Rochester drops both games to the Bisons by a single run.
By Nick Sciarratta/Donnie Moffat/Sean Clarke
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings lost both games of a doubleheader to the Buffalo Bisons Friday night, 9-8 and 2-1 at Frontier Field. The series continues with a 7:05 pm game Saturday, when the Wings will play as the Hop Bitters.
Game 1:
Buffalo struck first as Rowdy Tellez brought home Richard Urena with a single off of Wings’ starter Aaron Slegers. However, the Red Wings responded quickly as Kennys Vargas clocked a three run first-pitch homer to left-center off of Taylor Guerrieri for his fourth home run of the season, scoring Jake Cave and Chris Carter, who both reached on base hits.
The Bisons responded in the second inning with a two-RBI triple from Ian Parmley to tie the game 3-3. Roemon Fields’ RBI fielder’s choice giving Buffalo a 4-3 lead.
Buffalo added to their lead in the two-run shot from Jason Leblebijian giving the Bisons a 6-3 lead.
The Wings answered in the bottom half of the third with a 479 ft. solo shot from newly acquired Chris Carter, cutting the Wings’ deficit to two runs.
In the top of the fifth, Leblebijian hit his second two-run homer of the game, giving the Bisons an 8-4 lead.
Slegers’ day ended after 4.2 innings pitched, giving up 11 hits and nine runs, all earned. In addition to giving up two home runs, Slegers struck out two and walked two. Slegers threw 81 pitches, 57 for strikes. Jake Reed took over for Slegers and walked in a run to make it 9-4, then got the third out of the inning.
Guerrieri’s day ended after 4.0 innings pitched, having allowed four runs on eight hits and two home runs. Guerreri threw 72 pitches, 43 for strikes.
Cave homered off Tim Mayza in the fifth inning, making the score 9-5.
Reed worked 1.1 innings, allowing a hit and two walks with two strikeouts. Gabriel Moya pitched the seventh, giving up a hit and striking out two.
Vargas gave the Wings a jolt of energy in the bottom of the seventh with a three-run homer to left field.
The Bisons out-hit the Red Wings 13-11.
Game 2:
The Bisons took the lead in the top half of the second inning. Red Wings starting pitcher Myles Jaye walked Ian Parmley with the bases loaded, giving the Bisons a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Roemon Fields hit a sacrifice fly making the score 2-0.
Through five innings, the Wings managed just one hit and one walk against Bisons starter Justin Dillon. Jaye recovered from his two hit, three walk second inning and held the Bisons hitless through five innings.
Jaye walked the first hitter he faced in the sixth inning, got a flyball out, then got a visit from manager Joel Skinner, pitching coach Stu Cliburn and trainer Chris Johnson. Jaye stayed in the game, and got two more flyouts.
The Red Wings moved to within a run in the sixth, when Leonardo Reginatto hit his first home run of the season off Dillon to make it a 2-1 score.
Jaye allowed two hits over 6.0 innings, with two earned runs and four walks to go with three strikeouts. Jaye threw 86 pitches, 44 for strikes. Luke Bard pitched a perfect seventh inning, striking out one.
Dillon went the distance, working 7.0 innings and allowing three hits, one earned run and a walk. He struck out one and threw 90 pitches, 63 for strikes.
The Red Wings out-hit the Bisons 3-2.
*NOTES — In roster moves Friday, INF Chris Carter was actived after being acquired from Los Angeles-AL for cash considerations (on May 22). He led the National League in homers in 2016 for the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting 41 home runs; OF Jake Cave was actived after being optioned by the Minnesota Twins (on May 24); INF Sean Miller was transferred to Double-A Chattanooga; and INF Brock Stassi was released…50-DEGREE GUARANTEE REMINDER: Fans who had tickets for Opening Day on Friday, April 6 received two tickets for the postponement: one that had to be redeemed in April or May (50-Degree Guarantee) and another for any game in 2018. These are the last 3 dates (Saturday, Sunday, Monday) that the 50-Degree tickets may be redeemed…Rochester (23-20) dropped 2 games behind North Division leader Lehigh Valley (26-19) with the doubleheader loss.