Zack Littell and Zander Wiel key the 7-1 victory.
By Nick Sciarratta and Chad Raychel / Rochester Red Wings
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings beat the Toledo Mud Hens 7-1 Tuesday night at Frontier Field. The teams meet again Thursday night at 7:05 pm, the Wings will take the field as the Rochester Plates.
The Mud Hens got on the board in the top of the first with a Daz Cameron sacrifice fly off Rochester starter Zack Littell, making the score 1-0 Toledo.
Rochester answered back in the fourth inning against Mud Hens starter Tyler Alexander, as Zander Wiel drove in a run on a single to left after Brent Rooker hit a lead-off double. John Andreoli kept the hot bats going for the Wings with a 2-run home run in the next at bat, his third of the season giving the Wings a 3-1 lead.
Sandy Baez entered the game to begin the bottom of the fifth for the Mud Hens, replacing starter Alexander who pitched 4.0 innings, allowing 8 hits, 3 earned runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, on 95 pitches and 64 strikes.
The Wings tacked on more runs in the fifth, as Rooker singled and came around to score thanks to a Wiel single, a balk, and a wild pitch from Baez. After Andreoli walked, Jordany Valdespin hit an RBI single scoring Wiel. Drew Maggi walked in the next at bat, which was followed by a two-RBI single by Nick Gordon to give the Wings a 7-1 lead.
Littell finished the night with 6.0 innings pitched, allowing 3 hits, 1 unearned run, 3 walks while striking out 7. He threw 98 pitches, 61 for strikes.
Tyler Duffey came on in relief of Littell in the seventh and pitched 2 scoreless innings while striking out 3.
Austin Adams pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out 2.
The Red Wings out-hit the Mud Hens 12-4.
*NOTES — The Minnesota Twins have announced the following roster move: LHP Andrew Vasquez was placed on the Injured List with left shoulder impingement, retroactive to May 6…Nick Gordon extended his hitting streak to 5 games, having recorded a hit in each of his 5 games played this season…John Andreoli’s on base streak is now 14 after his fourth inning homer…Drew Maggi’s on base streak is now 11 games after his fourth inning single…Jordany Valdespin now has a 7-game hit streak.