Rochester posts another shutout as the Red Wings allowed just 1 run to the PawSox in the series.
By CRAIG POTTER
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings posted a 3-0 shutout over the Pawtucket Red Sox on Sunday afternoon before 4,890 fans at Frontier Field.
Pitcher Aaron Slegers won his 5th game in 6 decisions, to tie for the International League lead in wins this season. The big righthander hurled 7 innings, scattering 5 hits and striking out 5 as he lowered his ERA to 1.97.
“When they didn’t score that’s good for us,” said Red Wings manager Joel Skinner. “Slegers (threw) 7 strong innings.”
The Red Wings should have scored a run in the first when Ryan Lamarre ripped a 2-out single. PawSox starter Marcus Walden attempted a pickoff throw, but was wide of the bag. The ball hit umpire Jeremy Riggs, who was standing behind and up the line a few feet. The ball bounced back near first baseman Jordan Betts as Lamarre had to remain at first base.
Kennys Vargas followed with a single to right, which would have scored Lamarre, who had to stop at third. A groundout ended the threat.
Rochester did break the scoreless tie in the fourth. Willians Astudillo was hit by a pitch with one out. He stole second and scampered home on Nick Buss’s double to left-center.
In the fifth, Zack Granite beat out a bunt single and stole second to start the inning. With one gone, Vargas cashed in with a RBI single to right for a 2-0 lead.
Nick Buss tacked on an insurance run with a 418-foot homer over the right field fence.
Tyler Duffey hurled the final 2 frames, giving up 1 hit and fanning 4 batters.
The Red Wings limited the PawSox to just 1 run in the 3-game series.
“You have to give our pitchers a lot of credit,” said Skinner as the team has won 11 of its last 14 games.
“Our guys have been throwing the ball well, and nice clean defense with some timely hitting.”
Minnesota Twins’ Miguel Sano, who went on the disabled list on May 1, retroactive to April 28, because of a strained left hamstring. He is on a rehab assignment here and played third base for 5 innings. He went 0-for-2 with a walk.
“I will play two more games and then go back to Minnesota,” Sano said. “I’m 100 percent right now.
“Injury is more common with players who play hard. If I have a chance, I run hard. I never get afraid to get an injury. People that never get injured are the people that never played the game (hard).”
*NOTES — The Minnesota Twins have named Double-A outfielder Brent Rooker and Single-A Cedar Rapids right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol Twins minor league Player and Pitcher of the Week. In 7 games, Rooker hit .323 (10-for31) with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 8 RBI, 7 runs scored and a .333 on-base percentage. The former Mississippi State outfielder was selected 35th overall in last year’s draft in Compensation Round A. Graterol made one start this week for the Kernels, pitching 5.2 shutout innings with 2 hits allowed, 1 walk, and 10 strikeouts vs. Quad Cities on Monday. He was signed by the Twins on Aug. 29, 2014 from Calabozo, Venezuela…Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia did not play on Sunday for Pawtucket as he is there on a rehab assignment. He did play in the first 2 games of the series…The Red Wings (21-16) travel to Lehigh Valley as they have a 4-game series with the North Division leading IronPigs (23-17), starting Monday through Thursday.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – redwingsbaseball.com