BY JONATHAN SKUZA
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings used a three-run fourth inning to guide them to a 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Bisons Thursday evening.
”It was a nice comeback win today for us after last night’s ballgame,” said Billy McMillon the Red Wings Development Coach and acting manager Thursday evening.
Rochester led 3-2 going into the fourth inning after a back-and-forth first third of the ballgame. After a fly out to lead off the inning, Jack Dunn reached base after getting hit by a pitch and Erick Mejia walked, Brady Lindsly drove the two home with a double. Darren Baker followed it up with an RBI double of his own.
”I was super happy about it,” Lindsly said. “It’s been a while since I’ve driven in some runs in, but I was really pumped about it.”
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The Red Wings did not start the ballgame off well, as they gave up two runs to Buffalo after two fielding errors to put them in an early hole in the first inning
”We really didn’t stress on it all that much,” Lindsly said.
The Red Wings battled Back in the bottom half of the inning as Baker walked to open up the Red Wings half and stole a base before Alex Call drove him in with a double. Call stole third and got driven in by Juan Yepez on a sacrifice fly.
”We responded and made some good plays defensively and that allowed us to get hits and get contribution throughout the lineup,” McMillon said.
Rochester took the lead in the second inning on a groundout RBI from Baker after Mejia reached base via a walk and stole two bases to get into prime scoring position.
The Red Wings finished the contest with seven stolen bases.
”I just try to be aggressive and we try to pick spots where we can take advantage of what they’re giving us,” McMillon said. “Tonight we had some guys confident on the bases and got some jumps and beat the throws.”
Joan Adon started on the mound for Rochester and gave the Red Wings just over three innings of work and was able to keep the Buffalo hitters off the scoresheet after the first inning. Adon struck out six including setting down three Bison hitters down via the punch out to get out of the first frame.
”[Joan] Adon really bailed himself and our defense in the first inning,” Lindsly said. “Can’t say enough about what he did after that. He gave us everything he had.”
The Rochester bullpen pitched very well after Adon’s short stint on the mound. In the near six innings of work, the bullpen only gave up four hits and one walk and did not surrender a run. Joe La Sorsa and Amos Willingham led the way as they both pitched an inning and two-thirds. La Sorsa recorded the win and gave up one hit and struck out three. Willingham had zeros across hit pitching line in his outing.
”They all looked really good and they were all throwing gas,” Lindsly said.
”The bullpen really dug us out tonight and did a really good not allowing a run,” McMillon said.
The Rochester Red Wings (19-19) will look to win back-to-back contests as they will send righty Spenser Watkins (1-0, 4.68) to the mound while the Buffalo Bisons (24-18) will have right-hander Andrew Bash (1-0, 4.39) toe the slab. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
Up down up down. 19-19 is about right for a team that can hit but can’t pitch. It says ‘something’ when your starter gets praised for barely pitching a tad over 3 innings. I know it takes some getting used to baseball in this decade after watching the way the game was played for years and years. Its not the same game anymore.
I guess a .500 team at this point is an improvement from what the Gnats have given us so far in the affiliation. give me some pitching and i will stop being so negative about Washington…(well probably not…I will always dislike them from the time the moving vans arrived from Montreal to the present)
Anyway, I’m just a fan. One who would love to see a decent product here again before I pass from the scene. Too much to ask?