Courtesy of the Rochester Red Wings
The Red Wings slugged their way to a doubleheader sweep of the Charlotte Knights Wednesday night at BB&T Ballpark in Uptown Charlotte, NC.
The Wings took Game One, 7-5, on the strength of a Wilkin Ramirez two-run, game-winning single in the sixth inning and rode a five-run first inning in the night cap to a 9-5 win.
On the night, the Wings collected 22 hits – including three home runs.
The Red Wings (34-25) have won the first three games of the series and are now 18-5 since their season-high, eight-game losing streak.
The Wings fell behind 2-0 in the first inning of Game One but responded with the first of two, five-run innings on the night.
All five runs for the Wings in the second inning of Game One came via the long ball. Dan Rohlfing connected on his first of the season – a three-run shot that gave the Wings a 3-2 lead – and Doug Bernier hit his third of the year two batters later to put the Wings ahead 5-2.
Charlotte (20-40) battled back with a run in the bottom of the second and two more in the third to tie the game at 5-5.
However, much like he did Tuesday night, Eric Farris kick-started the game-winning rally in the 6th inning with a lead-off double. Bernier followed with a single to center that moved Farris to third base with no outs. After Deibinson Romero struck out, the Knights intentionally walked Chris Colabello to load the bases. Ramirez made Charlotte pay, drilling the first pitch he saw from reliever Mitchell Boggs to left-center scoring Farris and Bernier.
Statistically, Kris Johnson (6-2) turned his worst outing of the season as he allowed five runs on four hits in five innings but it was good enough to earn his fourth straight win. The Wings southpaw came in having allowed just four earned runs over his last six starts.
Johnson also allowed his first two home runs of the season in the opener. Jordan Danks took the lefty deep in the first inning that gave Charlotte the 2-0 lead and Josh Phegley tied the game in the third with a two-run shot to left field.
Michael Tonkin retired all six batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings to earn his third save of the season in as many chances.
The Wings – batting in the bottom of the first inning as the home team – got RBI hits from Brad Nelson, Colabello and Daniel Ortiz as part of five-run first frame in Game Two.
After Charlotte crawled back into it courtesy of three solo home runs off Wings starter Scott Diamond, Rochester put four more on the board in the fifth inning. The big blow in the inning came off the bat of Ortiz who launched his first career Triple-A homer – a three-run shot that sealed the win.
Diamond (3-6) earned his first win since May 2, tossing five innings allowing three runs on five hits.
The Wings and Knights continue their five-game set with game four on Thursday night at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte. RHP Trevor May (5-3, 2.62) – the reigning IL Pitcher of the Week — will make the start for Rochester.
WINGS THINGS: CF Eric Farris extended his hit streak to a season-long nine games on Wednesday. Over the streak, Farris is hitting .389 (14-for-36)…Charlotte has out-homered the Wings 7-4 over the first three games of the series… Rochester is now a league-best 7-1 in doubleheader games this season – having swept three doubleheaders so far in 2014.
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