By CRAIG POTTER
Tommy Field’s bat and glove help propel Rochester to a 9-3 victory over the Chiefs.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Tommy Field went 3-for-4, batted in 2 runs, scored 2 runs, picked up 2 assists and had 4 putouts at second base in helping the Rochester Red Wings notch a 9-3 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs before a paid attendance of 10,045 fans at Frontier Field on Friday night. The crowd also enjoyed a fireworks show afterwards.
The Wings got on the board with three runs in the first inning. Mitch Garver and Matt Hague drew one-out walks before Field ripped a 2-run double down the left field line. ByungHo Park’s 2-out single scored Field.
“We’ll see Field in the cleanup spot (again) tomorrow,” said Red Wings manager Mike Quade with a smile.
However, the Chiefs knotted the count 3-3 in the second on a 3-run homer by Pedro Severino off Rochester starter Adam Wilk. Wilk was making his second start for the Wings this season, and his home debut since being acquired from the New York Mets on waivers on May 10. He last started in Rochester in July, 2012 for the Toledo Mud Hens.
Wilk gained the win as he pitched 6 innings, scattering 5 hits, walking 1 and striking out 5 hitters.
“He settled down after the three-run inning and did his job,” Quade said of Wilk. “And the bullpen was excellent.”
Rochester broke the tie with a run in the sixth. Field led off with a single, moved to third on a 1-out single by Park, and crossed the plate on a 2-out single by John Ryan Murphy.
The Wings put the game away with 5 runs in the eighth. The key hit was a 2-run double by Murphy.
“We’re a lineup, top to bottom, that can score a lot of runs,” Murphy said as the Wings collected 13 hits. “Hopefully we’ll see that happen more often.”
The final 2 runs scored on a 2-out Chiefs’ error with Garver batting.
Field made the defensive play of the game in the eighth inning when he made a diving catch near the right field line on Caleb Ramsey’s pop-up.
“The catch was good but we’ve been watching him and that is what he does defensively,” Quade said. “He’s a baseball player…and when he contributes the way he did tonight, makes it extra special.
“He’s usually in the middle of stuff when things are going well, both offensively and defensively.”
Having just three outfielders on the roster, and with Daniel Palka on the disabled list, every game an infielder has to play outfield. On this night, catcher Mitch Garver played left field as Quade gave J.B. Shuck the night off, until the eighth when he came on as a defensive switch. Garver then moved to first base, where he has been playing some this season to keep both catchers in the lineup.
This was the first time since Garver was a sophomore in college that he played in the outfield.
“We took a shot. He’s been working out there for awhile,” said Quade. “He’s a decent enough athlete, especially for a guy who is catching now. He can play first, but with some of the people we need to keep in the lineup, and the way I’m shuffling, if he can play some left, we’re going to do that once in awhile.”
Garver and Murphy rotate every two games behind the plate.
*NOTES – Zack Granite singled in the fifth inning, extending his hitting streak to nine games; with a seventh inning bunt single, he also boosted his multiple hit streak to eight straight games…Tommy Field made a sensational diving catch in shallow right field to take away a hit from Caleb Ramsey in the eighth inning. He finished with 4 putouts and 2 assists while playing second base…Leonardo Reginatto’s eighth inning single extended his hitting streak to five games…Game 3 of the 4-game series is Saturday night at 7:05 pm, with another fireworks show to follow…Nik Turley gets his first major league call-up as the California native will pitch for Minnesota on Sunday in San Francisco against the Giants. See the related C&C EXCLUSIVE story for the details.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – redwingsbaseball.com
Videos
John Ryan Murphy interview – https://youtu.be/lRwmkHs7cm4
Mike Quade interview – https://youtu.be/7GrmQC0xbEM