IL1 Rochester Red Wings

Lynx take down Red Wings 4-3 with ninth inning homer

Published on August 23, 2006 under International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


Val Majewski's ninth inning solo home run powered the Ottawa Lynx over the Red Wings 4-3 Wednesday night at Frontier Field. With first place Scranton's win Wednesday over Buffalo, Rochester is now two games out of first place in the IL North Division, and leads Toledo for the IL Wild Card Spot by three games.

Andres Torres gave the Wings a good opportunity for an early advantage, leading off the game with his eighth triple of the season. Quinton McCracken plated Torres with an infield grounder for a 1-0 lead.

Wings starter Mike Smith retired his first eight batters before Todd Donovan reached base on a bunt single in the third. On the opposing mound, Lynx starter Brian Bowles rebounded well after the lead-off triple, retiring seven consecutive Wings following Torres.

The Lynx threatened in the top of the fifth, with Andy Tracy doubling to start off the inning. With one out, Tracy moved to third off Majewski's single to right. But Terry Tiffee caught a foul pop near the visiting dugout, and McCracken made his second running catch of the inning, getting Smith out of a jam and keeping the Wing advantage at 1-0.

Pitching was the name of the game through a quick four-and-a-half frames, as Smith had allowed three hits and Bowles just two. But with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Bowles threw seven consecutive balls, walking Tommy Watkins in the process. Torres came to the plate, took three straight balls, then ripped his second extra-base hit of the game, doubling and driving in Watkins. McCracken then singled between first and second, scoring Torres for his second RBI and a 3-0 Rochester lead.

The Lynx mounted a comeback in the sixth. With two outs and a man on first, Ottawa consecutively hit a single, a triple and a double to score three runs and tie the game 3-3. Smith stopped the rally with a strikeout, his fourth of the game, to end the inning.

Smith left the game after the seventh, being relieved by Matt Ford. Ford (1-2) pitched a flawless eighth before giving up the game winning homer to Majewski in the ninth. Ford sat down one more Ottawa player before Levale Speigner retired Donovan to end the inning. Bowles (10-8) earned the win after a strong eight inning performance. Lynx closer Julio Manon pitched the ninth for his IL leading 29th save. The Ottawa win moved the Lynx to four back of Rochester for the lone wild-card position.

NOTES: Kevin West, who pinch hit Tuesday night with two outs in the bottom of the tenth, was hit by a pitch for the third straight game. West's free base set up Alex Romero's game-winning hit. West was not hit by a pitch Wednesday...Torres' first inning triple was his eighth of the season and most by a Rochester player since Wayne Kirby hit 11 three baggers in 2000. Torres has moved into sole possession of third on the league leader list for triples...Tiffee was robbed of a hit, and most likely extra bases, in the first inning when Luis Terrero made an impressive running, over-the-shoulder catch near the centerfield wall...The umpires were seeing things differently than the batters early Wednesday night, as the first four strikeouts of the game came on called strikes (two each for both Smith and Bowles). Smith's strikeout of Terrero in the fourth inning was the first swinging strikeout of th! e game...With Tuesday's win the Red Wings moved to an International League best 15-3 in extra inning games this season. Rochester has won 10 of their last 11 and 17 of their last 21 extra inning games dating back to last season. Since 1979, when IL records begin for extra innings, no International League team has ever won 16 extra inning games in a season...Time Warner Cable will show the Wings' game at Fenway Park on Saturday night against Pawtucket, on Channel 98 beginning at 6 p.m. Former Wings broadcaster Glenn Geffner will do the play-by-play.

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International League Stories from August 23, 2006


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