heat, the Rattlers continued their high energy, taking the lead after the first quarter and extending it throughout the length of the game.
Coming out of the 2016 NLL season where he played for the Georgia Swarm, Jesse King dressed for his second game of the 2016 MLL season for the Rattlers and recorded 7 points on 5 goals and 2 assists against Chesapeake.
Penfield native Kyle Denhoff collected 2 goals for the Rattlers.
For the Bayhawks, Irondequoit native Joe Walters had 1 goal and 1 assist.
The Rattlers play the Ohio Machine on June 2, at 7:30 p.m. at Wegman’s Sports Complex.