By CRAIG POTTER
Aaron Slegers pitches and Tommy Field bats Rochester to a 7-1 victory over the Bats.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Aaron Slegers pitched his best game of the season as he hurled 8 innings, scattering 7 hits while giving up an unearned run, walking 1 and striking out 4 batters.
Tommy Field provided the offense as he belted a solo homer and added a pair of doubles. He walked and scored in the 5-run third inning.
“He (Bats starter Nick Routt) made a mistake and I was able to capitalize,” Field said of his second-inning homer.
The Wings jumped out in the bottom of the first when Niko Goodrum ripped a 1-out double. Matthague followed with a RBI single.
In the second, Field lined a home run over the left field wall for a 2-0 lead.
The Wings erupted for 5 runs in the third as they batted around.
“We haven’t had great success against left-handed pitching this year so it was good to see it,” said Wings manager Mike Quade. “We chased their guy fairly early.
“You just don’t know how things are going to start on a routine ground ball to second.”
Goodrum reach on an error to begin the rally. Hague single, then with one out, Mitch Garver doubled down the left field line to plate Goodrum. Field walked to load the bases before Hague scooted home on a wild pitch. J.B. Shuck drew a walk to reload the bases before Leonardo Reginatto ripped a 2-run double into the right field corner. Bengie Gonzalez complete the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
In the top of the fourth, starting pitcher Slegers was hit in the right heel off a grounder by Tony Renda to lead off the inning.
Slegers remained in the game as he gave up a single, but then got a double play off a ball hit back through the box to second baseman Field, who started the DP.
“The first one off my foot was nothing major,” Slegers said. “It hit me in the heel. I walked it off a little bit. The second one was right up the middle and Tommy made a great play.”
“We played well behind him,” said Quade. “We’ve had some defensive lapses this year, but not today.
The lone run the Bats scored came in the sixth when Hernan Iribarren hit a grounder to first baseman Hague, who shot put the ball to Slegers, but he dropped it for an error. Iribarren eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly.
D.J. Baxendale pitched the ninth and retired the side in order.
*NOTES – Ehire Adrianza was the designated hitter and went 0-for-4 with a walk, as part of his rehab assignment with the Red Wings.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – redwingsbaseball.com
Videos
Aaron Slegers interview – https://youtu.be/EHQ4DUL9STI
Tommy Field interview – https://youtu.be/u7lfySr8A0A
Mike Quade interview – https://youtu.be/SJ1sber-VHY