BY DAN GLICKMAN
Center fielder Andrew Pinckney made history on Friday as the first player in Rochester Red Wings history with a season of 20-or-more home runs and 30-or-more steals, going three-for-five with an RBI and three steals as the Red Wings beat the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in Jacksonville, 6-1.
Pinckney, who leads the Red Wings with 20 home runs, reached the 20/30 mark by stealing second in the top of the second. He’d then steal his 31st bag of the year shortly after and add a 32nd in the ninth. Although Pinckney would later get thrown out at home, the Red Wings would jump ahead 2-0 with two outs in the inning on a two-run double by shortstop Nasim Nunez.
The Wings added to the lead with two in the fourth on a two-RBI single by left fielder Christian Franklin, and then added another in the fifth when right fielder Nick Schnell tripled.
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Jacksonville threatened in the seventh and eighth, with Matthew Etzel driving in Shane Sasaki with a single to right. The Shrimp then loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth, leading Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy to bring in Eduardo Salazar in for Ryan Loutos. Salazar got the next batter, Bennett Hostetler, to hit a little grounder in front of the plate, allowing catcher Francisco Mejia to grab the ball, touch home for the first out, and then throw to first for the double play. A Sasaki groundout followed, allowing the Red Wings to escape without allowing any runs.
Rochester added a final run of insurance in the ninth with a Pinckney RBI single before Erick Mejia finished the game on the mound to secure Rochester’s third win in its last three games.
On the mound, Adrian Sampson earned the win with five shutout innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out one to move to 4-4 on the season. Five relievers combined to finish the game, allowing a hit and an unearned run over four innings, walking five (three of them by Loutos in the eighth).
The Red Wings continue their series at Jacksonville on Saturday at 6:35 p.m., with Riley Cornelio expected to take the mound for Rochester.
That is an amazing Stat that he is the only Red Wing to do 20/30, I would’ve thought we’d have others with all the greats that came thru here!!!
Thank you for pointing this out!!!!!