By Nick Sciarratta and Ben Blakely / Rochester Red Wings
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Pawtucket Red Sox defeated the Rochester Red Wings 17-5 Friday night before a crowd of 3,107 at Frontier Field. The series continues Saturday afternoon at 1:05 pm.
On a windy, cold night that included a 10-minute pre-game delay after day-long rain, Red Wings starter Chase De Jong struggled in the top of the first. After a walk, Pawtucket recorded two RBI doubles in a row and an RBI single, giving the Red Sox a 3-0 lead. A wild pitch and a two-RBI single extended their lead to 6-0.
Rochester made a call to the bullpen after the single, bringing in Ryan Eades. De Jong finished with 0.1 innings pitched, giving up four hits and seven earned runs. He walked three and threw 33 pitches, 17 for strikes.
Pawtucket’s offense continued to hit, as an RBI double and RBI single built the lead to 8-0.
In the top of the second, the Red Sox added eight more runs off Eades and DJ Baxendale. Eades finished with 1.1 innings pitched, giving up seven earned runs. He walked four and struck out three.
Rochester got on the board in the bottom half of the second against Pawtucket starter Ryan Weber. With two outs, Zander Wiel recorded the first Wings triple of the season and later scored on a passed ball, making the score 16-1. Tomas Telis followed Wiel with a solo homer to right-center field, making the score 16-2. The home run was Telis’ third of the season.
The Wings made their third call to the bullpen with one out in the top of the third, bringing in Tyler Duffey. Baxendale lasted 0.2 innings, giving up three earned runs and walking one.
Pawtucket scored another run in the third, which was charged to Baxendale, making the score 17-2.
Andrew Vasquez replaced Duffey on the mound in the top of the sixth. Duffey recorded 2.2 innings of scoreless ball, giving up two hits, walking two and striking out four Red Sox.
Jeremy Bleich came into the game with one out in the bottom of the seventh to relieve Weber. Weber pitched 6.1 innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs. He walked one and struck out three, throwing 93 pitches, 62 for strikes.
The Wings gained two more runs in the seventh, as Wiel picked up his fifth home run of the year, a two-run shot to center field, making the score 17-4.
Austin Adams worked the eighth and ninth innings for the Red Wings, walking one and racking up four strikeouts.
Ronald Torreyes drove in a run in the ninth inning for the Red Wings.
Telis had three of the Red Wings’ 11 hits.
*NOTES — Jake Cave made his Red Wings debut Friday after being optioned from Minnesota, going 0-for-4..Jordany Valdespin was ejected by home plate umpire Brennan Miller after Valdespin was called out on strikes in the eighth inning.