By CRAIG POTTER
Rochester scores 2 runs on an error to pull out a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Bisons.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings pulled out a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Bisons before a paid crowd of 7,246 on Sunday afternoon at Frontier Field.
The win, coupled with Lehigh Valley’s 3-0 loss in Pawtucket, increased the Red Wings’ lead to 3 games over the IronPigs in the International League’s wild card playoff race. Both teams have 8 games remaining.
The Red Wings have not made the playoffs since 2013, when they earned the wild card with a last-day victory coupled with a last-day loss by Norfolk.
The Bisons scored single runs off Red Wings starter Aaron Slegers in the first and second innings, the second coming on a home run by Shane Opitz.
In the bottom of the second, Leonardo Reginatto doubled to left-center against Bisons starter Chris Rowley, to plate Niko Goodrum, who reached via hit batsman, to cut the deficit in half. The hit was Reginatto’s ninth of the homestand and increased his hitting streak to 6 games.
The Bisons went up 3-1 in the fourth off Slegers, but he shut them down the rest of the way after that. He hurled 8 innings, scattering 5 hits and did not issue a walk.
“He was a little off, gave up those early runs but settled down and did a fabulous job,” said Red Wings manager Mike Quade.
Slegers struck out seven in the first six innings without a walk, allowing five hits. Working into the seventh inning for the 12th time in 22 starts, Slegers fanned the side to give him a season-high and career-tying 10 strikeouts.
With his 14th win of the season, Slegers took over the league lead in wins and became the first Red Wings right-hander with at least 14 wins since Mike Parrott won 15 games in 1977.
“My pitching coach when I was (managing) in Ottawa (in 1993),” Quade said.
Slegers did not take a lot of credit for his performance. He said catcher Anthony Recker was invaluable and that leading the league in wins is a byproduct of many factors.
“And I wasn’t in line for that until the last inning,” said Slegers. “That win is all on those guys in that clubhouse.”
The Wings pulled to within a run in the sixth when Anthony Recker’s RBI hit brought home Goodrum, after he singled and stole second base.
Rochester forged ahead in the bottom of the seventh on a strange combination of events. Engelb Vielma singled with two outs, followed by a single by Daniel Palka to center. Rowley, backing up third base, retrieved the overthrow, which nearly went into the Buffalo dugout, as Vielma reached the bag safely. Palka, who was about halfway between first and second, hesitated a moment. Rowley threw wildly to second as the ball rolled into the right field corner. Both Vielma and Palka scored on the throwing error to put the Wings on top, 4-3.
“We took advantage of a two-run wild pitch yesterday and a two-run error today.”
“Vielma actually caused enough havoc the times he was on base,” Quade said.
Michael Tonkin pitched the ninth inning for Rochester, recording three quick outs to record his fifth save of the season.
While the Red Wings travel to Moosic, PA., to take on Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Monday-Thursday, Lehigh Valley will travel to Syracuse to face the Chiefs. SWB currently holds a 2.5 game lead over the Durham Bulls in the battle for the overall best record. Both teams will have home field advantage in the semifinals.
“We know we’ve got a tough series ahead of us, and we look forward to ending this thing at home in the friendly confines, as they say.”
*NOTES – Red Wings hitting coach Chad Allen was ejected by home plate umpire Robert Moreno during the Wings’ at-bat in the sixth inning…Aaron Slegers also tied his career high with 10 strikeouts in one game, which he also accomplished last season in Double-A…Rochester’s next home game is Friday, Sept. 1 against Pawtucket at 7:05 pm…The Red Wings have not won a playoff series since 2006, the season the Wings lost in the Governor’s Cup final to Toledo.
Links
Rochester Red Wings – www.redwingsbaseball.com
Videos
Aaron Slegers Interview – https://youtu.be/XCUKXtpkOwk
Mike Quade interview – https://youtu.be/qYI01AK73oE