June 20, 2013
161
Games Today




Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - Wednesday, July 4 vs. Pawtucket (Red Sox)

July 4, 2012 - International League (IL) Rochester Red Wings

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012 w FRONTIER FIELD

GAME #86 - HOME GAME #41 - 7:05 P.M.

PAWTUCKET RED SOX (48-39) at ROCHESTER RED WINGS (39-46)

RHP DOUG MATHIS (5-6, 3.87) vs. LHP LUKE FRENCH (1-3, 5.27)

DEATH, TAXES, AND 4TH-OF-JULY BASEBALL: The Rochester Red Wings tonight open a 6-game, 5-day homestand that leads into the All-Star Break with the first game of a 3-game series vs. Pawtucket (Red Sox). Following 3 with the PawSox, the Red Wings will host Lehigh Valley (Phillies) for 3 Saturday-Sunday, including a doubleheader Sunday to wrap up the unofficial first half of the season.

a Time Warner Cable Sports will broadcast live tonight's and tomorrow's games. Tomorrow's contest will be simulcast on New England Sports Network (NESN) throughout New England.

a The Red Wings open at home after the All-Star Break, hosting Toledo (Tigers) for 4 games July 12-15. Toledo is the only team the Red Wings have yet to face in 2012.

ROSTER NEWS: The Minnesota Twins today selected the contract of right-handed relief pitcher Casey Fien. To make room for him on the roster, the Twins optioned righthander Nick Blackburn to Triple-A Rochester.

a Fien went 2-5 with 9 saves and a 4.30 ERA in 33 games. He is tied for the team lead in saves with the injured Anthony Slama. The 28-year-old Fien is the 11th Red Wing to get promoted to the Twins, the 6th pitcher. He last pitched in the majors in 2010, making 2 appearances with Detroit. Nick Blackburn, meanwhile, went 3-1 in 6 starts with the Twins after returning from the 15-Day Disabled List despite a 7.80 ERA (26 ER/30.0 IP) in those starts.

a The Twins yesterday recalled right-handed starter Cole De Vries from Rochester. To make room for him on the roster, Minnesota optioned righthander Liam Hendriks to Rochester. The 23-year-old Australia native went 0-3 with a 5.31 ERA in 4 starts during his 2nd stint with the Twins. He is 0-5 with a 7.04 ERA in 8 starts overall with Minnesota. Hendriks, who leads the Red Wings with 5 wins, is scheduled to start Saturday vs. Lehigh Valley.

THAT JUST HAPPENED: The Red Wings are coming off a split of a 2-game series at Pawtucket, losing the first game 2-1 before winning 5-3 in yesterday's finale. Rochester yesterday erased a 3-0 deficit with 5 runs in the 7th, getting 5 extra-base hits in the inning, including back-to-back homers by Clete Thomas and Rene Rivera and Pedro Florimon's go-ahead 2-run double. The rally started after Pawtucket starter Brandon Duckworth retired the first 2 batters of the inning.

a The back-to-back homers were the 2nd set for the Wings. Matt Carson and Thomas turned the trick in the first inning of a 7-4 win at Louisville (Reds) June 17. Bobby Lanigan last night picked up his first Triple-A win. He became the 19th different pitcher to record a win. The 2011 club had 19 different hurlers win a game the entire year.

OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: The Red Wings have won 2 of 3 games to start July and tonight look to start their 2nd straight month with a 3-1 mark. Rochester started 3-1 in June en route to a 15-14 record for their first winning calendar month since August 2009. The Red Wings are 10-13 since a season-best 4-game winning streak June 6-9. The Wings haven't won more than 2 games in a row since that 4-game streak, which tied a season high from May 3-5. Rochester is 25-23s beginning May 15, however, after opening the season 14-23.

a Each of the Red Wings' last 5 games have been decided by 2 runs or less. The club is 2-3 in those contests. Rochester is 24-24 in games decided by 2 runs or less overall.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: The Red Wings tonight return to Frontier Field, where they are 27-21 and unbeaten in 10 of their 13 series. One of the series losses came April 11-13, when the Wings dropped 2 of 3 vs. Pawtucket. A breakdown of the stats at home and on the road:

Frontier Field Road

Games A0 37

Record 27-21 12-25

Runs 175 119

Runs Per Game 3.2

Batting average .257 (398-for-1548) .236 (294-for-1248)

Home Runs A0 20

ERA 3.16 (148 ER/421.0 IP) 5.06 (175 ER/311.0 IP)

IN NEED OF A PICK-ME-UP: Red Wings' starting pitchers are winless in the last 8 games, going 0-3 with a 4.06 ERA (17 ER/37.2 IP) in that time. The most-recent win by a starter came June 25, when Cole De Vries defeated Charlotte (White Sox) at Frontier Field.

a Red Wings' starters are just 4-10 with a 5.80 ERA (67 ER/104.0 IP) in 23 games beginning June 10, the day after Liam Hendriks's last start with the club before getting recalled to Minnesota. Rochester starters are 21-27 with a 4.11 ERA (193 ER/422.2 IP) overall.

a Red Wings' starters haven't won more than 2 games in a row all season, and that feat has been accomplished only 5 times, most recently June 22-23 when Samuel Deduno and Steven Hirschfeld defeated Charlotte at Frontier Field.

THE 'PEN IS MIGHTIER: The Red Wings' bullpen has worked 12.1 consecutive scoreless innings. Rochester relievers last gave up a run in the 6th inning Saturday vs. Empire State (Yankees). During the 12.1-inning streak, 19 of the 37 outs recorded have been strikeouts (51 percent).

a Since allowing 10 runs Thursday at Lehigh Valley, the Red Wings' pitching staff has a 3.25 ERA (16 ER/44.1 IP) in its last 5 games. Rochester is tied for 7th in the International League with Gwinnett (Braves) with a 3.97 ERA.

WE WANT YOU!: The Red Wings enter tonight's game with a 3-game losing streak on the 4th of July. Rochester last won on Independence Day in 2008, when they notched an 8-1 triumph vs. Buffalo (Mets). Tonight marks the 9th year in a row the Red Wings have played at home on the 4th of July.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

0 Opponent Time Probable A0 TV/Radio

Thursday, July 5 vs. Pawtucket 6:05 p.m. RHP Tony Pena Jr. (0-6, 6.23) vs. RHP Jeff Manship (4-1, A0 TWCS/WHTK 1280 AM

Friday, July 6 vs. Pawtucket 7:05 p.m. RHP Billy Buckner (1-2, 7.36) vs. RHP P.J. Walters (3-1, A0 WHTK 1280 AM

Saturday, July 7 vs. Lehigh Valley 6:05 p.m. LHP Tom Cochran (5-1, 3.68) vs. RHP Liam Hendriks (5-0, A0 WHTK 1280 AM

Sunday, July 8 vs. Lehigh Valley 12:05 p.m. (DH) RHP Tyler Cloyd (8-1, 2.15) vs. RHP Samuel Deduno (1-2, A0 WHTK 1280 AM

TBD vs. RHP Steven Hirschfeld (1-2, A0 WHTK 1280 AM

• Discuss this story on the International League message board...
• Digg this story
• Add to Del.icio.us


International League Stories from July 4, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.