By CRAIG POTTER
Rochester extends its winning streak to 5 games with a 4-3 victory over the Bisons.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings extended their winning streak to 5 games as they scored three runs in the first inning, then held off the Buffalo Bisons, 4-3, Tuesday night before a paid crowd of 4,323 fans at Frontier Field. The 5-game winning streak is the longest of the season for the Wings (35-34).
The Red Wings jumped out to a 3-0 lead as Mitch Garver and ByungHo Park smacked back-to-back RBI doubles off of Buffalo starting pitcher T.J. House. John Ryan Murphy added a sacrifice fly to score Park.
The Bisons finally scored a run in the series in the third inning when Christian Lopes belted a solo home run over the center field fence off Wings starter Aaron Slegers.
Engelb Vielma used his speed to manufacture a run in the fourth inning. After reaching base on a bunt single, Vielma stole second base which forced an errant throw by House. Vielma continued on, sliding in safely into the third base bag.
“Kind of a crazy fourth run,” said Red Wings manager Mike Quade. “Vielma plays with some energy. He’s arms and legs going everywhere.”
Vielma got a terrific jump on the Bisons’ southpaw to steal the base.
“It was so pronounced that it shook the kid,” Quade said. “He had plenty of time to make the throw and he couldn’t make the throw.”
Matt Hague drove in Vielma with an RBI-single to make the score 4-1. The safety extended Hague’s hitting streak to 9 straight games.
“He can hit a home run or get the base hit, that’s why he’s a good RBI guy,” Quade said of Hague. “He’ll do what it takes to stay on a pitch and put the ball in play.”
Slegers ran into trouble in the sixth inning. After loading the bases, shortstop Vielma bobbled what appeared to be an inning-ending double play. The Wings got the force out at second but the relay to first was too late, which allowed Raffy Lopez to score for Buffalo. Shane Optiz ended Slegers’ night by hitting an RBI-single to make the score 4-3. Slegers tossed 5.2 innings, giving up 3 earned runs, walking 3, and striking out 6 batters.
Reliever Jake Reed made his season-debut for Rochester by striking out Jonathan Diaz to end the rally.
“I would expect Jake to get that last out,” said Quade. “If I bring him in that situation with one out or nobody out, that’s tough. But these guys at the back end of your bullpen got to get it done in those situations. Does it happen all the time? No, but you feel pretty good when you can bring those two guys (Reed and Ryan Pressly) – 95 and 07 – into the game with good breaking pitches.”
Reed struck out two and allowed one hit in 1.1 innings. Pressly hurled the final two innings for the Wings as he struck out two in the eighth inning, and worked around a lead-off walk in the ninth to close out the game.
“It’s kind of nice warming up in that situation because you don’t have time to think,” Reed said.
*NOTES – Minnesota Twins pitchers Hector Santiago and Phil Hughes will join the Red Wings on Wednesday as part of a rehab assignment. Santiago is scheduled to start the Wednesday afternoon contest, which is the final of the 3-game series with Buffalo…Every Wednesday is $1 for hot dogs, cracker jacks, peanuts, and chips courtesy of Zweigle’s, Democrat & Chronicle, and DiPaolo Baking Company…The Bisons ended their 25.1 scoreless inning streak in the third inning on Christian Lopes’s solo homer…The loss was the sixth straight for Buffalo as the Bisons are making their first trip of the season to Rochester…Manager Mike Quade gave Zack Granite and Tommy Field the night off. “After what we went through in Pawtucket, you like to have guys rested for the big series coming up against Lehigh Valley,” said Quade…Granite (.560) and Matt Hague (.530) are leading the IL in on-base percentage since June 6. Granite has reached base in 19 straight games, while Hague has a 9-game hitting streak and reached safely in 12 consecutive contests.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – redwingsbaseball.com
Videos
Jake Reed interview – https://youtu.be/Prx51WG8AuA
Mike Quade interview – https://youtu.be/yttH6YGmSoE