Rochester evens its record at 3-3 following a 4-2 win over the Gwinnett Stripers.
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. — Matt Wisler turned in the first quality start for Gwinnett in 2018, but a late Stripers rally came up short against Rochester in a 4-2 Red Wings win Saturday night at Coolray Field.
Wisler (L, 0-1) allowed a walk to the second batter of the game, Ryan LaMarre. He then retired the next 15 Red Wings batters in a row, striking out six in that span.
After Wisler struck out Leonardo Reginatto to begin the sixth inning, Gregorio Petit broke up the no-hitter with a line drive to center field; Ronald Acuna Jr. made a diving attempt at the catch, but it got past him and Petit landed on third base with a triple. Petit was brought home a batter later on a sacrifice fly by Nick Buss for the game’s first run.
Rochester got another run the following inning on a solo homer from Brock Stassi (1). Wisler’s quality start ended with 7.0 innings pitched allowing three hits, two earned runs, one walk with eight strikeouts on 81 pitches (56 strikes). It was his longest outing since going 7.2 innings in a win for Gwinnett at Syracuse on July 29, 2017.
The Red Wings scratched two more runs across in the eighth inning off Chase Whitley, who was on a rehab assignment for Atlanta. Reginatto led off with a double and Petit followed with a single. Regniatto was singled home by Buss for his second RBI of the game, and LaMarre singled home Petit for the fourth run.
Gwinnett’s lineup was quiet for most of the game. However, Sean Kazmar Jr. stepped to the plate with one out in the fifth inning with a chance to take sole possession of Gwinnett’s all-time hits record. He promptly lined a double down the left field line off Rochester starter Aaron Slegers (W, 1-0), giving him 438 hits in his 467 games with Gwinnett, passing Jose Constanza (2011-’14) for most in Gwinnett club history.
Yet the Stripers were held scoreless until the ninth inning, when Johan Camargo, also on rehab from Atlanta, drew a lead-off walk. Rob Brantly then reached on an error, moving Camargo to third. Carlos Franco drove him home with a bloop single to left, extending his team-high on-base streak to eight games and hitting streak to seven games and prompting Rochester manager to bring in reliever Matt Magill (S,1). After a Kazmar Jr. fly out and a Rio Ruiz strikeout, Dustin Peterson lined a single into left for the second run. But pinch hitter Jaff Decker popped to short, ending the game.
With the loss, Gwinnett fell to 2-6 on the season. The Red Wings reached .500 for the first time this year, now at 3-3.
The two teams meet in the series finale Sunday at 1:05 pm at Coolray Field. Right-hander Lucas Sims (0-0, 0.00 ERA) is scheduled to start for Gwinnett, while the Red Wings will go with righty Fernando Romero (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
*NOTES — The Red Wings made 2 roster moves on Saturday as OF Ryan LaMarre was optioned from the Minnesota Twins (on April 13), and RHP Brady Anderson was transferred to Single-A Ft. Myers…Rochester has scored 8 runs in 7 extra innings, and 9 runs in the other 45 innings this season. Thursday night’s extra-inning affair is the longest by inning in the minors in 2018. It was also the longest Rochester game by both innings and time since the Wings played a 14-inning, 4 hour, 34 minute game on April 26, 2016 at Buffalo…Rochester is batting just .194 (12-for-62) with runners in scoring position to start the season, and 9 of the 12 hits have come in extra innings.