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Rochester Red Wings

Red Wings Game Notes

August 15, 2014 - International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


RED WINGS GAME NOTES - Friday, August 15 (7:15 p.m.)

Syracuse Chiefs (71-53) @ Rochester Red Wings (68-58) - Frontier Field, Rochester, NY

RHP A.J. Cole (4-0, 2.87) vs. LHP Kris Johnson (9-6, 3.28)

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Red Wings open their most important series of the season tonight (7:15 pm) as they welcome the first-place Syracuse Chiefs (Nationals) to town for a four-game set at Frontier Field. The Wings enter play today 4.0 GB of the Chiefs in the North and 3.0 GB of Pawtucket in the Wild Card with only 18 regular season games to play. Rochester is 6-7 in the month of August, have won 13 of their last 23 games overall but have played just .500 baseball since June 7 (36-26). Meanwhile, Syracuse is coming off an 8-2 homestand after a 16-game stretch in which they went just 4-12. The Chiefs are bidding to make the IL playoffs for the first time since 1998 -- the longest active postseason drought in the IL.

MOUND MATCHUP:

- The Wings will send lefty Kris Johnson to the mound to make his 20th start of the season for Rochester and 2nd against the Chiefs (4/19; L, 6.0 IP, 4 R). Since the All-Star break, Johnson is 1-2, 6.91 ERA (11/14,1 IP) in 3 GS after going 8-4, 2.75 ERA in 16 GS prior to break. The southpaw has failed to make it out of the 4th inning in each of his last 2 GS (0-2, 10.80 ERA) after completing at least 5 IP in each of his first 17 starts this season with Rochester. In his last start on Sunday @ IND, Johnson allowed 7 runs in an outing for the first time since May 14, 2011 w/ PAW vs. SWB.

- Syracuse sends right-hander A.J. Cole to the bump to make his 9th career Triple-A start after beginning the season with Harrisburg (AA) where he went 6-3, 2.92 ERA in 14 starts -- including 4 GS vs NBR going 2-1, 2.45 ERA (6 ER/22.0 IP). He tossed a 7-inning CG-SHO against the Twins Double-A affiliate on May 17 (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K).

VS. SYRACUSE: The Wings are 4-4 against the Chiefs this season splitting 4-game sets in SYR (4/18-22) and ROC (5/26-29) while each team has scored 38 runs in the season series...The series is tied 12-12 since the beginning of 2013 after Rochester was just 14-33 against Syracuse from 2010-12...Chris Rahl has hit well against his former team going 7-for-27 (.259) with 2 HR and 9 RBI in 7 games against SYR this season...Doug Bernier is batting .400 (8-20) with 3 2B, 6 R and 4 RBI in 7 games vs. the Chiefs...Deibinson Romero is 8-for-22 (.364) with 3 2B and 3 RBI in 6 G against SYR.

HOME, SWEET HOME: Rochester has now won at least 40 games at Frontier Field for a second straight season after going four straight years (2009-12) without 40 wins at home. In the Gene Glynn era (2012- ), the Red Wings are 121-85 at home -- including going 71-37 (.657) over their last 108 games at Frontier Field dating back to May 27, 2013. Prior to 2012, the Wings were just 94-122 from 2009-11 at home. Their 40-22 (.656) mark this season is best in the IL and 3rd best in all of Triple-A baseball (Nashville, 42-21 & Sacramento, 41-21).

BACK TO THE NORTH: The Wings' final 18 games of the regular season will all come against IL North opponents -- who they are a combined 31-31 against this season. Currently, the 3 best records in the IL (SYR, PAW & ROC) and 4 of the top 5 in the league (BUF) reside in the IL North. The Wings would have at least a share of first-place in any other division, instead they find themselves 3.0 GB of a playoff spot. Fourteen of Rochester's final 18 games come against SYR (8), PAW (2) & BUF (4) who have a combined record of 208-167 (.555). ROC is 15-19 against these 3 teams so far this season.

- The top 4 pitching staffs in the IL (in terms of ERA) are PAW (3.49), ROC (3.50), BUF (3,51) and SYR (3.59).

PITCHING PROBLEMS: The Wings, who had the best ERA in the IL since May 23, gave up that position after allowing 9 runs on Thursday night to Durham. The Wings have allowed 8 or more runs in 4 of their last 6 games (47 total; 7.8 R/G) after yielding 8 or more in a game 4 times in their previous 70 contests. The Wings, who entered the month of August with a 3.33 team ERA have posted a 4.97 mark over their first 13 games in August -- the 3rd-worst mark in the league this month (CHA 5.52 & GWN 5.76).

CHASING 300: The Wings' 266 doubles this season ranks 2nd most in ALL of baseball (Asheville, 306). The Wings are on pace to hit 304 two-baggers this season -- it would be just the 4th time in Red Wings history that a Wings club has eclipsed 300 doubles in a season (2004, 1932, 1930). Rochester has five players with 20-plus doubles this season (most since 2011) -- including Deibinson Romero (31), James Beresford (26) and Doug Bernier (23) who have all set career highs in doubles this season. Wilkin Ramirez (22) and Eric Farris (20) have also eclipsed the 20-double mark.

MORE ABOUT LAST NIGHT...:

- The Wings were shutout for the 11th time this season and for the 4th time in the last 17 days.

- Alex Meyer lasted just 3.2 IP allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks (84 pitches)...He's now 0-2, 9.53 ERA (6 ER/5.2 IP) over his last 2 GS after a 7-start stretch in which he went 2-0 with a 1.77 ERA (8 ER/40.2 IP). - Aaron Thompson allowed a tied for season-high 4 runs for the 3rd time in his last 9 outings (12.96 ERA).

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