By Craig Potter
Rochester brings the tying run to the plate in the 9th but only manages 1 run..
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester Red Wings came up short against the Buffalo Bisons, 5-2, on Monday night before the largest crowd of the season at Frontier Field – 11,457.
“Great crowd, an enthusiastic crowd, not just large,” said Red Wings manager Mike Quade.
The Red Wings loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the ninth but were able only produce one run.
The Chiefs loaded the bases in the first inning with none out against starter Logan Darnell. He nearly got out of the jam by striking out the side, but he uncorked a wild pitch that did allow Syracuse to score one run.
Syracuse made it 3-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth.
The Wings finally broke through against Chiefs hurler Scott Diamond in the fourth. Leadoff singles by Jorge Polanco and Byung Ho Park, the South Korean national who recently was optioned to Rochester by Minnesota, put runners on first and third.
Adam Brett Walker flew out to left, and Polanco tried to score from third on the play. Syracuse catcher Tony Sanchez appeared to block the plate before the ball got there, but the home plate umpire Robert Moreno ruled Polanco out at home to complete the double play.
“That was my argument,” said Quade, who questioned Moreno on the call. “With the new rules, you’ve got to give him a (lane to the plate without the ball) and he (Sanchez) straddled the plate. The throw took him right there
“I never thought he gave him an opportunity to get to the back side of the plate. Obviously, the umpire in his judgement, disagreed. You can’t take away the fact that it was a perfect throw, and it cost us a run.”
Carlos Paulino ripped a RBI double to score Park, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple to end the inning.
“Paulino, a real good at bat to drive in Park (but) not good to get thrown out at third with two outs,” Quade said. “Those things can come back to haunt you, and who knows how things would have wound up had we been a little closer in the ninth.”
Syracuse added a run in the sixth and another in the ninth off reliever David Martinez.
Singles by Logan Schafer and Park, sandwiched around a walk to Polanco, filled the bases in the ninth for Rochester. A strikeout by Walker was followed with a sacrifice fly from Paulino for the Wings’ second run. Buck Britton fought off several pitches before flying out to end the game.
“It would have been real exciting if we could have done some more damage,” Quade said. “This group just plays.”
The abbreviated series concludes on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. on $5 Ticket Night with all seats, regardless of location, $5.
*NOTES — OF Eddie Rosario and INF Kennys Vargas both were called up to the Minnesota Twins on Monday…Red Wings right-hander Jose Berrios has been named International League Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Monday. Berrios made two starts and was dominant in both. On Tuesday vs. Pawtucket, the 22-year-old took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before surrendering a one-out double. He finished by allowing one hit and two walks with six strikeouts over 7.0 scoreless innings to earn his seventh win. On Sunday at Syracuse, the former 32nd overall selection needed just 87 pitches to toss his second career 9.0 inning complete game. Berrios faced three over the minimum and allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits and seven strikeouts. He faced the minimum over the final seven frames while retiring the Chiefs in order in five of those innings. Sunday was his first start of 2016 – minors or majors – in which he did not issue a walk. The native of Puerto Rico is 3-1 with a 0.59 ERA (2 ER, 30.0 IP) with four total runs allowed, 10 hits, seven walks and 29 strikeouts in his last four starts. In his last three, Berrios is 3-0 with a 0.37 ERA (1 ER, 24.0 IP) with two totals runs allowed, eight hits, four walks and 22 strikeouts. International League opponents are batting .180 (48-for-267) against him this season. Berrios is the fourth Red Wing to earn a league award after outfielders Byron Buxton and Adam Brett Walker and left-hander Andrew Albers were honored earlier this season. Rochester had eight players receive weekly league awards last season.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – redwingsbaseball.com
Videos
Manager Mike Quade interview – https://youtu.be/g1V11GEbwow