A trio of Rochester players get called up to the Minnesota Twins following the game.
By CRAIG POTTER
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings will finish first in the International League with the lowest ERA with a 3.39 average. It marked the first time since 1976 that a Rochester team had the lowest ERA in the IL as that team posted a 3.51 mark.
Joe Altobelli‘s club went 88-50 that year (Altobelli’s last as manager) and reached the playoffs for the sixth straight time.
The Red Wings (64-76) also finished last in the IL this season in runs scored (385) for a 2.74 per game average. Rochester was 29-41 at home for the first losing home record since 2011 (32-40).
The season finale Monday afternoon, before 6,549 fans at Frontier Field, kind of mirrored the season with a 4-2, 10-inning loss to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
“We didn’t score a lot of runs and as a result you have to play almost perfect baseball,” said Red Wings manager Joel Skinner. “The guys really pitched well.
“You’re never satisfied with how many wins you have, but looking at the whole season there have been a lot of good things that have happened here.”
Starting pitcher Chase De Jong tossed 5 inings, giving up 1 run in the fifth on a hit batsman, double, and sacrifice fly. He allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 batters.
Relievers John Curtiss and Ryan Eades hurled 3 scoreless frames, but reliever Ryne Harper was tagged for 3 runs in the 10th and took the loss (0-3). Luke Bard recorded the final out of the inning with a strikeout.
The Wings took a 1-0 lead in the first when Nick Gordon drew a walk and scampered home on Kennys Vargas’ double to left field.
Rochester got 1 run back in the home 10th as Jeremy Hazelbaker started on second base, advanced to third on a flyout, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Perez.
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The IronPigs, who won the North Division title, their first division championship in their 11-year history, open the Governor’s Cup playoffs against Pennsylvania foe Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Wednesday in Moosic, PA.
2018 Team Awards announced
Willians Astudillo and Jake Reed have won the Rochester Red Wings 2018 team awards.
Astudillo was voted by the fans as the Most Valuable and Most Popular player. He batted .276/.314/.469 with 17 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 38 RBI, 30 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 10 walks and 14 strikeouts in 78 games with Rochester this season. Astudillo made his Major League debut in late June and hit his first MLB homer on August 29 at Cleveland.
Reed won Most Civic Minded for his work in the community. He volunteered his time at various events and programs throughout the Rochester area, including heavy involvement with Rochester Challenger Baseball. On the diamond, Reed is 0-3 with a 1.89 ERA (10 ER, 47.2 IP) with 34 hits, 13 total runs, one home run, two hit batters, 21 walks and 50 strikeouts in 30 appearances, including one start.
Trio called up
Pitchers Chase De Jong, John Curtiss, and Zack Littell were called up by the Minnesota Twins.
*NOTES — 19-year-old INF Victor Tademo was transferred to Rochester from Single-A Cedar Rapids on Sunday and made his Triple-A debut Monday. He collected his first IL hit in going 1-for-4, and the second baseman was the pivot man in turning 2 double plays…Zander Wiel hit his third professional walk-off home run, and second of 2018, Sunday night. Earlier this season with Double-A Chattanooga, Wiel hit a solo homer in the 9th inning for a 3-2 win on April 17 vs. Jacksonville. He hit his first walk-off blast in the 9th inning, also a solo shot, on May 23, 2016 for Single-A Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities in a 5-4 victory…The Red Wings finished the season with a total paid attendance of 437,974.