By CRAIG POTTER
Aaron Slegers and Jake Reed combine for a 2-0 shutout against the Chiefs.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – With the Charlestown Chiefs three Hasen brothers in the house for Hockey NIght, the Rochester Red Wings shutout the Syracuse Chiefs, 2-0, before a paid crowd 7,389 at Frontier Field on Saturday night.
Wings starter Aaron Slegers scattered 7 hits over 7.2 innings, striking out 3 hitters as Jake Reed hurled the final 1.1 frames giving up 1 hit.
With the Slap Shot stars here to celebrate the 40th year of the 1977 movie on Hockey Night, the trio (Jeff, Steve, and Jack Hasen) each shot a first pitch using their hockey stick.
Red Wings manager Mike Quade also is a big hockey fan, and the Hasens are from Minnesota.
“I had so much fun with those guys,” Quade said. “I just happen to like that movie and to like those characters. They were great to have here. It’s fun to ask those guys what’s going on, how they got the job and so on and so forth. I find that entertaining, not as entertaining as a 2-0 win. Slegers very good, obviously; no walks, very good. He sustained his strike zone.”
The Syracuse Chiefs actually outhit the Red Wings, 8-3, but Rochester was able to score 2 runs on 1 hit in the fourth.
Niko Goodrum and Tommy Field each reach base via a walk. Syracuse reliever Dustin Antolin uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Goodrum to score from second as Field advanced to third. ByungHo Park delivered a triple to right-center to plate Field.
“I would say that’s about as efficient as you can be with an RBI from Park and a wild pitch,” said Quade. “My pitching coach (Stu Cliburn) is so fond of saying you’ve got to throw a shutout to win, tonight was a pretty good night to do it.”
“I was throwing all my pitches in the zone, change-up, slider, fastball,” said Slegers. “I threw a lot of first-pitch strikes and kept hitters kind of defensive.”
The Wings managed just two hits the rest of the way as the pitchers did the job on the mound.
Rochester left fielder Mitch Garver, continued to play well with a couple of fine catches for the regular catcher. He and John Ryan Murphy split time behind the plate.
The series continues Sunday with a matinee at 1:35 to close out the homestand and the first half of the schedule.
Rochester improved to 48-39 to be 9 games above .500 for the second time this season.
*NOTES – Express Mart Thruway Cup Series: The Red Wings are now 19-7 in the season-long competition for the Thruway Cup versus Syracuse and Buffalo…OF Edgar Corcino was promoted from Double-A Chattanooga Saturday when Red Wings OF Zack Granite was promoted to Minnesota on Friday. Corcino made his Triple-A debut Saturday night, playing right field and going 0-for-3.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – redwingsbaseball.com