BY DAN GLICKMAN
The Rochester Red Wings won their series opener with the Buffalo Bisons on Tuesday, 8-4, in 11 innings, on the strength of a grand slam from J.T. Arruda in the 11th inning- his first AAA home run.
The Red Wings (5-15), who have now won two of their last three games for the first time since the opening week of the season, saw a good start by pitcher Andrew Alvarez, who went 5 innings of scoreless ball, striking out six. Buffalo (5-14) also saw good pitching in the early innings, however, as Andrew Bash (2 IP) and Bobby Milacki (4 IP) combined to hold the Wings off the scoreboard in the first six innings.
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It was Darren Baker who put the Wings ahead for the first time, singling in catcher Andrew Knizner with two outs in the seventh to make it 1-0. Buffalo struck back an inning later, however, jumping ahead, 2-1, with a two-run Joey Loperfido home run off Joan Adon.
The Wings got down to their last out in the top of the ninth after two straight outs to start the inning. However, Knizner then reached on an error by Buffalo shortstop Michael Stefanic, and Braydon Fisher walked Jackson Cluff, bringing up Baker once again. On the second pitch of the at-bat, the Californian got around on a 95.3 MPH fastball and sent it safely to center, bringing in Knizner to tie the game at two. Patrick Weigel then held off the Buffalo offense in the bottom of the ninth, forcing extra innings.
Both teams scored one run in the tenth, with the Wings moving ahead 3-2 on a Robert Hassell III single before Buffalo evened it up at three on an Orelvis Martinez double.
But the top of the eleventh would make the difference. Knizner led off with an RBI double off Justin Bruihl to bring home the “ghost runner” Juan Yepez, and two of the next three hitters reached, including an intentional walk of Brady House. Up came Arruda, who took a first-pitch ball before getting hold of a hanging 86.1 MPH cutter left low in the zone, launching it 380 feet at 106.6 MPH over Buffalo’s left-center field fence to extend the lead to 8-3. The grand slam continues an impressive start for Arruda in AAA- he’s now 3-for-5 in his two games with the Red Wings while also being steady in the field.
Clay Helvey allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the 11th, but the Wings held on for the win.
They’ll go for their second and perhaps third straight win on Wednesday, when they play a double-header in Buffalo that will include the makeup of a game postponed earlier this season. Right-hander AAA debutante Seth Shuman is set to start game one at 4:35 p.m., with lefty Konnor Pilkington scheduled for game two.
Nice 9th inning comeback after blowing the lead in the 8th. Then that wild 11th.
Winning is always more fun. Need to do more of it.
Has any Red Wing team in history lost 3 double headers before the 1st month was over?
Hardly even worth discussing the games. 5-17 speaks for itself. Nothing is working. Guess they just keep playing the games.
5-18 and counting. Another blowout loss 8-1 to a team who began this series as bad as the Wings.