Albers pitches Wings to win

Courtesy of RedWingsBaseball.com

Andrew Albers threw a complete game three-hitter, leading the Red Wings to a 7-1 win over the Gwinnett Braves Wednesday night at Frontier Field. It was the fifth straight win for the second place Wings.

Facing the league’s top hitting club in the Braves, Red Wings starter Albers breezed through the top of the first – setting down the first three batters on 12 pitches.

The Braves used spot starter Kanekoa Texiera Wednesday, after schedule starter Williams Perez was recalled by Atlanta. The Wings used speed to put two runners on in the bottom of the first, when Byron Buxton beat out an infield single and Max Kepler bunted for a hit. Kennys Vargas beat out an infield hit of his own, and a throwing error by shortstop Ozzie Albies allowed Buxton to score for a 1-0 Red Wings lead. Buck Britton lined a single to center, bring home Kepler and providing a 2-0 lead.

Albers had another 1-2-3 inning at the top of the second and third innings. In the top of the fourth inning, the Braves closed the gap to 2-1 on an RBI single from Adonis Garcia.

Texiera made it into the fifth inning, when he walked two batters and was replaced by Joel De La Cruz. Texiera (1-2) worked 4.2 innings and allowed eight hits and two runs (one earned run), with three walks and two strikeouts. Texiera threw 83 pitches, 49 for strikes.

The Wings used two hits, two walks, and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to tally four runs against De La Cruz. The two hits were Buxton’s double, and a two-run triple from Kepler. It was Kepler’s league leading fourth triple of the season. Vargas contributed the sacrifice fly for an RBI and a 6-1 lead.

Albers cruised through seven innings, having allowed just three hits. In the bottom of the seventh against Brandon Cunniff, the Wings loaded the bases with none out. A double play grounder brought in a run, to make the score 7-1.

A one-two-three eighth inning had Albers at 84 pitches heading into the ninth. Albers got two groundouts back to the mound, and a flyout ended the game and completed Albers’ mound gem. Albers (1-0) gave up three hits and a walk with six strikeouts; he threw 91 pitches, 65 for strikes.

Buxton, Kepler, and Britton each had two hits as the Red Wings out-hit the Braves 11-3.

NOTES: James Beresford extended his on-base streak to 14 games… Heiker Meneses left the game after batting in the bottom of the fourth inning, replaced by Stephen Wickens.