By CRAIG POTTER
A 5-run first inning holds up in the 6-4 victory over the Chiefs.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — After amassing a season-high 19 hits in Tuesday’s 9-1 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs, the Rochester Red Wings managed just 5 hits but still posted a 6-4 win over their rivals from the Salt City on Wednesday night before 3,932 fans at Frontier Field.
The Red Wings erupted for 5 runs in the first inning, and made it stand up.
“We scored enough,” said Red Wings manager Joel Skinner. “The run in the eighth was big, too, because (Syracuse) did a good job of coming back and making a game of it. It was a well-rounded first inning, obviously, making their pitcher work a little bit and getting a couple big hits.”
Zack Granite led off with a walk and Ryan Lamarre followed with a single. Jake Cave laced a triple down the right field line for a 2-0 lead. Walks to Jermaine Curtiss and Wynston Sawyer, sandwiched around a pop out, loaded the bases. Nick Buss ripped a 2-run double down the right field line for a 4-0 margin. Sawyer accounted for the fifth run on a sacrifice fly by Leonardo Reginatto.
“Every game you go into, you want to score first, you want to score early. It’s just about executing doing it,” Cave said. “And when you’ve got Granite leading off with a walk, whenever the first batter of the game walks, that’s always big for the team, gets a little momentum going. Then we’ve got a runner on, he can steal a base and make things happen. LaMarre gets hits like crazy, as we know. It’s just good to have guys on base early because you can probably put runs up early.
“It’s fun knowing I’ve got guys in front of me and behind me who can really drive the baseball and can do great things.”
Starting pitcher Dietrich Enns went 5 innings, giving up 2 runs while scattering 5 hits and striking out 4 batters on his birthday to earn his second win of the season.
The Chiefs chipped away at the lead with 2 runs in the sixth off reliever D.J. Baxendale to pull within a run at 5-4.
However, reliever Luke Bard threw 2 scoreless frames of 1-hit ball to keep the Wings in front.
Pinch-hitter Willians Astudillo’s one-out single in the eighth plated Brock Stassi, who reached via a walk, with an insurance run and a 6-4 lead. The hit was Rochester’s first since the second inning.
“The last two days, we’ve created opportunities for ourselves by creating some baserunners and getting base hits,” said Skinner. “That part of it is good to see.”
Nick Anderson hurled the ninth, getting a strikeout and two nice defensive plays from Cave and Taylor Featherston, to recorded his first Triple-A save.
The teams will turn around for an 11:05 am game on Thursday to conclude the series.
“These guys are used to that,” Skinner said. “Eleven is a little bit earlier than normal but they’ve played noon games.”
*NOTES — Jake Cave extended his hit streak to 5 games with a pair of extra base hits…Media reports indicate that Red Sox star Dustin Pedroia is expected to be with the Pawtucket Red Sox this weekend at Frontier Field, part of Pedroia’s rehab assignment from Boston…Twins GM Thad Levine and former Red Wings manager Mike Quade are in town for the Chiefs series…The Cheifs have been outscored 26-0 in the first inning since May 3.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – redwingsbaseball.com