By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
Ben Braymer was in an unfamiliar scenario, a regular starting pitcher who was scheduled to enter Friday’s game against Lehigh Valley after an “opener.”
Austin Voth, making his second rehab appearance with Rochester, threw the first two innings. Braymer entered in the third, after Voth scattered just one single in retiring five of the six batters he faced.
Braymer explained that he had to shorten his pregame throwing program but otherwise kept his warmup consistent. He adjusted well to the change in routine, compiling what Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy called “his best outing.”
The 27-year-old Braymer allowed just two hits and two runs in six innings, retiring 13 consecutive batters between his lone walk of the game with one out in the fourth and Ruben Tejada’s pinch-hit single with two outs in the eighth.
Braymer made just one glaring mistake, surrendering a two-out, two-run home run to Cornelius Randolph that ended his shutout bid, but nevertheless earned his fifth win of the season. He opened his outing by striking out three of the first four batters he faced, recording five total strikeouts for the fourth time this season.
With top prospect Keibert Ruiz catching, Braymer felt very comfortable navigating the IronPigs lineup.
“I felt pretty in command of the game the whole time,” Braymer assessed. “Obviously there was one pitch at the end that got away from me but overall I felt pretty good. I’ve gotta give credit to Keibert; he is absolutely phenomenal, behind the plate and at the plate. He does a tremendous job of being a quarterback back there and staying calm and cool in all situations. There’s a lot of added comfort for a pitcher when you have a guy like that behind the plate. Both he and Alex Dunlap do a great job of that.”
LeCroy was dissatisfied with his team’s “unproductive outs” in the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader against Lehigh Valley, so the Red Wings found a solution- they recorded just one out in their first seven at-bats of the fifth inning on Friday.
Donovan Casey led off the frame with a double, while Ruiz singled and Jake Noll was hit by a pitch. Daniel Palka, who walked in four of his five plate appearances, didn’t even face a pitch before Damon Jones, who had just relieved Lehigh Valley starter Cristopher Sanchez, balked in the first run of the game. Palka walked on four pitches, loading the bases again for Nick Banks, who scored two baserunners with a single.
Derek Dietrich ended the on-base streak by striking out, but Ali Castillo singled to drive in Palka and put Rochester ahead 4-0.
The Red Wings added three more runs in the eighth, two on a Ruiz single and another on a Ramon Rosso wild pitch.
“Stringing at-bats together, putting pressure on them with really good at-bats, we stayed on the ball really well,” LeCroy commented. “In those situations, any time you can put up a crooked number, it’s great… Hopefully we’ll gain some confidence. Like I said, they’re kind staying away from Palka, so other guys have to pick it up in those big spots.”
Rochester and Lehigh Valley play a day-night, split-admission doubleheader on Saturday. The Red Wings can ensure a series win with a split.
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