BY DAN GLICKMAN
Starting pitcher Chandler Champlain took a no-hitter into the the sixth inning and second baseman Cayden Wallace hit a grand slam as the Rochester Red Wings took their second straight win on Saturday, beating the Worcester Red Sox 10-3.
Champlain, who moved to 6-3 on the season with the win, didn’t allow a hit until there were two outs in the sixth inning, when a rehabbing Nick Sogard hit a deep ball to right field. Joey Wiemer was unable to get to it in time, and it bounced into the corner, allowing Sogard to rumble to third with an RBI triple to make it 8-1. Champlain was able to get the next hitter, Vinny Capra to line out to end the inning and Champlain’s day. Ultimately, the USC alum finished with six innings pitched, allowing one hit with allowing an earned run and two walks while striking out two on 84 pitches.
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On the offensive side, the Red Wings (8-9 in the second half, 53-37 overall) tallied 13 hits, with all but one of the starting nine recording at least one. Perhaps the biggest hit came from second baseman Cayden Wallace, who hit a grand slam off Michael Sansone to extend a 3-0 lead into a 7-0 one in the fourth. The slam was Wallace’s second home run at AAA, and came just a day after his first. The Arkansas native ultimately went 2-for-4 on the day.
Wallace’s grand slam was one of four on the day for the Wings: Harry Ford started the scoring in the first with a solo shot off Sansone, Trey Lipscomb hit his 17th of the season with a two-run homer in the second as part of a 3-for-5 night, and Brady House – one day after he became the first Red Wing to hit for the cycle since 2004 – launched his seventh of the AAA season in the ninth to bring about the final 10-3 score.
Aside from Champlain, Gus Varland had perhaps his best showing with the Red Wings so far, going 1.2 innings of perfect work while striking out three to end the game.
The Red Wings will try to make it three straight wins and force a series split on Sunday, with the team expected to send out Andry Lara. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
This is becoming far too frustrating. We have a 1st class lineup (although the Nats grabbed Ortiz, which will hurt) and a 10 cent bullpen. Its getting way to discouraging watching the pen pee away lead after lead after lead. Can’t come in and throw strikes..walks, wild pitches….leading to mistakes on D as they have to wait around for the pitchers to get guys out. Too many deep counts after 0-2. And so it goes. Wings have lost so many games over the past 3 weeks that should have been wins, had they had ANY in the pen who could close things out, and that includes Yean, who has been hot and cold. LeCroy needs to make him or someone of his choosing, the closer and stop using 7 pitchers per game trying to find someone who can hold leads.
Sundays loss was another in a growing list of inexcusable losses. I feel bad for the hitters. the pen up in DC is no better. At all. The organization has no pitching above AA. I’m still not over the Toledo series or that terrible Sunday game.