Compiled by Craig Potter
Today’s SportsROC Report includes stories on the Rochester Red Wings loss to Pawtucket, plus 2 players and a coach selected to the IL All-Star team, the Rochester Americans trainer receiving an award, the Buffalo Sabres extend a contract, and the Rochester Rattlers make a trade.
Rusney Castillo drove in two runs to help the Pawtucket Red Sox edge the Red Wings, 3-2, Wednesday afternoon at Frontier Field.
The Wings will play host to the Syracuse Chiefs – featuring All-Star shortstop Trea Turner and Aquinas graduate Chris Bostick – Thursday twinbill starting at 6:05 p.m. and Friday single game at 7:05 p.m.
Pawtucket took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning against Wings starter Logan Darnell. Ryan Court hit a lead-off single, and Rusney Castillo brought them both home with a home run over the left field wall.
In the bottom of the second inning with one out, Adam Brett Walker notched his 11th double of the season, and snapped his 0-for-28 hitting slump against Pawtucket. However, the Wings were unable to bring him home.
The top of the third inning started off with a single by Ryan Hanigan. The single was followed by a remarkable fielder’s choice play by Rochester; Tommy Field dove for the grounder, which rolled behind second base, and while lying on the ground, Field back-hand tossed the ball to Wilfredo Tovar in time for the out at second. The dynamic defense wasn’t done yet as Logan Schafer made a spectacular catchin center field for the second out of the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, Schafer was walked with one out. Elias attempted to pick Schafer at first base, and Schafer found himself caught in a pickle. Despite the odds, he managed to maneuver around second baseman Ryan Court in order to avoid the tag and return to first base safely much to Pawtucket’s disbelief.
Field belted out a hit during the next at-bat, which landed near the right field foul line, earning him a ground rule double. Rochester was in good position to score with one out and runners on second and third base. Carlos Paulino hit a sacrifice fly to left as Schafer scampered home with the Red Wings first run of the game.
The Red Wings struck again in the bottom of the fifth inning. After a walk and a fielder’s choice play that did not result in an out, Field hit a sacrifice bunt that enabled Tovar and Schafer to move to second and third, respectively. Paulino hit a RBI grounder that allowed Tovar to cross the plate with the tying run, 2-2.
The Red Sox re-took the lead in the top of the sixth, when a two-out single by Chris Dominguez made the score 3-2 Pawtucket. Darnell was lifted in favor of Sean Burnett after the hit, having allowed nine hits over 5.2 innings pitched. Darnell (8-6) allowed 3 runs, 2 walks and struck out 1.
Darnell’s outing marked the 51st straight game that a Red Wings starter pitched at least 5 innings; the team’s record in those games is now 33-18.
___________
Rochester Red Wings infielder Jorge Polanco, left-handed pitcher Jason Wheeler and pitching coach Stu Cliburn have named International League All-Stars, the league announced Wednesday.
Polanco’s selection is his second in as many seasons and third in the last four years. He was a Southern League All-Star for Double-A Chattanooga last season and a Midwest League All-Star in 2013 with Single-A Cedar Rapids. The 22-year-old is batting .289/.344/.492 in 48 games for Rochester this season while his six triples are tied for second in the league. Polanco also has 11 doubles, five home runs, 22 RBI and 21 runs scored for the Red Wings.
Wheeler has been named an All-Star for the second time and first since he was a Midwest League All-Star for Single-A Beloit in 2012. Entering Wednesday, his 2.64 ERA ranks sixth and his 1.05 WHIP is fifth in the IL. The 25-year-old has not lost a start since dropping a complete game decision on May 2 at Syracuse. He’s 6-1 and has allowed 66 hits and 16 walks with 62 strikeouts in 78.1 innings this season after being transferred to the Red Wings from Double-A Chattanooga on April 27.
Cliburn is in fourth season as Red Wings pitching coach but the first since 2008. He’s in his 25th season coaching in the Twins organization, having served as pitching coach for Minnesota’s Double-A affiliates the past seven years. This is the 59-year-old’s fifth All-Star selection, joining 2013 with the Double-A Eastern League, 2007 with the Eastern League and the 2002 Double-A All-Star Game for the American League.
The International League will take on the Pacific Coast League All-Stars on Wednesday, July 13 at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte, NC. The game can be seen that day on MLB Network beginning at 7 p.m.
___________
Rochester Americans Assistant Athletic Trainer Kent Weisbeck, a longtime member of the Amerks organization, was honored by the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society/Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers (PHATS/SPHEM) this week in Nashville.
Weisbeck received the PHATS/SPHEM Career Achievement Alumni Award from the PHATS/SPHEM Alumni Association during the organization’s annual Hall of Fame Dinner in recognition of his “dedication and excellence in his field” over the course of his long and successful career.
Weisbeck just completed his 31st season with the Amerks in 2015-16 after originally joining the club in 1985-86. He has been part of two Calder Cup championship teams (1987, 1996) during his time with the Amerks and has worked more than 2,000 games for the team. The Buffalo native has also represented the Amerks at two AHL All-Star Classics (2000, 2011) and in 2010, he became the first athletic trainer ever inducted into the Amerks Hall of Fame.
___________
The Buffalo Sabres announced on Wednesday that the team signed defenseman Casey Nelson to a 2-year contract extension.
Nelson (23, 6-foot-2, 183 lbs.) made his professional debut with the Sabres during the 2015-16 season and recorded four assists and a plus-1 rating in seven games. Before signing with Buffalo, Nelson earned WCHA Defensive Player of the Year honors after recording 22 points (6+16) in 40 games for Minnesota State University.
The Wisconsin Rapids, WI., native amassed 60 total points (14+46) and a plus-28 rating in 99 games during his collegiate career, leading the team in plus/minus rating and leading Minnesota State defensemen in scoring in both his sophomore and junior seasons.
___________
The Rochester Rattlers traded Mike Poppleton to the Chesapeake Bayhawks on Wednesday for a 2017 2nd Round Supplemental Draft Pick.